Author Archives: first person productions

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About first person productions

My blog "True Stories Well Told" is a place for people who read and write about real life. I’ve been leading life writing groups since 2004. I teach, coach memoir writers 1:1, and help people publish and share their life stories.

Peace

Posted on August 24, 2022 by first person productions

By Barbara Vander Werff When my BFF, Sandy, was in hospice, she had a sense of peace. Her disease was devastating and a shock to everyone. After her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, she died four weeks later. For those of … Continue reading →

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Ethan Goes to College

Posted on August 17, 2022 by first person productions

By Faith Ellestad I had been crying for weeks. How could this have happened? Our beautiful, earnest, sweet natured little boy, our youngest child, was leaving home. He had reluctantly agreed to live at home his first year of college, … Continue reading →

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Jane Kinney, Campfire Queen

Posted on August 10, 2022 by first person productions

By Sarah White This essay was written in response to a Guided Autobiography prompt, “What are you prepared to give up for a friend?” Given the number of times I headed out camping with Jane into a forecast of rain, … Continue reading →

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Upcoming workshops in Fall 2022

Posted on August 3, 2022 by first person productions

I believe in the power of story—to entertain, to teach, to heal. That’s why I publish this blog–and why I teach writing workshops. In my workshops, I take my writers through a curriculum of discussions about the craft of writing, … Continue reading →

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The Mile Corner

Posted on July 27, 2022 by first person productions

By Barbara Vander Werff In Randolph, Wisconsin, it was a rite of passage. You turn 16 and get your Driver’s License. Then you drive through town, make a right-hand turn at the stop sign, and when you hit the edge … Continue reading →

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The Ruthie Method

Posted on July 13, 2022 by first person productions

By Marlene Samuels Ruthie Whitefish and I were best friends from the time we walked and talked. As “besties” we naturally mimicked one another, dressed alike, wore our hair alike, even mirrored each other’s behavior. Unlike me, Ruthie was an … Continue reading →

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In Light of the Repeal of Roe v. Wade…

Posted on July 6, 2022 by first person productions

No doubt many of us are seething, reeling, boiling mad, frightened. Our amygdalae are in full fight-or-flight mode from the recent threat to women’s freedom to control our own bodily choices. For that reason, I call you to read this … Continue reading →

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The Coat

Posted on June 29, 2022 by first person productions

By Patricia LaPointe See this coat. When is it worn? Is it the only coat? It can be worn for Sunday services. Is it good enough? It can be worn in the rain. How does it look when it’s wet? It … Continue reading →

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How I Almost Became a Furry

Posted on June 22, 2022 by first person productions

By Sarah White What’s a furry?  Someone who participates in a fandom subculture focused on anthropomorphic animal characters, with human personalities and characteristics, the Internet will tell you. The mainstream press tends to portray furries as sexual fetishists, but I … Continue reading →

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Desperately Seeking Stories

Posted on June 15, 2022 by first person productions

Okay, I’m not desperate, just having fun with a play on words about that rom-com with Madonna and Rosanna Arquette, “Desperately Seeking Susan.” The film premiered in 1985. It was Madonna’s first major screen role. It is one of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Call for action, Writing prompt | 2 Comments