On June 30th, we hosted a Live Discussion with former USAID Foreign Service Officer Jennifer Erie. She and Lorine had a great conversation which touched on a lot of topics including: insights from Jennifer’s 15-year diplomatic career, the personal struggles she had to overcome during spring 2025, and of course, what’s it’s been like for her to step into a new identity as an author. her.
Earlier this week, Jennifer joined us again, but this time she brought along her editor and writing coach, Maria MacAndrew. Together, they spent the morning discussing the process they went through to share Jennifer’s story with the world. Whereas their first session focused on the story behind Jennifer’s memoir, The World In My Bones, this conversation was centered on the practical reality of getting a personal story onto the page and sharing it with the world.
Here’s a few highlights from their discussion. Be sure to watch the video to learn more.
I can tell you first hand that the tyranny of the blank page is real and that the urge to edit as soon as you start typing is just as hard to overcome. Maria emphasized that creativity and critical analysis cannot happen simultaneously. The initial goal is simply getting authentic human experiences down without immediate refinement. Jen stayed on track by establishing a clear outline while allowing drafts to be imperfect.
“I always see myself as a midwife... helping bring the author’s voice into the world safely without changing its meaning.” — Maria MacAndrew
Writing about real-life experiences—especially from public service or complex global contexts—requires balancing transparency with empathy. Jen approached her subjects with grace, opting for pseudonyms, anonymization, and outright omitting identifying details when depicting challenging situations. In select cases, she shared specific chapters directly with individuals to obtain explicit permission. Writers hold the power to shape perceptions; holding that power requires writing with both accuracy and responsibility.
Deciding to self-publish was an act of narrative control for Jen. Rather than waiting years for traditional publishing queues, self-publishing allowed her to keep her original voice intact, control her messaging, and release the memoir on her own timeline. While self-publishing shifts the operational heavy lifting—formatting, promotion, and distribution—onto the author, it provides full ownership of the story and its journey.
Your experiences carry value, and reclaiming your narrative is one of the most resilient acts available during times of career shift.
We’re really proud of the work Jennifer has done to share her story with the world and very excited to see where this takes her in the future. If you haven’t already grabbed a copy of The World In My Bones, do yourself a favor and pick one today! Be sure to connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn and follow her journey on jennifererie.com.
Have you been exploring the idea of writing your own book? Then you should definitely reach out to Maria either via LinkedIn or through mariamacandrew.com.
Whether you are out of work, have a job, or are somewhere in between, personal finance issues can be hard to navigate. That’s why we’re partnering with Rochelle Coleman from Second Stage Finance to host monthly personal finance office hours.
If you’re looking for practical guidance when it comes to topics like budgeting, saving, debt management, or retirement planning be sure to join our sessions happening on the last Friday of every month.
RSVP: Personal Finance Office Hours
When you return home from living abroad, you carry with you experiences that opened your eyes, hearts, and minds. There’s a power in those stories. A power that can heal society. But only if you share them.
That’s where the Wonderlust Storytelling Institute comes in. Join us for a conversation focused on the power of storytelling and highlight their new creative incubator program which starts in September.
If you’ve been thinking about how to share your story with the world, you won’t want to miss this live discussion.
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