How exposing yourself can bring you closer to readers

Have you ever blogged a story straight out of your journal or diary?

Amidst all of the writing prompts and tips for free-writing that are supposed to encourage creativity and improve your skills, journaling seems like just a compulsive hobby and personal therapy. Maybe it is a little. But it’s also a great way to develop first drafts of stories you didn’t plan on writing.

I took over Arlee Bird’s memoir-writing blog Wrote by Rote this week to convince his readers of the merits of exposing yours...