Theo Pauline Nestor has a story many writers are familiar with—because it is their own story of frustration, anxiety, humor, and the struggles of a writing life trying to emerge out of a “real” life.
Consider Writing Is My Drink a writing memoir. Nestor shares her struggles of always wanting to write, seeking out the education she thought could help her write, and ultimately finding success with a well-received memoir about her divorce.
Along the way, she developed her writing style as she developed as a writing instructor. Her experience pours into this book with humor, perseverance and empathy. She also includes a number of writing projects and exercises at the end of each chapter—the teacher in her coming out.
Writing Is My Drink is a good resource for any would-be writer, but Nestor’s experience is most applicable to memoir writers. Her stories, pursuits, and the chapter-ending projects will help a memoir writer push forward on their own project.
The best lesson Nestor gives is one she discovered organically after years of working at writing. The lesson: be honest. The courage to be honest helped her develop her own voice. It also helped her to develop her students’ voices as well.
This book feels like office hours with an engaging and giving instructor who wants to see you succeed. That is something any writing student can learn from and appreciate.