#16 in "Letters from Winnie" Series
Winnie Czulinski
Writer ~ Journalist ~ Ghostwriter ~ Editor -> Publishing-PR Pro -> Bringing Your Stories to Life!
In no particular order – the 16th of several pieces reflecting correspondence-advice to potential book-related/writing-related clients over the years.
I hope it will give potential clients and colleagues some useful info!
(I have reproduced no clients' emails to?me?– and have removed all identifying factors from my own letters to them; also, some letters are composites.)
2017 Letter from Winnie
"...Hi ______________"
"Thanks for the writing sample and outline – and so sorry to take a bit to get back to you! However, I recall what a good initial talk we had, when you were first telling me about your potential book – which I see as a unique kind of travel/personal-journey story).
Rather than my focusing too strongly on the points in your outline right now (and thanks for them!), I'm going to suggest this:
Perhaps the best?way to proceed is for?you to begin – or continue – to take all those points in your outline (things like?"class clown," "big dreams," "Lord's purpose," etc., and begin adding stuff – examples, anecdotes, things you remember – that reflect each of these points, some good material for each of them.
Keep doing that when you can, and before you know it, you will have the makings of a book! As you begin to fill in details, you/we will begin to see and shape the material we're working with, and understand where it has a place, how prominent it is, etc.
Some general stuff:
Interesting info about your parents, and how obviously they were a tough act to follow! (I assume?they have talked to you quite a bit?about their past experiences – and perhaps we can find ways to weave their experiences in with your own, to show the relevance and connection – or contrast!)
Overall, writing about yourself as a child and evoking the pain of some of what you went through, and your struggles, can become and be presented as a kind of universal story – as many readers likely can identify with a difficult time, in whatever way, as a child.
I'm sure you will have lots of details and anecdotes about your own life – but at the same time, we must also?be sure to have enough material that gives the reader hope.?
Memoirs about difficult, depressing or 'disability-focused' childhoods can be a bit of a downer, unless there is something unique, extraordinary, a kind of glimmer of human treasure that keeps the reader reading and engrossed.
BTW, were you ever actually?diagnosed with illiteracy, etc.? It seems to be a major part of your story.
Humour is great, too – you can motivate the reader to laugh (as well as cry) by how you describe certain experiences.
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Your mention of the "new journey":
How does this new journey begin? What is it that made you feel there was hope for your future – i.e., what steps did you take or what changed in your life?
Your book has to be 'pinned' on that – what you did, and how what you did changed your life. This is what the reader will really be waiting for – and that reader probably will be rooting for you!
I would like to know more details about the big dreams, roadblocks etc., you mention. And then – how did you begin to "take control,' and change?
The travel aspect, and as you journey around the world, you journey into yourself, as well as outside of yourself....what have some of your travels made you realize? Were/are you "looking for yourself'"?
In any case, your travel experiences can be a part of your growth and up-and-down story - and some of them, I recall, are quite dramatic – like the time you almost drowned in Thailand (?!)
If you can also show, throughout your travels, how you have met challenges and been resourceful, this can reinforce how you have grown from a young person with "disability" into a thriving adult.
Overall, I see your book as being about 'journey' in different (but related) ways.
In places, you also can think of it as "painting" pictures with your?travel memories and experiences – at least, those that seem to evolve naturally out of your personal story and have some strong connection. And overall, combining a?memoir?with a kind of travel log could make for a terrifically readable and vivid book, something readers will really remember.
Also?overall,?I understand this will be a very personal story, but to make it more universal and colourful, try to use the surroundings of that particular time – i.e., what was happening in the world that affected you – what was happening locally, music-wise, politically, fashion-wise – whatever way that had some bearing on your life, and the lives of others.?
You may find, as you look back, that you can include many such details that seem to be naturally a part of the story (and I can also help, by researching that time period and asking whether this-or-that had some relevance to your story).
There might be things that seem to be apart from but are actually part of the story.
E.g., maybe you argued with your mom about the fashions you wanted to wear to school and you were struggling to "win" there – but it was really more deep-down - that you were trying to triumph over your "disability" and come out the victor, but focusing your anger/energy on something else like fashion,?etc...that kind of thing.
As we work on your book, I could ask questions and prompt you to remember all kinds of things – of course, we will also decide, as time goes on, just how extensive a role you want me to take :-)
Well, those are some notes for now, and I'll probably add to them later. Again, begin by filling in details for the points of your outline, to get some of that material, colour and "'movement" you need for the book. We can keep things flexible for now – I think it's more a matter of gathering and presenting lots of specific info to expand the outline?– then let's see how I can further help you...
"...Look forward to keeping in touch!"