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  • Write Your Story Series – Week 3

    Write Your Story Series – Week 3
    2025/06/15
    A new way to shape your memoir, find your message, and share your truth.🎧 INTRO Hey friends, welcome back to Your Voice Matters. I’m Jen Chambers, and I’m ridiculously excited about today’s episode.We’re flipping the script this week—literally. We’re talking about writing your life story… as a TED Talk.Now, I’m not just saying this as someone who binge-watches TED on YouTube in fuzzy socks with tea—although, yes, guilty. I’m saying it as someone who actually hosted a TEDx event—TEDxVenetaWomen. I dreamed it up, applied through TED, built it from the ground up with nothing but heart and hustle—and it changed me.Today, I want to show you how writing your own TED Talk—even just for yourself—can be one of the most powerful memoir tools you ever use.PART 1: TED Talks as Memoir Let’s talk TED.TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design—but what it really represents is ideas worth spreading.TED Talks are short. Usually under 18 minutes. But the best ones? They’re personal. They’re vulnerable. And they often revolve around a single transformative idea—just like a great memoir.📌 Think about:* Brené Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability”* How to Figure Out What You Really Want | Ashley Stahl* Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story”* Amanda Palmer’s “The Art of Asking”* Lydia Yuknovitch’s The Beauty of Being A misfit”These aren’t tech demos. They’re memoir moments, distilled into a single truth.When Amanda Palmer talks about asking—she’s really telling the story of rejection, connection, art, and self-worth. It's a memoir, hiding in plain sight.PART 2: How TED Builds the Message According to official TED guidelines:* Every talk needs one clear idea* It should include a personal story or anecdote* It builds connection through vulnerability, clarity, and relevanceSound familiar? That’s memoir with a mic.🧠 Here’s what TED asks of its speakers:* Share your idea in a new way* Tell real stories, not hypothetical ones* Be specific, not generalThey even have a rule: “Don’t sell from the stage. Teach from the heart.”Isn’t that the goal of every story we write?PART 3: Why Write a TED Talk, Even If You Never Give One? So maybe you’re thinking—“I don’t want to stand on stage in a red circle in front of 500 people!” Totally fair. But hear me out.Writing your own TED-style talk can:* Help you distill your life story into one powerful message* Boost your confidence in your voice and story* Become the foundation for your memoir, keynote, or brand* Give you a tight, 10-minute story you can use in bios, speaking, or even family storytelling🎯 TED asks: What’s the idea you can’t stop thinking about?Now ask yourself: What experience in my life taught me that lesson?That’s where your talk begins. That’s where your memoir grows.PART 4: Writing Prompts to Craft Your TED-style Memoir Let’s get writing. Below are three writing exercises to help you start shaping your TED Talk-style memoir story.✏️ Exercise 1: “The Idea I Can’t Let Go Of”Start with the idea that keeps returning to you. It might be a belief, a lesson, or even a question.Prompt:* What is one belief or truth you’ve come to through lived experience?* How did life teach it to you?* What memory does it always take you back to?💬 Example: “I believe asking for help is the most generous thing we can do.” Now tell the story that proves it.✏️ Exercise 2: “The Moment That Changed Everything”TED Talks often hinge on a turning point. This is your “what happened” story.Prompt:* What’s a moment where everything shifted?* What did you believe before? What do you believe now?* Who were you before, and who are you now?💡 You don’t need to be dramatic. Some of the best TED Talks are about quiet, invisible changes—like forgiving yourself, or standing up when no one else did.✏️ Exercise 3: “Say It Like You’re on Stage”This is where you step into your red-circle energy. Write the opening lines of your TED-style talk. Pretend you’ve got just 2 minutes to grab our hearts and make us lean in.Prompt:* How would you open?* What image or memory would you share?* What question would you ask the audience?📣 Hint: Start with a story, not a statement. Amanda Palmer opens with being a living statue on a crate. Not with a thesis—with a moment.PART 5: Tips From TED for Strong Storytelling Here are five golden TED-style storytelling tips that apply beautifully to memoir:* Start strong – Begin with a story, image, or surprise. Get us in the door fast.* Keep one thread – Don’t try to tell your whole life. Focus on one core idea.* Be yourself – Authenticity is everything. Speak it like you’d say it to a friend.* Make it universal – Use your personal story to highlight something we all feel.* End with impact – Land your story with clarity. A lesson, a moment, a question.💬 Brené Brown ends by saying: “...
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    13 分
  • Week 13, Write Your Story Series: One Story That Changed Everything

    Week 13, Write Your Story Series: One Story That Changed Everything
    2025/05/31

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    What if you don’t need to write an entire memoir—but just one powerful story that captures a moment of change?

    In this final episode of the Write Your Story series, Jen guides you through how to craft one personal narrative that holds the emotional depth and power of a full-length book. Whether you’re brand new to writing or deep into your draft, this episode will help you zoom in on a life-shaping moment and tell it with clarity and heart.

