This morning I climbed (and I do mean "climbed"!) up to the top of our ridge, wearing my backpack laden with camera and other assorted necessities (i.e., walkie talkie, compass), and found a comfy log where I spread out my indian blanket and sat for awhile to write. Unfortunately, the wind was howling, making me uneasy with all of those creaking, swaying trees around me, and it became so COLD that I could barely hold my pen! But it was fun to be in the woods for a change, after a long winter of staying indoors for the most part. I startled a deer that snorted but never revealed itself. Vultures soared over my head, making strange calls as though laughing at me: "Look at that fool!"
One reason I went up was to see if there are any morel mushrooms yet. I didn't find any, which doesn't mean anything since I usually can't find them, but our neighbor went up yesterday and he didn't find any either which means they aren't out yet since he always finds them! I guess it is a bit too early.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the challenging climb and the commune with nature. It looked like the sun was shining behind the mountains in the distance (it wasn't shining here!), and the shimmering glow was pretty to view.
In September, Doug and I attended the AARP National Event Convention in Washington, D.C., and we had the privilege of meeting Abigail Thomas, the author of her memoir A Three Dog Life, which was named Best Book of 2006 by the Washington Post. Ms. Thomas held a workshop on writing memoir at the convention and presented her book Thinking About Memoir for sale. At her book signing, Doug and I briefly told her about the unique situation that brought us together and how we first met. Her response was "Oh, you HAVE to write that!" And I agree. So -- I am writing it.
I tend to lose focus in my writing and in everything I do, actually, and so I have several writing projects started, to include two novels, several stories, and one memoir. The memoir has been waiting for me to get back to it and I have decided that it is time I did. I plan to get this done and published, even if I go with self publishing.
Abigail Thomas' website is http://www.abigailthomas.net.
For those of you who are AARP members (or maybe you don't even have to be a member), she has a group about writing memoir on the Online Community section of their website.
No matter how mundane we believe our lives to be, we all have a story to share - about growing up, coming into adulthood, marital ups and downs. These stories are great fodder for developing memoirs that are interesting, satisfying, and inspiring! A few of the memoirs and non-fiction accounts of people's lives that I have read and enjoyed are:
Private Front and Center by William Fletcher (this was a memoir written by a soldier who fought in the Civil War)
Light is the Color of Suffering, by Melissa Green
The Glass Castle, by Jennifer Walls
The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad (this is not a memoir, but a journalist's account of the day-to-day life of an Afghani family that she lived with)
Has any of you written a memoir, and if so, can you offer any advice or suggestions for the writing and publishing process?
