Deleting Posts

This blog is about writing from life. And occasionally I write too much, then I get embarrassed. Or maybe the event or persons I wrote about might get embarrassed, if they happen to stumble across my blog and recognize themselves.

So I woke up this morning deciding to delete my last post. I don't think this individual reads my blogs, but is she does I wouldn't want her to have pain from reading about herself here.

That said, I must admit that I exaggerate everything. It's part of my writing style. I do it for humor and to make my stories/characters more interesting.

When I wrote Uncut Diamonds, I exaggerated Shawn McGill's parents, making them worse than the very lovely people, sort of nice people, than who they are based on in real life-- (my in-laws). I did this because nice people aren't interesting. Moderate, balanced, well-adjusted people don't make interesting characters in fiction. Or in blog posts.

Uncut Diamonds is a novel about family. Based on real people and real events, yes, but still a novel. I took a lot of liberties, although those involved with the time and the characters can fairly easily recognize themselves and others.

It may be why one of my sister-in-laws hates my novel and refuses to speak to me seems less than enthusiastic about my novel, since she sees her parents portrayed as not very nice people. They aren't villains, they just don't come off real well in the story.

Big deal, it's what writers do. We take stuff and mix it up to make a story. That's what I did with my blog post about the neighbor lady. I took a real incident, real dialogue, and I exaggerated my conclusion/summary to make it into a little story to post here.

Let's see, I have three different blogs, and so far I've deleted a post on each one that I felt might be embarrassing to someone. It's the price you pay when you write from life. Sometimes life can be embarrassing. Too bad we can't delete our bad days, our most embarrassing moments, our painful experiences. Just press the delete button and poof! it's gone! Never happened!

Have you ever gotten in trouble for writing too truthfully? Offending people? Embarrassing yourself and others? Getting fired from your job? Called on the carpet? Let's hope not, but hey it's bound to happen when we write from life!

Journal Writing

I just finished reading Following the Whispers by Karen Walker. According to her memoir, she wrote in her journal constantly. I'm sure this helped her remember details when she began to write her book. (I'll post my review on it in a few days.)

Many of us aren't ready to write the official memoir but we can still keep a journal. I used mine extensively when I wrote Uncut Diamonds, my autobiographical novel. (I don't think I could ever write a true memoir. I like to make up stuff and change situations to suit the story.)

If you're not used to writing in a journal, it can be awkward at first. Especially if you think about "your posterity" reading it. That idea can really tie up the flow of words. I prefer to think of journaling as my thing, something I do just for me. I get a nice, smooth-writing pen, sit in my chair, shut the door, grab a cold diet Coke and just write stream-of-consciousness about what I did, what I'm going to do, what I'm thinking about. Not to mention dumb stuff like how much I weigh, who I'm mad at, what frustrates me and how much I spent at the store.

I don't write for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren who may or may not read them someday far in the future. If anyone ever wanted to go through my 4000 journals, which I doubt they would, then that's their problem. They'll have to decipher the handwriting and figure out who I'm talking about when I say "S. was a b. today" or "I hate mean people."

Really, journal writing is the best and cheapest psychotherapy ever. If for no other reason than to vent, or plan, or talk about nothing to someone who cares (yourself lol!) I highly recommend it. And when you want to write that memoir, look at how easy it will be with events of your life already recorded.

Collect, Organize, Write or is it Collect, Write & Organize?

The first step to writing a memoir is to collect data-- memories, photographs, letters, journals. Gather and collect hard copies from anyone you know who might have such material in their possession. If they don't want to part with it, you can ask for copies. Old photos can now be scanned into the computer and copies made nearly as good as the original. The elusive and frustrating task of collecting memories that exist only in the mind of another can put anyone off, but there are ways to unlock that memory bank despite obstacles. I'll post more on that later.

Uncut Diamonds, my semi-autobiographical novel, came from my huge collection of personal journals. These contained memories, incidents, even the weather, which I weaved into the story, making stuff up as I went along. (Too much is fictionalized to call it a memoir.)

Farm Girl came from two basic sources. 1) The memories of my mother, sharp and clear, as she talked and I typed on my laptop. 2) The written stories and reflections of my grandmother who was a writer as well as an artist and photographer.

Collections already exist in some form, and it's up to the writer (who in folklore terminology is called the "collector") to find and gather. Sounds simple and obvious, I know, but sometime it is the obvious things that escape us. Writing will come later. First comes gather and collect. Go through your closets and files, and gather the data all in one place. Call up relatives and see who has what and is willing to part with it, or at least share. Older people especially are often eager to talk about the past, and to share their memories and photos.