Beautiful Charlie, you will be missed by all of us who had the pleasure of sharing the course with you but we now have a new success story to point new students to as you are just getting started helping us all become better writers through your amazing example. Best of luck and I'll be here reading along and listening to your podcast!
Charlie – such a pleasure to learn from you this cohort :)
thanks for sharing your wisdom, wit, and self with us and giving us permission to share our selves. so excited to follow you on your next adventure in dissecting the best memoirs on the way to writing your own – rooting for you!
Charlie! This was so beautiful, and I love this behind the scenes peel into sharing this and what convos with David are like. You shaped my entire WOP experience. I’m so thankful for you. I remember you telling me not to panic about not having a personal monopoly. I think you said, “ITS STUPID!” And i immediately felt relief. Thanks for that insight.
Can’t wait to follow along with all you do. I’m rooting for you!!!
Hahaha, it's stupid! Sounds like me. Thanks so much, Emma. I'm so glad you emailed me and we hopped on that call. You're a great writer and your Substack needed to be out in this world. I'm rooting for you!
What an honor of a lifetime it was to be along side you this past year Charlie. Three cohorts together and more. I can't wait to buy your memoir.
When it comes to memoir recommendations:
the first that came to mind for me were Theodore Roosevelts hunting trips of a ranch man. The big takeaway there for me was not just how Teddy used rhythm and repetition but how he deployed plosives in his language to accent his alliteration and cadence. That extra layer of detail was one of the ingredients that made both his speech and writing hypnotic.
In a way one of my favorite works of all time, Walden by Thoreau is a memoir. His story of being put in prison might be valuable to you as I've never read a man so elegantly account his seizing and being put behind bars.
Finally, Susan Folwer's Whistleblower is worth a read if only for the suspense and gravity of what she was unveiling in this wild chapter not only in her life but Silicon Valley as a whole. I think this one would give you many out loud WTF moments.
2024 is the year we come for you and that Christmas room!
You inspired me so much during Write of Passage and I know that will continue as you move onto this next chapter. I genuinely want to read you memoir whenever it's ready.
Nate! It's so weird to think that I edited one of your first pieces. Feels like a lifetime ago. I'm constantly inspired by you, too. I'm coming to LA in 2024. It will be brief, on our way to Hawaii, but if you're in town I hope our fams can meet up!
Charlie, I might be a little extra emotional today but I shed a tear reading this. Among the list of reasons I wish I would have found Write of Passage sooner is your name. Regardless, I celebrate you and I am thrilled for what is to come.
Oooh. I've been looking for some support with my writing and I love how you play with words. If you did the course for years, I assume you recomment it? Will check it out.
Medha, YES. It's an amazing place for support. You will meet wonderful people and learn so much about writing and yourself. Please email me if you have more questions about the course. charlie.bleecker@gmail.com
Thanks so much Charlie! I had a look and it's way over my budget atm. But I keep going back to look at the website - so I guess we shall see : ) . I'll keep your generous offer in mind though. Cheers.
Congratulations on completing your write of passage, Charlie! I'm gonna miss your deep dives so much. But I'll come back here every week, eager to read a sliver of your memoir.
Congrats on taking the plunge, Charlie! As a fan of memoir, and a fellow struggling-to-finish-my-own-memoir writer, I’ve enjoyed the podcast eps of yours I’ve listened to.
Here are some of my favorite memoirs:
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
- The Year if Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
I was in Cohort 11 and your deep dive was one of the most hard to hear but necessary pieces of advice for my writing. I just finished editing my first essay after the course and I edited out a ‘Live laugh love’ ending out.
I am glad you did cohort 11. And all the best with your book!
Beautiful Charlie, you will be missed by all of us who had the pleasure of sharing the course with you but we now have a new success story to point new students to as you are just getting started helping us all become better writers through your amazing example. Best of luck and I'll be here reading along and listening to your podcast!
Tobi, thank you so much!!
Charlie – such a pleasure to learn from you this cohort :)
thanks for sharing your wisdom, wit, and self with us and giving us permission to share our selves. so excited to follow you on your next adventure in dissecting the best memoirs on the way to writing your own – rooting for you!
Cissy, thank you so much. And thank you for sharing YOUR self with all of us, too.
Charlie! This was so beautiful, and I love this behind the scenes peel into sharing this and what convos with David are like. You shaped my entire WOP experience. I’m so thankful for you. I remember you telling me not to panic about not having a personal monopoly. I think you said, “ITS STUPID!” And i immediately felt relief. Thanks for that insight.
