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2026 Is Your Year to Write a Book Start Here Unwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan

If you’ve been telling yourself “one day I’ll write it” while carrying everyone else’s weight… this is your sign.In 2019 I wrote a book largely by accident. I wasn’t “ready.” I wasn’t confident. I wasn’t some disciplined writer with a perfect morning routine and a color coded calendar. I was a former army medic and paramedic who’d seen too much, felt too much, and was trying to make sense of life after rock bottom.And that’s exactly why I’m saying this out loud now.2026 is your year to write your book. Start here.This episode is for the women in their 30s to 50s who are tired in their bones but still alive inside. First responders. Veterans. Trauma literate readers. Creative types. Mental health advocates. The ones who keep showing up for everyone else… while quietly wondering if their own story matters.In this talking head episode I walk you through:How I started writing my first book even when my life was messyHow to begin writing a book when you’re burnt out, overwhelmed, or scaredThe simplest way to turn your lived experience into a book ideaPractical tips for building a writing habit that actually works for real peopleHow to stop waiting for permission and start writing your memoir or book nowNo fluff. No guru nonsense. Just honest guidance with dark humour and a writer’s eye for the details that actually make a story land.If you’ve been carrying trauma, recovery, addiction, grief, service, motherhood, burnout, or just the quiet weight of “I’ve lived a lot”… this is for you. You don’t need to be healed to write. You just need a place to start.Hit play. Then write one page.If you want, drop a comment with what you’re trying to write:memoir, fiction, poetry, trauma recovery, mental health, first responder stories, or something you can’t name yet. I read them.#WriteABook #MemoirWriting #WritingTips #AspiringAuthor #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #FirstResponderLife #VeteranStories #AddictionRecovery #UnwrittenChapters📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: http://www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Solo storytime episodes about PTSD, therapy, addiction recovery, relationships, family, and life after rock bottom– Unfiltered reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, and politics through the eyes of a former army medic and paramedic– Honest conversations about mental health, trauma, grief, and trying to stay human in a burned-out world (with plenty of dark humour)– Updates on my books, podcast, and creative projects, plus real talk about writing and living your own next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.
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I’m Matthew

Welcome to the official blog of Matthew Heneghan — author of A Medic’s Mind and Woven in War, and host of the trauma-focused podcast Unwritten Chapters.

As a former Canadian Armed Forces medic and civilian paramedic, I’ve lived through the raw edges of trauma, addiction, grief, and healing. Through honest storytelling and lived experience, I write and speak about PTSD, trauma recovery, mental health awareness, and resilience — especially from the lens of veterans and first responders.

If you’re searching for real-life stories of overcoming adversity, the effects of service-related trauma, or insight into the recovery process after hitting rock bottom — you’re in the right place. My goal is to foster connection through shared experience, break stigma, and offer hope.

Explore the blog, tune into the podcast, and discover how writing became a lifeline — and might just become yours, too.

Let’s connect