Lessons From Revising My Memoir
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
” I work very hard at writing, writing and rewriting and try to weed out the lumber.” David McCullough
Photo Credit: FreeStockPhoto.com
I once heard a saying “Life is the art of drawing without an eraser” (Author Unknown).
Those of us who are writers know we need to keep erasers handy.
Lessons From Revising My Memoir
We’ve all heard the phrase “writing is rewriting” and nothing feels closer to that truth as I revise my memoir-in-progress. After defining the narrative arc of the story- the beginning , middle and the end- I now am going back to refine, deepen and polish up the narrative.
The suggestions from beta readers and a professional editor beyond defining the narrative arc of the story included: cutting out, rearranging, going deeper into sections of the story.
The first thing I did was set it aside and let it marinate for a few weeks. And I continue to do that as needed.
With fresh eyes, I approach my edits asking myself the following questions:
*Am I clear on the vision (main theme) of my story?
*Does it fit in with the overall theme?
*Does my story make sense?
*Do the scenes move the story along?
*Does the sequence of scenes make sense?
*Are the subthemes woven in tightly enough?
*Are the characters believable?
*Is my POV clear- past voice vs present day reflection
*Does my main character demonstrate change/growth?
*Is there enough tension and conflict to hold the interest of the reader?
*Is the ending satisfying?
*Is it grammatically correct?
Basically, I am revising with the reader in mind.
I’m at the point where every time I look at my manuscript, I change it-cut out, rearrange or add to. I have printed it out and gone through it with a red pen. As a result, chapters were rearranged, sentences have been changed, sections have been deleted.
This Huffington Post article, “Top 5 Strategies for Revising Your Memoir” by Memoirist and Editor Dorit Sasson offers some key ways to approach the revision process.
My favorite line is “With each revision, you need to deepen the scene and your memoir’s takeaways.”
In summary, here are the lessons I’ve learned about revising my memoir:
* Be open to constructive feedback.
* Expect to look at your manuscript with new eyes.
* Give yourself periods of cooling off to gain perspective.
* Edit with the reader in mind.
* Find a question that the book needs to answer and let that question guide you.
* Read your manuscript out loud.
* Rewrite and revise until it’s right.
How will I know when it’s right?
That’s a topic for another time, but I am getting closer to the end when I feel it’s as done as it’s going to be. My next step is to print it out again and have both my children read it. Although it is a mother’s story, my children were deeply affected and deserve to have an opportunity to read it and decide if it’s right for them.
Susan Weidener of the Women’s Writing Circle addresses this thorny issue in her latest post, “When Family Says, ‘Don’t Write My Story'”.
I am fortunate that my children have read various drafts along the way and have been open and supportive. It takes time to process the emotions triggered by reading about past events. But it’s worth honoring this process so that in the end, they will own their part in the story.
How about you? What tips do you have to share about the revision process?
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
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Next Week:
Monday, 4/16/18:
“When the Power Goes Out by Memoir Author Carol Rosenberger”
Carol is the author of To Play Again: A Memoir of Musical Survival, an inspirational story of an internationally renowned concert pianist who is stricken with paralytic polio and works her way back to playing again.
