A memoirist's thoughts on writing about his mom

Author Terry McDonell opens an essay with the assertion that he didn't set out to write about his mother.

But that's what he did in Irma: The Education of a Mother’s Son, and since it came out a month before Mother's Day, it makes sense that he'd be asked to — or that he'd decide to — invite the world into his creative process for it.

So head over to Literary Hub to read McDonell's reflections on how to write about your mother, and check out these posts from the archive along a similar vein:

• How to explore a mother-child relationship in fiction 

• How to write compassionately -- and compellingly -- about your parents 

• Your family dynamics can be a great source for humor 

• A double dose of expert advice on memoirs 

• How to write about a family grudge 

• Writing about your family? Read these do's and don'ts