Bill Riley
Two things. First, write the stories that only you can tell. We all start somewhere different. We see different things and believe and grow a little different from each other. Use those experiences and that lense you see the world through to show me something I haven't seen before, or a new spin on an old story I wouldn't have otherwise experienced before I met you, and you convinced me to take that journey with you.
Yes, read widely. Yes, learn the rules of writing and language as you go along. But take me somewhere I haven't been and make the trip worthwhile.
Secondly, perfection equals paralysis. In my memoir Baghdaddy, I knew the story I wanted to tell, but the events happen over such a long period of time, and my perspective has changed so much as I got older, I had trouble stringing together those memories in a consistent and concise way, and I got stuck on what structure to use to tell my story. I agonized over how to write it so I could communicate it in a way people who weren't in the military or involved in intelligence operations could relate to without flashbacks inside of flashbacks inside of...
To keep writing I used a more traditional narrative structure knowing it wasn't ideal, but it was pretty good and let me keep going to the end. I worked with a great editor, Mike Towle, and he had a lot of experience with memoir and he recommended a better structure. I agreed and during the developmental edit, I was able to tighten and crisp up my story. It was the missing piece, but I would have never finished Baghdaddy if I didn't use a good approach until a great approach came along. Don't wait for the perfect word, or the best time or the ideal tool, or the lightning bolt of inspiration. Write the word, then the scene, then the chapter until you hit "The End." I promise that with every edit and revision the story will come more into focus and get better. All first drafts, to varying degrees, suck.
Yes, read widely. Yes, learn the rules of writing and language as you go along. But take me somewhere I haven't been and make the trip worthwhile.
Secondly, perfection equals paralysis. In my memoir Baghdaddy, I knew the story I wanted to tell, but the events happen over such a long period of time, and my perspective has changed so much as I got older, I had trouble stringing together those memories in a consistent and concise way, and I got stuck on what structure to use to tell my story. I agonized over how to write it so I could communicate it in a way people who weren't in the military or involved in intelligence operations could relate to without flashbacks inside of flashbacks inside of...
To keep writing I used a more traditional narrative structure knowing it wasn't ideal, but it was pretty good and let me keep going to the end. I worked with a great editor, Mike Towle, and he had a lot of experience with memoir and he recommended a better structure. I agreed and during the developmental edit, I was able to tighten and crisp up my story. It was the missing piece, but I would have never finished Baghdaddy if I didn't use a good approach until a great approach came along. Don't wait for the perfect word, or the best time or the ideal tool, or the lightning bolt of inspiration. Write the word, then the scene, then the chapter until you hit "The End." I promise that with every edit and revision the story will come more into focus and get better. All first drafts, to varying degrees, suck.
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