Make certain you have “space†and time to write and to be alone with your writing and your focus. Writing can be very draining but it will also become very cathartic. Once you lose your focus, put your project on hold, you’ll be wasting your time if you’re distracted.
Keeping the reader engaged. Find the magic element that allows the reader to picture him or herself in whatever situation you are writing about. Having the reader wonder "what if" that was them?
I began writing as a young teen after experiencing bullying in my school. I was different than the "regular kids" who attend my schools. In New York I was called a "Brazilian Nut" because I wasn't a regular American like the other kids. In high school my poetry and essays became popular and made me like the power of words.
It would really be a "dream come true" to hear that world leaders have come together and agree that any form of torture will not be tolerated in their countries. I consider torture a barbaric practice that is not only devastating to the victims, but that is also demeaning to the torturer.
Absolutely not! Each and every experience I had changed me, colored me, made me the person I am today. Each bit of information I have stored away on my own personal hard drive taught me some thing about myself and living. Sometimes I wished some of the painful moments had never happened, but the reality is that those moments allowed me to grow. Today I am grateful for this moments.
My work schedule is very strict. I feel that like any other job or discipline that you must work had to achieve the result you want. If you do not dedicate yourself fully to your project, it will show. A key part of that commitment is proof-reading and editing. For me, both these aspects are challenging. I always felt. Boom. I've finished this Chapter. I'm done. But then I discovered that if I sat with it and read it over and over, I could tweak it bit by bit, until I knew anyone reading it would feel, hear and see exactly what I wanted them to feel, hear and see.
I am often asked about the difference between a Memoir and an Autobiography. An Autobiography covers the time-line of the author's entire life, while a memoir focuses one one specific event and how that event defines the author.
A good title and cover design are very important. It's your calling card. It's your first date. Your cover and title should bth be intriguing without giving away the entire story. Your cover design should make your book stand out on a table covered with books!
I think kids should be given an opportunity to write about what they know. Writing an autobiography will give them the opportunity to describe what they know, their family, themselves and friends. They will be more easily able to describe physical features, expressions, and tangible items they see every day. This will give them confidence to write. It's what they already know. Once they have those building blocks they can go on to discover how to embellish a story and/or to write a fantasy or fiction.
Great question, and one I get asked a lot. I did experience Writer's Block. I would walk away from my desk and not think about my book for hours at a time. I think you just have to let your natural creativity take over. An analogy I like to make is that writing is sometimes like a scab. If you pick at it, it can be bloody, painful and messy. And it can leave a scar. If you leave it alone, it begins to heal itself. Slowly but surely, little tense bits fall off, slowly healing and eventually revealing new healthy, pink skin.
I believe there are two important elements in good writing. One is clarity. Unless of course you're writing a mystery thriller. LOL. The second is not giving away the ending and piling too much information at once. A good book should leave the reader unable to put it down. The reader needs to "want" to know what happens next!
Yes, writing can be emotionally draining and stressful. My suggestion to aspiring writers is that they have a specific time to write. Writing for me was cathartic. With every line, I was able to leave a little bit if the stress and pain on the page, but I had to do so conscientiously. I had to leave the words on the page and not dwell on them when I was with my family or friends. I also felt it was important not to show my words to anyone until I had my first full draft. I had to have everything down on the page, had to absorb it and only then release it.
In The Parrot's Perch - A Memoir I've written about a very personal and traumatic life event. I experienced kidnapping, rape and torture. Success to me would lead to greater awareness that torture is still being practiced around the globe. I believe that the only way to put an end to these horrific human rights violations is by starting the conversation, which can hopefully lead to eradication. Secondly, overcoming. a huge trauma can be very difficult. My goal is to show those who are vulnerable that only by talking about the trauma, can you release its hold. Helping victims of trauma know that they are not alone and vulnerable, and putting an end to torture would be a huge success to me.
I've been writing since high school and I loved it. I never thought it would be a career choice, but then in 1987 I began writing a weekly newspaper column and loved that as well. In 2010 I finally decided to write my first book. I decided to write it as fiction, because I was afraid to really put myself "out there". I found that writing and self-publishing gave me the courage to write the "real deal". The rest as they say..."is history". My second book; The Parrot's Perch - A Memoir will be released on April 16th. It's already received numerous great reviews and recommendations.
