Today I’m announcing my new series called Beyond the Book, which will focus on how writing my autobiographical novel, Waking From Innocent Dreams, has changed me and helped me make sense of my past.
Turning my life into a novel has been a fascinating process because I’ve had to apply structure to chaotic and seemingly unrelated events. It has forced me to answer difficult questions such as, what is the theme of my story? And what details do I leave out? Wrestling with these questions has not only helped me write a better book, but it has also help me come to terms with and integrate my experiences in a way I was unable to do before.
As the events in my book were happening in real life, I often found it hard to communicate with friends and family what I was going through. I often felt utterly lost and alone with all these challenging emotions. It wasn’t until I discovered the storytelling tools that I found a way to connect with others. While I don’t want these posts to be about the craft of writing, I genuinely believe that examining our lives through the lens of story can help us make sense of the complicated and messy world we live in.
Beyond the Book will be different from my author updates and will act as a “director's commentary,” or in this case, the "author's commentary” for the book. Each month I will share a new post on subjects such as:
I hope you will join me on the journey. If you are already signed up to my newsletter list, you will receive these updates via email. If you are not yet subscribed, you can do so here.
Also, I’d love to hear from you. Do you have any questions from me about this process? Are there any related subjects you are interested in hearing about? Let me know by replying to my emails or by contacting me on my about me page.
As I’ve started to tell people about my book, I’ve had to wrestle with how to describe it or classify it. While it is a personal story, I have fictionalized it in parts, so it’s not exactly a memoir. I describe it as an autobiographical novel, but how is that different from a memoir?
Something interesting happened a few months ago when I sat down to work on my book. After years of struggling, I felt like a "writer." I’ve realized that, when comes to identity, there is often a disconnect between the way others see us and the way we see ourselves.
As I’ve worked on my book, I’ve come to understand that spelling and grammar aren’t the same as writing. At the same time, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the critical role they play in bringing a story to life.