I recently did the Neil Gaiman Masterclass. Although a lot of what he spoke about didn’t help with personal essays or even memoirs, I did take several lessons away for writing, and life, in general. Tell readers something you hope will stay with them. Dragons can be defeated. Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means you do it anyway even though it is scary. Be honest. Care about characters and make them real for everyone. Give yourself the license to ask questions. “The moment that you feel, just possibly, you are walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind, and what exists on…