Three things you need to know about me.
One: I dream big. I dream huge. And I will go the extra mile to make my dreams come true.
Two: I am obsessed with writing. I have been writing everyday, not only my activities and schedule, but feelings and thoughts since I was 10 years old. I kept all of it, all the journals, diaries, notebooks and letters. Also, I have been writing professionally since the beginning of my professional journey. I never really made a nickel out of anything else. My whole life I have supporting myself (and, later on, my two daughters) with my writing craftsmanship.
Three: I am the daughter of a professor. My mother started teaching in one of the most prestigious Brazilian universities when I was born. Yet, I never thought about teaching anything. I have been invited and said yes to some screenwriting workshops, but nothing more than this. Just to imagine it, I get anxious. Too much out of my comfort zone - which is a pretty good indicative that this is something I should do! Because I want to evolve and step out of those gray comfy zones. I want the excitement of doing something new. I want to have the courage to be vulnerable. I need to constantly find new goals to put myself out there. I have a strong desire for sharing what I have learned. I urge to pass along my gathered knowledge. And when I get stuck in my comfort zone, I start to drown.
Can I Teach?
Therefore, I decided to take on the teacher's role and start a new adventure: an online writing workshop. It was not very difficult to decide what I would be teaching, since there are just a few things I really know how to do in life – and that I can teach other people:
1) how to park a car in super tiny spots
2) how to cook very good white rice
3) how to decorate new apartments on a shoestring budget
4) how to raise amazing girls (but they are so special that I am pretty sure I got lucky)
5) how to write, specially about your own life – or someone else’s.
I decided for the latest, because it is what I have been doing for the longest time - and because I think a lot of people can really benefit from it.
Non-Fiction X Fiction
Why have I decided to teach non-fiction may be your next question, and the answer is very simple: I believe that everybody has a story to tell. At least one amazing story. As a matter of fact, writing good non-fiction is easier than writing fiction, if you ask me. You may disagree but let me explain one thing: I do not believe that every single human being has a great imagination for fictional characters. It is harder than it appears. Much harder. I have three published novels and they were exponentially harder than writing my biographies. I believe that when you are writing about a real person, you start in the middle of the race. Specially if you focus on extraordinary people or events they have experienced.
The second aspect of why I chose to teach non-fiction (biography, memoir and autobiography) is connected to the fact that during the pandemic, a lot of people reached out to me, asking tips on how to eternalize their lives in writing - or their elderly family members ones. And this really touched me: Any of my grandparents are alive. But while they were around, I wanted to write a book about each one of them. I wanted to know where I come from, I wanted to honor their memories. So I do understand why people are asking me this, and I 100% agree.
So, starting tomorrow, you will be able to access a free masterclass here on my website, and also other programs for writing a biography, memoir or autobiography. And this, friends, is a Big Dream! To share my knowledge with all of you, to connect with your stories, to make sure that
all the legacies are accounted for, no matter how big or how tiny they are! Can I invite you to Dream Big with me?