Find the words to write about your military service.
For Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their loved ones who want (or need) to put words to their service life, Emereas is a free writing service that helps you craft and package your experiences into a useful format, from personal health statements to books.
Join the weekly email newsletter that shows by example how to unpack and write about your military service life—it’s 100% free.
From personal health statements to books, I’ll help you write about your military service in a way that benefits you. Why?
First.
It feels good to talk about it, remember the good stuff that’s been forgotten, write it down in a useful form (which I’ll explain below) and reflect on how much you’ve achieved—even if parts of your military service sucked.
Second.
By writing it down, you can use your military service to your advantage. My three favourite formats:
(1) The personal health statement (or member’s statement): it timelines the events and their impact that’s led to your declined health. Having this statement means you can stop repeating your backstory and give everyone, from the DVA to CSC, health teams to CoC, the same information without missing any important bits.
(2) The life history story: it captures your life and legacy from childhood to pre-service, recruitment, service, transition and post-service (where applicable), which can then be packaged into a book and given to your children and grandchildren, and read by the next generation of Defence members, veterans and loved ones as they follow in your footsteps.
(3) The overshare: it’s the written version of open mic night at a speakeasy bar. It’s a short story, opinion piece or reflection on your military service and how it impacts everyday moments. Oversharing is my go-to format to unpack my military service, which you’re welcome to read.
Third.
In written form (i.e. out of your head), your military service suddenly becomes invaluable information that can help others navigate service life when you donate your story to Emereas. (More on this below).
Don’t stress, you’ll be listened to and looked after by someone who gets it 🫶
Hi, I’m Kat Hare—an ADF veteran and writer who founded Emereas to (1) help you share and benefit from your Defence experiences, and (2) help others learn from your experiences so we can generate organisational change and improve military service.
And yes, it’s pronounced “cat hair”, as in feline dander. Thanks mum and dad.
In addition to my writing endeavours—which includes many overshares that take form in several genres ranging from creative non-fiction, academic to fiction, and occasionally are just a rant; OP OVERSHARE life histories; and, a weekly newsletter—I’m working towards my PhD and run this lived experience agency, Emereas.
How can I help you write about your military service?
Emereas is a free writing service, where we sit down together, either online or in-person, and craft something tailored to your needs. It could be anything from an email response, letter, personal health statement to a book. If you’d like my help, simply send me an email.
