Tag: personal narrative

This post might include affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission from the seller at no cost to you.

Everyone has a story to tell.

Click to SUBSCRIBE so you’ll never miss an update! As an added bonus, you’ll receive a FREE GUIDE – Four Easy Steps To Editing Your Perfect Social Media Post. It’s a great resource to review before any post goes live.

Tags blue, dog house, personal narrative, rescue dog, storyteller, writer

Lifestyle

Your Voice Matters – How To Embrace Storytelling

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date January 2, 2024
No Comments on Your Voice Matters – How To Embrace Storytelling

Your Voice Matters

Your voice matters.

Make storytelling your New Year’s Resolution.

Yes, even you.

Especially you.

Storytelling isn’t just about writing novels.

Although it certainly can be.

Storytelling is also how you post to social media.

It’s how you engage with customers.

And it’s how you shoot the breeze with your friends and family.

Inspiration can be found in the simplest moments of your day.

I write stories about the most mundane things.

My dog, a trip to the store, waffles.

Every moment can be turned into a story.

Start to tell your own personal narrative now.

Read my blog for inspiration.

I teach writing, speaking, and ESL, and I use my blog posts to open up class discussions.

Join in on that discussion.

Comment, and I promise I’ll respond.

Your story is worthy.

Your voice matters.

Make storytelling your New Year’s Resolution.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

This page might include affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission from the seller at no cost to you.

Tags discussion, personal narrative, storytelling, writing, your voice matters

Lifestyle

Gift Exchange Ideas They Will Love!

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date December 29, 2023
1 Comment on Gift Exchange Ideas They Will Love!

Gift Exchange Ideas

There were some great gift exchange ideas.

I was the most-stolen-from guest at the Dirty Santa Gift Swap.

My first present was a chocolate assortment.

They were high-quality chocolates.

So yeah, I got robbed right away.

My next gift was a soap assortment.

It was high-quality soaps.

I got robbed again.

The next package was an absolute winner.

A People of Walmart coloring book.

Everyone was passing it around, laughing hysterically.

I was already working out in my mind who I would color which picture for.

And I was already composing the inscriptions that I would add.

But would you believe it – I got robbed yet again.

I was quite disappointed.

This is exactly why the game is called Dirty Santa.

However, in the end, I received the Best Gift Ever, so it’s all OK.

What did I get?

A waffle blanket.

Yes, a waffle blanket.

A blanket patterned like a waffle.

What a great gift exchange idea.

I had never even thought of such a thing.

I’ve thought of waffles for breakfast.

Or dessert.

Or even for dinner.

I have never thought of waffles as a blanket.

It’s one of those things that you never knew was missing from your life.

However, once you’ve had a taste of it, you wonder how you ever got along before.

Who doesn’t love waffles?

Who doesn’t love blankets?

Wouldn’t everyone want to be wrapped in a warm and fluffy waffle on a cold winter night?

What will they think of next – a bacon blanket?

OMG

I already know what I want next year.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

Tags dirty santa, gift exchange ideas, personal narrative, storytelling, waffles, writing stories, yankee sawap

Lifestyle

My Inner Clean Freak Freaks Out On This Day

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date December 26, 2023
No Comments on My Inner Clean Freak Freaks Out On This Day

Clean Freak

The holidays conflict with my inner clean freak.

It’s not just one day, it’s the whole season.

It starts with Thanksgiving.

The weather is still warm and pleasant.

There are beautiful fall leaves on the trees.

Anticipation is in the air.

All month there are parties.

Decorations.

Delicious food.

And gifts.

Then the weather starts to get colder.

The leaves drop from the trees.

And the anticipation keeps building.

It’s such a lovely time of year.

Until December 26.

Like clockwork, I wake up feeling Grinchy.

The house is a wreck.

I’ve been eating nothing but junk for an entire month.

And I’m exhausted.

My inner clean freak wants to pick up the house immediately.

What was festive yesterday is aggravating clutter today.

I am done with the holidays.

Would I be a Debbie Downer if I put away the holiday stuff today?

Yeah, probably.

I’ll leave it all up for another day or so.

But my entire house will be picked up, swept, dusted, and scrubbed to start the new year.

