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| Darlings everywhere! Where’s the meat? |
The necessity to attend college brings to mind the universal questions through which to filter my story. To build suspense, I need to show the search for the answers to these questions through my writing, my internal dialogue, in order to offer the reader insight into any journey he or she may be planning.
Possible Themes:
Making the right decision. The idea of seemingly selfish ambitions of a mother at odds with the demands of motherhood.
Taking the risk. The tension between being a responsible wife and mother to 5 children and a college student.
A sense of belonging. Feelings of being an outsider at college. It’s not just the younger students who suffer from this. Older students can feel they are starting behind the traditional college students because of a lack of college preparation.
As my darlings lay, kicking and screaming on the library floor, I contemplate these questions and possibly redrafting my entire memoir. No one ever said writing was easy. And if they did, throw them on the floor with my kicking darlings.
Any insight you can offer, please do. Thanks for reading.
Anyone who thinks writing is easy is sorely mistaken. It takes a ton of thought and just plain work. 🙂 Wishing you all the best with this project!
Thank you so much, Karen, for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving your good wishes. They are greatly appreciated. Writing is absolutely a ton of work, much staring and oodles of thought. Thanks again for your note. Always a pleasure to hear from you.
I love the aspect of a person starting a new venture, stretching for a goal, not sure they'll fit in. It's a nearly universal experience.
Yes, Jennifer, I believe many people try new ventures to see where they will lead. I believe I will redraft my memoir with these new universal discoveries in mind. Thank you so much, Jennifer, for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving a note. I truly appreciate it.
If your memoir is like the stories you shared at our writers' group meeting, it will be a best seller. Love your adventures
Thank you so much, Marie. I hope my experiences will be entertaining as well as helpful. I truly appreciate your visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving a note.
In memoir as in all writing I think it is important to connect with the readers in some way such as shared experiences or dreams that they'd like to achieve. Since readers typically read for enlightenment it's a good idea to ask the same questions that readers might be asking and provide the answers from the perspective of what the writer has learned from their own experiences.
Hope you're having fun with the writing.
Lee
Tossing It Out
I agree with what you say here. Just make sure while you're connecting your readers to you, you keep letting us root for you. People love rooting for those whom they think aren't going to make it. I don't think it's selfish to want to go to school. It should be an inspiration for your children. 🙂
I would love to read your adventurous memoir one day!
Thank you so much for this, Lee. These are great points to remember. Another theme I thought of, while on my camping vacation, was "never give up your dream." Thank you so much, Lee, for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog. It means a lot.
And that's what I thought too, Theresa. I was hoping that I was showing the children both the importance of education and how to remain committed to a goal. Thank you for this great insight. I truly appreciate it. And thanks for leaving a note on my Adventures in Writing blog.
That would be wonderful, Nas. Truly wonderful. I do feel now, after my camping vacation, that I need to redraft the memoir through the lens I've mentioned here and also: Never give up your dream. Thank you so much for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving your encouragement. It means so much.
After doing three drafts on my own memoir, Spiralling, My Battle With Bipolar , I find the very medicine I take makes it hard for me learn the lessons I put forth.
No, writing is not easy. Or learning from it.
Good luck with this spunky sounding memoir, Victoria. I wish you the best. 🙂
Thank you so much, Clarbojahn, for visiting my Adventures in Writing blog and leaving a note. It is greatly appreciated. It is truly difficult to learn from what we have experienced and write about, medication or no medication. Thank you for your compliment. I hope my memoir IS spunky. Any experience we live through–and survive–takes spunk. Good luck with your memoir as well.