Rona Maynard found happiness at 65—a story she tells in her new memoir Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World. She first broke into print at 14 with a short story about bullying and still receives fan mail from teens who are reading it in class. Rona capped a stellar career in magazines with a decade at the helm of Chatelaine, Canada’s leading magazine for women. Her editor’s column won a loyal following. When she disclosed a struggle with depression, she helped kickstart a national conversation about mental health. After Chatelaine, Rona had to learn to unwind—and found that her best teacher was a rescue mutt who had received his basic training in a prison. She has been married more than 50 years and is a firm believer that road trips go better with a dog in the back seat.
In This Episode:
The important step Rona took while looking for her next chapter [3:19]
How she tests the waters by sharing mini stories on Facebook [5:36]
Giving your reader a reason to turn the page [7:48]
Why beautiful writing isn’t enough [8:07]
Living in the moment with a dog and how Rona applied that to her life [9:02]
Inviting readers into the book with your sense of mission [10:12]
Working as an editor-in-chief at Chatelaine and what that showed her about herself [11:20]
Discovering what makes her day glow and finding purpose [13:01]
Mining the conflict in your story [15:00]
Rona’s advice for organizing your writing and effectively using tools like Scrivener [16:15]
Writing your stories, even when the memories are hard [29:04]
Why she doesn’t do the “vomit” draft [31:49]
Connect with Rona
Substack: https://ronamaynard.substack.com/
Website:http://www.ronamaynard.com
Connect with Estelle:
Sign up for Estelle’s September 5th free Zoom AMA with journalist Aly Walansky from 4:30-5:30 PM ET, where they will discuss pitching, publishing, grabbing an editor’s attention, working with editors, and getting noticed by pr people, and so much more. Email Estelle at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com with your question for the AMA and to secure your spot.
Watch Estelle’s episode #99 with Aly Walansky
https://estelleserasmus.com/99-notes-from-a-lifestyle-journalist-with-10k-substack-subscribers/
Watch Estelle’s episode #38 with Cheryl Strayed
https://estelleserasmus.com/38-cheryl-strayed-on-writing-and-tiny-beautiful-things/
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
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https://estelleserasmus.com/a-few-pieces-of-exciting-news/
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Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
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Estelle’s latest substack post on Micro Memoir
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/if-you-are-writing-a-micro-memoir
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