    ✨ What’s inside:

    • A grounding meditation to connect to your voice
    • How to write a 250-word pitch or query
    • How to draft a compelling “back cover blurb”
    • Memoir mini-structure tips that make a single story sing
    • Revision tools to make your writing sharper and more resonant
    • A few gentle yoga stretches to help your creativity flow
    • Resources for what to do after your story is written

    This isn’t goodbye—it’s a turning point. Your voice matters. Your story matters. Let’s write about the one that changed everything.

    Resources mentioned in this episode:

    • The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith – Honest, practical guidance.
    • ProWritingAid.com – Amazing editing tool.
    • The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr – Raw and real advice.
    • Submittable.com – For sending your story into the world.

    📥 Download the free companion worksheet: www.jennifer-chambers.com

    💌 Want to share your story or thoughts? Email Jen at jbchambersmail@gmail.com or visit www.jennifer-chambers.com


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    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

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    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



    Get full access to Jen Chambers at jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe
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    27 分
  • Recovering a Sense of Safety – The Artist’s Way Week One

    Recovering a Sense of Safety – The Artist’s Way Week One
    2025/05/29

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    ✨ In this special episode of Your Voice Matters with Jen Chambers, we begin a 12-week creative recovery journey inspired by Julia Cameron’s beloved book The Artist’s Way. Week One is all about recovering a sense of safety—unlearning creative fear, quieting the inner critic, and making space for your true voice to emerge.

    💬 Jen shares personal insights, practical tools, and reflective prompts to help you uncover and challenge the limiting beliefs that have held your creativity hostage. From morning pages and artist dates to affirmations and inner rewrites, this is where the healing begins.

    🧘‍♀️ You’ll also enjoy a gentle guided stretch and meditation to ground your creative self, and you’ll leave with actionable exercises to carry into the week ahead.

    📚 Whether you're an artist, a writer, a dreamer, or just curious about reconnecting to your creativity—this series is for you.

    🔗 Resources Mentioned:

    • The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
    • Jen’s workbook companion on Canva (linked in show notes)
    • Insight Timer app for creative meditations
    • juliacameronlive.com



    🎨 Remember: your voice matters, your art matters, and the world needs the stories only you can tell.

    Subscribe, follow along, and let’s recover your creative spark—one safe step at a time. ✨

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    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

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    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



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    22 分
  • Revising With Purpose: Sharpen Your Story

    Revising With Purpose: Sharpen Your Story
    2025/05/23

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    In this week’s Your Voice Matters, Jen walks you through the transformation phase of storytelling: revision. Not just about fixing grammar or trimming words, revision is where your story takes shape, gains power, and becomes the version that speaks to others—and to you.

    📚 Highlights include:

    • 3 deep-dive revision exercises to make your chapters pop
    • Tips from Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King (memoirists, this one’s gold too!)
    • How to cut 10% from a scene without losing its heart
    • Real examples from published memoirs that mastered revision


    This episode helps you shape not just your pages, but your chapters. Because every writer needs to know how to take what’s raw and revise it with love, clarity, and purpose.

    ✏️ Mentioned in this episode:
    ProWritingAid (self-editing tool)
    Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King
    Jane Friedman’s Blog (essential reading)
    Your Voice Matters Revision Toolkit (free download)

    Let’s turn your draft into a story that sings. 🎙️

    Podcast theme "Resiient," By Joey Helpish.

    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

    Support the show

    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



    Get full access to Jen Chambers at jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe
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    16 分
  • Pursuing Personal Growth: Creativity, Curiosity & Courage

    Pursuing Personal Growth: Creativity, Curiosity & Courage
    2025/05/23

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    What if personal growth isn’t about “fixing” yourself—but about discovering new layers of who you already are?

    In this inspiring episode of Your Voice Matters, Jen shares her own ongoing journey of growth, from training to become a yoga teacher to strumming her way through ukulele lessons to experimenting with electronic music production (spoiler: it’s weirdly meditative, and she shares a tiny piece at the end of the episode).

    We explore how trying new things opens creative doorways, even if they scare us a little. Jen also introduces her plan to lead listeners through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron over the next 12 weeks—your creative soul is invited.

    ✨ Plus:

    • Easy yoga stretches to release tension and get out of your head
    • Four resources for igniting personal growth (books, apps, tools)
    • Journal prompts for growing through discomfort, not avoiding it


    Your story matters. And so does who you’re becoming.

    🎨 Mentioned in this episode:
    The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
    Insight Timer (free meditation app)
    Skillshare (for creative learning)
    Atomic Habits by James Clear
    The Creative Self workbook by Your Voice Matters

    🧘‍♀️Let’s grow. Let’s write. Let’s begin.
    COMPANION WORKSHEET HERE

    Podcast theme "Resiient," By Joey Helpish.

    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

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    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



    Get full access to Jen Chambers at jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe
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    24 分
  • Write Your Story Week 10: Pacing & Structure (How to Keep Your Story Moving Without Losing Meaning)

    Write Your Story Week 10: Pacing & Structure (How to Keep Your Story Moving Without Losing Meaning)
    2025/05/16

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    Ever get stuck in a scene that just won’t move? Or find yourself over-explaining something that felt so powerful in the moment? You’re not alone—and today, we’re cracking the code on pacing and structure.