Can’t wait to follow along with all you do. I’m rooting for you!!!
Hahaha, it's stupid! Sounds like me. Thanks so much, Emma. I'm so glad you emailed me and we hopped on that call. You're a great writer and your Substack needed to be out in this world. I'm rooting for you!
What an honor of a lifetime it was to be along side you this past year Charlie. Three cohorts together and more. I can't wait to buy your memoir.
When it comes to memoir recommendations:
the first that came to mind for me were Theodore Roosevelts hunting trips of a ranch man. The big takeaway there for me was not just how Teddy used rhythm and repetition but how he deployed plosives in his language to accent his alliteration and cadence. That extra layer of detail was one of the ingredients that made both his speech and writing hypnotic.
In a way one of my favorite works of all time, Walden by Thoreau is a memoir. His story of being put in prison might be valuable to you as I've never read a man so elegantly account his seizing and being put behind bars.
Finally, Susan Folwer's Whistleblower is worth a read if only for the suspense and gravity of what she was unveiling in this wild chapter not only in her life but Silicon Valley as a whole. I think this one would give you many out loud WTF moments.
2024 is the year we come for you and that Christmas room!
Steven, it's already been amazing to see your growth in the past three cohorts. Your slope is insane.
Thank you for the recs! These sound awesome.
2024 baby! Let's do it!
Celebrating your graduation from the previous adventure and your brave launch into the new one Charlie.
Rick, thank you, always appreciate you in my corner.
You inspired me so much during Write of Passage and I know that will continue as you move onto this next chapter. I genuinely want to read you memoir whenever it's ready.
Michelle! Thank you. I'm inspired by you, too. And I hear you're on the east coast now. Same timezone!
I was smiling through this whole essay :)
Thanks for your POP deep dive, it was wonderfully helpful in my own writing. I’m excited to see what you create next!
(... and that Russian doll exercise stumped me!)
Thank you, Jack! Haha I hated that exercise. Don't even get me started.
I'm always inspired by you. Deeply. You were the first person to edit one of my pieces and that feeling and feedback changed my life.
None of this surprises me because you've always given everyone what David gives you on his call: Clear and honest feedback.
You're basically my DP 😂
Nate! It's so weird to think that I edited one of your first pieces. Feels like a lifetime ago. I'm constantly inspired by you, too. I'm coming to LA in 2024. It will be brief, on our way to Hawaii, but if you're in town I hope our fams can meet up!
Charlie, I might be a little extra emotional today but I shed a tear reading this. Among the list of reasons I wish I would have found Write of Passage sooner is your name. Regardless, I celebrate you and I am thrilled for what is to come.
Aw Haley. I'm so happy we've met and I get to see all the work you're doing, too. And when I say work, I don't just mean writing. ;)
Congratulations and I feel honoured to have shared a cohort with you. You are an inspiration to many :)
Thank you so much, Kyle!
Oooh. I've been looking for some support with my writing and I love how you play with words. If you did the course for years, I assume you recomment it? Will check it out.
Medha, YES. It's an amazing place for support. You will meet wonderful people and learn so much about writing and yourself. Please email me if you have more questions about the course. charlie.bleecker@gmail.com
Thanks so much Charlie! I had a look and it's way over my budget atm. But I keep going back to look at the website - so I guess we shall see : ) . I'll keep your generous offer in mind though. Cheers.
Yea the cost is insane!! They DO offer rather large scholarships.
Congratulations on completing your write of passage, Charlie! I'm gonna miss your deep dives so much. But I'll come back here every week, eager to read a sliver of your memoir.
Thank you, Becky!
Congrats on taking the plunge, Charlie! As a fan of memoir, and a fellow struggling-to-finish-my-own-memoir writer, I’ve enjoyed the podcast eps of yours I’ve listened to.
Here are some of my favorite memoirs:
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
- The Year if Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
- Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Thank you, Lyle! Appreciate you listening.
I don't know any of these books! Very exciting. Added to my list.
some of my favs
- Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
- Devotion by Dani Shapiro
- All of Maya Angelou's memoirs
Evan! Great to hear from you. Thank you for these!
What a great development and what a great personal monopoly. You will continue to inspire as an alumni!
Thanks, Charlie!
Hey Charlie,
I was in Cohort 11 and your deep dive was one of the most hard to hear but necessary pieces of advice for my writing. I just finished editing my first essay after the course and I edited out a ‘Live laugh love’ ending out.
I am glad you did cohort 11. And all the best with your book!
Trupthi! Thank you so much. Those Triple L moments will get ya! They get me all the time. Thank you for the kind words.