“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.”—Graham Greene, Ways of Escape
Great Escape Radio Host, Jody Maberry brings Melissa Broughton back to the show to talk about writing a memoir.
Last episode Melissa talked to Jody about her career as a travel writer with a focus on spa writing. (You can listen in to that episode here.) This week she’s back to talk about a memoir she wrote about her father after he passed away.
“My dad passed away about 9 years ago when he was only 54 and I was 34. Overall it was a ‘write to heal’ time for me,” says Melissa.
She was doing so many things to go through the healing process, but as a writer it was writing that helped her heal.
Although she was only 34 at the time, writing the memoir Cowboy Dad: Love, Alcoholism and A Dying Way of Life was important to her… it’s not about age, it’s about life experiences.
Melissa shares with us how writing helped her deal with the trauma of losing her father—first to alcoholism—and, ultimately, his death.
She also talks about the benefits of writing for all types of struggles and chaotic emotions, whether you want to publish your words or just keep them private.
Melissa Broughton is the creator of Great Escape Publishing’s spa writing program, The Pampered Traveler. To learn more about it and grab a copy, visit: greatescapepublishing.com/start/spa.
