12 Days of Christmas (Memoir-Writer Edition)

Every December, I love finding small ways to reconnect with my creativity. This year, I decided to give the classic “12 Days of Christmas” a memoir-writer twist — something light, joyful, and totally permission-giving with ChatGPT.

This is what we came up with:

On the first day of Christmas, my memoir book coach gave to me: One compassionate cheerleader to guide me along the way.

On the second day of Christmas, my memoir book coach gave to me: Two tidy timelines, And one compassionate cheerleader to guide me along the way.

On the third day of Christmas, my memoir book coach gave to me: Three title suggestions, Two tidy timelines, And one compassionate cheerleader to guide me along the way.

So I won’t go all the way through it, but here’s the haul for memoir writers from their book coaches:

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my memoir book coach gave to me:
Twelve months of clarity and courage
Eleven brave revisions
Ten moments mapped
Nine kind reminders
Eight editing insights
Seven small assignments
Six specific scene adjustments
Five golden A-HAs
Four points of my character arc
Three title suggestions
Two tidy timelines
And one compassionate cheerleader to guide me along the way.

12 Days of Christmas WRiting Prompts by Valerie Cantella

If you’re feeling the spark, download the 12 Days of Christmas Writing Prompts – my holiday gift to you, and blissfully free of drummers, birds, and other questionable 12-day surprises.
If you’re ready to make your writing journey merry and bright, join Dear Kate, my short note newsletter to women with a story to tell — it’s free. My gift to you — because let’s be honest, the 12 Days went off the rails after day five.

Originally published on my Substack.

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