It was fun, but now I’m done.

The holidays are over.

Right on schedule, my inner clean freak is screaming for mercy.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

Tags clean freak, personal narrative, storytelling, writing stories

Lifestyle

Vermouth – It’s Why I Go To The Liquor Store

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date December 21, 2023
3 Comments on Vermouth – It’s Why I Go To The Liquor Store

Vermouth

I’m not much of a drinker.

But I cook with vermouth.

It goes into several holiday dishes. _{(paid link)}

I love to go to the liquor store and wander up and down the aisles.

Most of the stuff on the shelves is a mystery to me.

But the bottles are so beautiful.

I was tempted to buy a $100.00 bottle of I-don’t-know-what.

Just to have that magnificent container.

I didn’t make any outrageous purchases this time.

Next time I run out of vermouth, who knows?

I may come home with some very expensive mystery booze.

In a beautiful bottle.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

Tags personal narrative, real stories, storytelling, writing life

Lifestyle

I Didn’t Do It This Time, But I Tried

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date July 13, 2023
No Comments on I Didn’t Do It This Time, But I Tried

I Didn’t Do It

I didn’t do it.

Seriously.

I wrote an article for a client.

They ran it through an AI Detector.

They told me it looks like AI wrote it.

Should I be insulted?

Or should I be proud?

Do I write so well that it looks like a bot wrote it?

Or do I write so badly that it looks like a bot wrote it?

The client didn’t clarify that point.

At any rate, I didn’t do it.

I did not use AI to write this piece.

AI does lots of wonderful things.

But it can’t write.

It overwrites, creating pieces that are terminally mansplained.

As an aside, I hate the word “mansplain.”

It’s sexist.

I am just as capable as any man of speaking in a condescending and patronizing tone.

*Note to self – invent a better word.

At any rate, I have tried to get AI to write a blog post for me.

Just to see if it could capture my voice.

For the record, it can’t capture my voice.

No matter which AI program I use or how many detailed prompts I give it, it just writes a terrible imitation of me.

So, no, Mr. Client, I did not use AI to write your article.

I didn’t do it.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

CHECK OUT SOME AMAZING WRITING RESOURCES!

Tags ai, blog, communication, mansplain, memoir, personal narrative, story

Lifestyle

Dog Training Is Doing Better Than Kid Training

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date June 30, 2023
No Comments on Dog Training Is Doing Better Than Kid Training

Dog Training/Kid Training

Blue’s dog training classes are going well.

She no longer rummages through the garbage.

Or counter surfs.

So I thought.

What I have inadvertently taught her is to not do these things in front of people.

Yesterday she was left alone for an hour.

The Grown Son came home to an upturned garbage can and a big mess.

He didn’t know what to do.

So he took a pic and sent it to me.

Seriously?

“Get a broom,” I told him, “and sweep it up.”

Duh.

Did he really need me to tell him that?

I’m going to set up a trap with Zoom so I can catch Blue in the act.

I have no idea what I’m going to do with the kid.

Maybe the dog training guy will know what to do.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

CHECK OUT SOME AMAZING WRITING RESOURCES!

Tags communication, memoir writer, personal narrative, storyteller

Lifestyle

An Awkward Moment Led To A New BFF

Post author By Liz Brenner
Post date June 26, 2023
No Comments on An Awkward Moment Led To A New BFF

An Awkward Moment

It was an awkward moment.

A construction project has started on the main road in my neighborhood.

At the same time as a horrible heat wave.

I feel sorry for the road workers.

They have to wear long sleeves and long pants.

And reflective vests.

And hardhats and boots and gloves.

They must be miserable in this heat.

I was at a dead stop in the construction zone.

One worker lifted his shirt to wipe down his face.

Flashing his massive, sweaty, hairy belly.

Right outside my car window.

He was so close I could have reached out and touched him.

If I had wanted to.

Which I most definitely did not.

When he lowered his shirt, we made accidental eye contact.

Awkward!!!

I burst out laughing.

He was obviously embarrassed.

But he laughed too.

And waved.

I guess that makes him my new BFF.

Liz Brenner

Everyone has a story to tell.

Even you.

Especially you.

CHECK OUT SOME AMAZING WRITING RESOURCES!