Growing as a Writer (Even When the Book Isn’t Finished)

Today on More to the Story Podcast: Talking Writing, Meditation, and the Long Journey of Memoir with Lori Wald

This week I’m joined by my former client Lori Wald, mindfulness meditation teacher, personal essayist, and author of the Substack newsletter Tuesdays with Lori. Lori and I worked together back in 2020 on a full draft of her memoir, and in this conversation she shares where the project has taken her since then, what she’s learning about structure, and how meditation is woven through both her life and her storytelling.

We talk about the nonlinear nature of memoir, what it means to trust your material, how to keep writing even when the book still isn’t “there yet,” and the surprising ways Substack helped Lori find her confidence and her audience.

This is a generous, honest conversation about writing through grief, identity, faith, and the practice that helped Lori find her voice.

About Lori

Lori Wald is a mindfulness meditation coach and writes “Tuesdays with Lori, Musings on Life, Loss and Everything In-Between” at loriwald.substack.com.

In today’s episode:

* how Lori juggles life between Cleveland, Ohio and Florida

* her shift from fiction to personal essay

* the messy truth of a first memoir draft (and the second…and the third)

* why memoirs are often not chronological

* the challenge of structure — and the moment when you know you’ve landed it

* how meditation helped Lori reclaim her voice after profound loss

* the intersection of mindfulness, storytelling, and healing

* writing about widowhood, divorce, remarriage, and becoming “more me”

* the difference between teaching meditation and writing about meditation

* how Substack is building her confidence and helping her grow her readership

* her experience writing op-eds about her Jewish identity since the war in Gaza

* why being seen as a writer — regardless of a book deal — is deeply meaningful

Links mentioned in this episode:

* Lori’s Substack newsletter — Tuesdays with Lori: loriwald.substack.com

* Under the Gum Tree – submit and subscribe

* Book a 15-minute book diagnosis call: moretothestory.co/bookdiagnosis

* Download the Book Outline Formula worksheet: moretothestory.co/bookoutline

* Caffe Santoro – get 10% off your first order: caffesantoro.com/janna

Follow & Connect

* Follow me on Instagram: @jannamarlies

* Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram: @undergumtree

* Show notes & episodes on Substack: moretothestorypodcast.substack.com

Question for you:

Are you working on a nonlinear memoir or essay-driven narrative? What helps you trust your structure (or keep going until you find it)? Share your experience in the comments — or leave a question for a future episode.

Thanks so much for listening and for being here.

(AI Disclaimer: These show notes were generated by AI using the transcript of this episode.)

Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe