Writer. Essayist. Memoirist.

Heather Sweeney is a Virginia-based writer whose essays and creative nonfiction work about divorce, life as a military spouse, parenting, relationships and women’s health have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, HuffPost, The TODAY Show, Newsweek, Business Insider, Good Housekeeping, Next Avenue, Healthline, Brevity Nonfiction Blog, MER - Mom Egg Review and elsewhere.

Her memoir CAMOUFLAGE: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage will be published in the fall of 2025.

HERE’S WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I WENT TO MY FIRST VISION BOARD WORKSHOP

THE 'GOLDEN BACHELOR' DIVORCE CAME AS A SHOCK — BUT THE SHOW DID OFFER A MESSAGE

HOW CHRONIC PAIN CHANGED MY WRITING PROCESS

Recent Publications

I WAS TRYING TO PROVE TO MY NEW BOYFRIEND HOW ADVENTUROUS I WAS ON A ZIP-LINING DATE NIGHT

CHRONIC PAIN MADE ME QUESTION MY ABILITY TO TRAVEL

More Published Work

I SUFFERED SINGLE MOM GUILT FOR YEARS, ONE DAY CHANGED IT ALL

DIVORCE IS HAVING A MOMENT. AND I WISH IT HAD HAPPENED 10 YEARS AGO

I WAS A COLLEGE ATHLETE, I’M RELIEVED MY TEENS CHOSE DIFFERENT SPORTS

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My DogRole Model

MERHigh School Graduation

Roi Fainéant Press — Muscle Memory

Maudlin HouseThis Is How the Marriage Ends

Five Minute LitAre You Okay?

YourTangoI Moved To Japan With My Husband — And It Was The Loneliest I Ever Felt In My Marriage

HealthlineNo One Warned Me About the Grief That Comes With a Hysterectomy

Your TeenMy Daughter Wanted to Donate Her Quarantine Hair

The New York Times:

Tiny Love Stories: Thanks for Sheltering Me

Tiny Love Stories: Clarity in a Six-Week Recovery

A Military Wife No More

Keeping Marriage From Becoming a Casualty of War

A Spouse Confronts the Military-Civilian Divide

The Washington Post:

When I got divorced, I didn’t want to be in transition forever. Here’s how I moved on.

I was a military wife for 13 years. I won’t do it again.

HuffPost:

I Binged ‘Ted Lasso’ To Deal With Burnout And The Lessons It Taught Me Were Priceless

The 'Golden Bachelor' Divorce Came As A Shock — But The Show Did Offer A Message

This Memoir Shows How To Find Beauty In The Aftermath Of Divorce

‘This Is 40’ Helped Me Choose Happiness And End My Marriage

Business Insider:

I was trying to prove to my new boyfriend how adventurous I was on a zip-lining date night. Instead I had to be rescued.

I had no idea how expensive senior year of high school is. I spent over $2,100 before it even ended.

Brevity Blog:

How Chronic Pain Changed My Writing Process

How Seeing a Therapist Helped Me Finish the First Draft of My Memoir

The Girlfriend from AARP:

Saying Goodbye To My Beloved Pet

The Annual Birthday Adventures That Remind Me Anything Is Possible

SheKnows:

How a Hysterectomy Helped Me Talk to My Tween Daughter About Her Body

10 ‘firsts’ after divorce that really had my head spinning

ESME:

Life After Divorce: Why I changed back to my maiden name

My First Vacation Alone After Divorce

The Five Love Languages of Children

Five Lessons I Learned as a Solo Mom Before Turning 40

My BFF Hijacked My Match.com Profile!

Epilogue on Medium:

Writing Through Stressful Times

Dealing with Coronavirus Anxiety? Now’s a Good Time to Meditate

7 Misconceptions About Being a Writer

The Best Advice I Was Given as a New Writer: Done Is Better Than Perfect

Military.com Archive

THANKS FOR SHELTERING ME