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on querying
It feels weird to be back in the querying game for my own novel. This past year I’ve told every single one of my clients that I recommend hybrid publishing over traditional. I do. Hybrid can be so much cleaner, easier, more satisfying, less devastating on a soul level. Traditional saps up so much energy…
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on gifting creativity
It’s been strange, boxing up my grandparents’ house this summer. Stuff they’d had for 50 years or more. Most of it was meaningful once, now it’s at Goodwill. Honestly, it’s made me not want to own stuff. My family is very into gift-giving at Christmas, so I’ve been thinking about how to handle that. What…
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on writing for a cause
One genre of books people don’t talk about much: Books for a cause. Sometimes these are hiding in other bookshelves: psychology, history, sociology. But they’re not just informational or instructional. What they are is books that move people, galvanize them, inspire them toward something important. (Maybe it’s foster care, restorative justice, somatic healing, urban planning,…
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on writing anger
“I don’t know how to write about this person. I don’t know if I forgive him, and he basically ruined my career/relationship/life. I’m still angry.” I hear this a lot from my memoir clients. Writing about betrayal, loss, pain, abuse, injustice can be messy, painful, and just plain hard. It’s especially so if you’re considering…
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on writing the hard parts
“I’m thinking of quitting,” one of my memoir clients told me recently. “Oh? How come?” I said. “I’ve already told this story a hundred times. It’s not new anymore,” he said. “It’s getting boring, reliving the same events over and over.” “That’s fair,” I said. “Maybe it’s time to put it down for a while.”…
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how to keep the channel open [part 1]
![how to keep the channel open [part 1]](https://kimberlybunker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/miguel-alcantara-y5wwj8pyme4-unsplash.jpg)
“…You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.” A lot of us resonate with that quote because it lifts our responsibility. It means we’re only in charge of one thing. It means we’re…
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who should write a memoir?
“My sister might be the only person I know who’s interesting enough to write a memoir,” my friend Cayla said recently. I laughed. “You know it’s not about being interesting!” I said. She paused. “Then what IS it about?” she said. “Who else would write a memoir?” And then I remembered: I used to think…
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on imagining the past
“I want to write about my childhood, but I don’t remember all the details,” a client said to me once. “How can I write a memoir if my memory is spotty?” This is a common doubt, and one that stops people from writing about their lives. If their memory isn’t perfect, they believe, they’re somehow…
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on carnival glass & self-love
We’re clearing out my grandfather’s house this month. That means I’m packing up things I’ve seen my entire life but never once looked at: ornately decorated plates, strangely shaped pots, glasses for every imaginable cocktail. Among these are this funky-colored glass with intricate patterns that shimmer in different colors depending on the light. Some are…
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how do you write a book?
When I was 25, I moved from a crowded Brooklyn loft to a rural Carolina island. There, I would write my first book. As I finished moving in, anxiety washed over me. How, exactly, do you write a book? I’d done all the planning: finding a summer rental. Subletting my room in Brooklyn. Buying printer…