    In this episode of Your Voice Matters with Jen Chambers, we’ll explore how to keep your story emotionally rich and well-paced so your readers stay engaged from start to finish. Through writing exercises, real memoir examples, a calming mini-meditation, and practical storytelling tips, you’ll learn how to:

    🖋️ Identify and energize draggy sections
    ✂️ Cut the fluff and keep the soul
    📖 Shape your story with the classic three-act structure
    🧘‍♀️ Tap into your story’s rhythm with breathwork and reflection

    Whether you're revising a memoir chapter or just starting your story, this episode will help you write with momentum and clarity—without losing the meaning that matters.

    ✨ Plus: A 2-minute guided meditation, writing prompts, and resources to keep you moving forward.

    Because your story isn’t just what happened—it’s how you tell it. And once you find your rhythm, everything changes.

    Download a worksheet for this episode HERE:

    Podcast theme "Resiient," By Joey Helpish.

    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

    Support the show

    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



    Get full access to Jen Chambers at jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe
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    17 分
  • Developing Inner Strength (Inspired by The Body Keeps the Score)

    Developing Inner Strength (Inspired by The Body Keeps the Score)
    2025/05/15

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    In this special episode of Your Voice Matters with Jen Chambers, we’re diving into healing and reclaiming our power—one breath, one choice, one story at a time. Drawing from the transformative "Paths to Recovery" section of The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, we explore what it means to own your story, reconnect with your body, and trust your intuition again.

    You’ll learn:

    • How trauma affects self-perception and embodiment
    • The power of self-leadership and finding your voice
    • Tools to rebuild inner strength and self-trust


    This episode includes:
    ✨ A grounding meditation
    🖋️ Reflective writing prompts
    📚 Quotes and practical insights from the book
    🧭 Resources to support your healing journey

    This isn’t just about recovery—it’s about remembering who you are.

    🔗 Download your free companion PDF with prompts, resources, and the full meditation on Instagram at @jennifer_chambers_

    🗣️ Share this with a friend who needs a reminder that healing is possible—and powerful.


    📸 Instagram Caption

    ✨New episode!✨
    “Developing Inner Strength” is live on Your Voice Matters with Jen Chambers 🎙️

    We’re talking trauma, healing, embodiment, and trusting yourself again—featuring insights from The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. This one’s for anyone learning to listen to their own voice and rebuild from the inside out.

    What’s inside:
    🌿 Self-leadership & self-trust
    📖 Writing prompts to help you reconnect
    🧘‍♀️ A soothing meditation
    💬 Quotes & insight from the book
    📥 A gorgeous FREE companion PDF! Grab it on IG or HERE

    You are not broken. You are healing. And your voice? It’s powerful. 💛

    🎧 Listen now at the link in bio
    #YourVoiceMattersPodcast #InnerStrength #TraumaRecovery #BodyKeepsTheScore #SelfTrust #HealingJourney #WomenWhoHeal #MentalHealthAwareness #SomaticHealing #MemoirWriting


    Podcast theme "Resiient," By Joey Helpish.

    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

    Support the show

    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



    Get full access to Jen Chambers at jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe
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    34 分
  • Week 9: The Power of Theme | Write Your Story Series

    Week 9: The Power of Theme | Write Your Story Series
    2025/05/09

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    Theme isn't just for English class — it's the emotional heartbeat of your story. In Week 9 of our Write Your Story series, we’re exploring how theme gives your writing depth, clarity, and resonance. Whether it’s resilience, freedom, love, or transformation, your theme helps guide both you and your reader toward meaning.

    🎧 In this episode:

    • How to uncover the theme in your personal story
    • Using symbols and motifs to reinforce your message
    • A simple rewrite trick to help your theme shine


    ✍️ Writing prompts this week will help you:

    • Boil your story down to one powerful sentence
    • Identify repeated symbols and explore what they might mean
    • Rewrite a scene through the lens of your theme
    • Get creative with a hands-on symbolic drawing or collage exercise


    📚 Plus, we highlight two powerful writing resources:
    Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and You Don’t Have to Be Famous by Steve Zousmer — both packed with encouragement, wisdom, and down-to-earth advice.

    🕯 Final Thought:
    Theme isn’t something you force — it’s something you find. It’s the deeper truth that’s already there, waiting to be seen and shaped. Remember, your story matters. Your truth is a gift. And your words? They’re more powerful than you know.

    — Jen 💛

    Podcast theme "Resiient," By Joey Helpish.

    Full podcast theme, "Resilient," by Joey Helpish. All rights reserved.

    Support the show

    Thank you for listening!

    Jennifer Chambers
    www.jennifer-chambers.com
    IG: @jennifer_chambers_



    Get full access to Jen Chambers at jbchambers.substack.com/subscribe
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    16 分