I'm relieved that everyone prefers long over short! Personally, I start losing my mind when I have to read a bunch of short things. No time to get to know the writer, for one thing! Thanks for all you do, Alison, and very happy about your book news.
Thank you, Annette! Yes, it was good to discover that in the poll. Glad people took time to respond and let me know. When I moved from posting every five day to every 7 or so, pieces tended to grow!
Re the prompt: have I read it properly? Am contemplating writing my memoir, but I and my life are pretty dull, so why? Over the years people have told me I need to write them: co-workers, my daughter, my late mother who always wanted me to write about her family's feud. As I contemplate whether or not to bother - who would publish them, never mind read them - I also can't help but contemplate format. I have decades of journals to cull and to rely on. That is where I would start. Likely a mix of journal and narrative would be the format. The next hurdle: pulling these journals together, scattered through boxes unseen for years through many moves. OK, I've made a start. Then: space. Where on earth in my 600 sq ft flat can I set up such a project? All the journals would have to be collected and organized chronologically for a start. There would be useful entries that will take hours and hours of reading to find. Do I pull them out and put them in a separate stack? After that, would I keep the chronological format or some other format? I dither, years pass....
Do you have sense of what the threads are--the main threads that will hold it together? Or are you in search of them?
If so, those journals entries that connect might be the first to call out to you. But if not, you'll be searching through.
Form and content. I would guess that one would inform the other, with both growing together. I also suspect that it's a matter of diving in and being open to what might spring out and grab you--what might leave you writhing in its grasp.
Such gestational stuff can take a long time. Oh not. It may all have been doing some subconscious workings. And you may discover that.
I don't think "who will publish" can be a question at this point--so set that one aside. It can derail the process. Also set aside what others have suggested you write about, and see what you want to read about... or make two separate lists: what you see as your own questions you'd like to explore. And what others think you should. But keep the two separate so the latter can be set off to the side!
Format will shape as you begin to realize what you want to look at...
I'm relieved that everyone prefers long over short! Personally, I start losing my mind when I have to read a bunch of short things. No time to get to know the writer, for one thing! Thanks for all you do, Alison, and very happy about your book news.
Thank you, Annette! Yes, it was good to discover that in the poll. Glad people took time to respond and let me know. When I moved from posting every five day to every 7 or so, pieces tended to grow!
Ooh, I get that...😂
Can’t wait for your book I’m 2025, Alison! Come to Chicago on tour!
Would LOVE that! Someday I hope to see your kitchen :)
Currently seeking a US publisher; this one is Canadian.
Yes!
Re the prompt: have I read it properly? Am contemplating writing my memoir, but I and my life are pretty dull, so why? Over the years people have told me I need to write them: co-workers, my daughter, my late mother who always wanted me to write about her family's feud. As I contemplate whether or not to bother - who would publish them, never mind read them - I also can't help but contemplate format. I have decades of journals to cull and to rely on. That is where I would start. Likely a mix of journal and narrative would be the format. The next hurdle: pulling these journals together, scattered through boxes unseen for years through many moves. OK, I've made a start. Then: space. Where on earth in my 600 sq ft flat can I set up such a project? All the journals would have to be collected and organized chronologically for a start. There would be useful entries that will take hours and hours of reading to find. Do I pull them out and put them in a separate stack? After that, would I keep the chronological format or some other format? I dither, years pass....
Oh! GOOD question.
Do you have sense of what the threads are--the main threads that will hold it together? Or are you in search of them?
If so, those journals entries that connect might be the first to call out to you. But if not, you'll be searching through.
Form and content. I would guess that one would inform the other, with both growing together. I also suspect that it's a matter of diving in and being open to what might spring out and grab you--what might leave you writhing in its grasp.
Such gestational stuff can take a long time. Oh not. It may all have been doing some subconscious workings. And you may discover that.
I don't think "who will publish" can be a question at this point--so set that one aside. It can derail the process. Also set aside what others have suggested you write about, and see what you want to read about... or make two separate lists: what you see as your own questions you'd like to explore. And what others think you should. But keep the two separate so the latter can be set off to the side!
Format will shape as you begin to realize what you want to look at...
I love the background colour on this page. That is all.
Thank you. It was time for a change. I do appreciate the feedback!