Innocent Dreams: Author Update, November 2021

Well, it’s been a busy month, and in today’s update, I want to share a progress report on my book as well as some of the other projects I’ve been working on. It’s all very exciting, so let’s jump right in!

📖 Innocent Dreams

I spent much of the last month rereading my book in its entirety, analyzing it for grammar or spelling mistakes, plot holes, and continuity issues. During this review process, I compiled a list of over 100 edits I need to make before I can call the manuscript “done.” While most of those changes are minor, a couple of chapters require a decent amount of cleanup. I’ve also decided to move around some scenes and add several new ones.

I’m not going to lie; my to-do list is longer than I would have liked, but it feels pretty manageable after all these years of writing. Overall the book is in great shape, and I’m looking forward to tackling these edits in the coming weeks.

⌨️ Beyond The Book

In April of this year, I began publishing articles for my ongoing series, Beyond The Book. Those of you who have been subscribed for some time may have noticed that I haven’t posted any new content in a couple of months. This is because the fall has been so busy that I haven’t had the time or headspace to create new material. I also felt that my time was better spent finishing the book.

I plan to restart the series in the new year and publish with a little more consistency. I’m hoping that this time away will help me refocus and get ahead of schedule. Here is a small sample of the articles I have planned for next year.

• Memoir vs. Autobiographical Novel: What is the difference?
• Point of view: Why I wrote the story in 1st person
• Fact or Fiction: How much of my story is “true?”
• What to cut, what to keep: How I decide what makes it into the book
• Examining Memory: How writing the book allow me to look at the past in new a light
• Lost in Translation: How I’m using language to tell the story
• Perchance to Dream: Stories about living a life detached from reality

Do you have any questions for me about the writing process or what I’ve learned from turning my life into a novel? Hit reply and let me know!

🎥 Identifying Nelson

As many of you know, since 2011, I've been working on a documentary film called Identifying Nelson/Buscando a Roberto. Over the past couple of weeks, John, the film’s director, and I have been working with a highly talented editor who has been helping us go through all of our footage. It's been great to get a fresh perspective on the material, and it’s helped us uncover details about my week-long trip to El Salvador that we didn't even know we had.

While I still can’t say when that project will be done, it feels like we have made a massive leap forward. I can’t wait to share more about the film’s progress as we continue to work on it.

👨🏽‍💻 The Month Ahead

We have Thanksgiving this week, so I won't be getting much writing done. I plan to tackle my manuscript to-do list next week, with the goal of finishing the edits by the end of the year. Of course, it’s hard to say how long it will take me to implement all these changes, but it’s helpful to have a goal to strive for.

Wherever you are, and whatever you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and I’ll be back next month with an end-of-year recap.

Sincerely,
Nelson/Roberto