Christopher Bennett

Memoir Reflections

Fitzroy

Done and Almost Dusted

One more writing session and I’ll have completed the fourth draft of my memoir.

Then I’ll dust a few bits off, print it out and hand over a copy to my editor for feedback.

This draft has knocked the memoir into a linear shape and I intend to take a break from writing for about three weeks before I start the fifth draft.

I need the break so I can come back to it with a fresh mind and also assess the feedback before I start to focus on structure and chapter headings.

Once I have an effective structure in place I can then hone the stories in the memoir so it’s not only readable but also engages the reader.

Easy said than done but that’s what writing drafts are all about.

The ‘Bleeding Obvious’

As I was working through the fourth draft of my memoir the other day I came to a screeching halt trying to work out which direction I should go in.

The more I thought about it the more I got stuck in the mud.

After a considerable time of thinking and reflecting I decided to give it a rest and have a break.

I also gave my colleague a call to get some feedback and she virtually gave me the solution and opened up the path again.

Her feedback was ‘the bleeding obvious’ but I could not see it because I was too involved in my writing.

I’ll probably have more writers blocks before I finish this draft but that’s okay.

When I do I’ll give it a rest and ask for feedback so I can again see the ‘bleeding obvious’.

Image courtesy of Daniel Mingook Kim via Unsplash

Memoir: Ready – Set – Go

Well, I’m ready to start the fourth draft of my memoir on Monday 27th July.

This will be what I call my fair ‘dinkum draft’ where the focus will be on crafting my story so it flows smoothly.

And I’ll also correct any spelling and grammatical errors that have crept into the third draft.

To prepare for Monday’s writing session I’ve spent this week filing my interviews, reflective pieces and notes in a systematic manner so they are easily accessible when I start writing.

I’ve also read the entire third draft of the memoir, which has helped get my head around the 86,108 words already written.

Once this draft is finished, hopefully by the end of September, I’ll send it to my editor to ‘slash and burn’ the bits or chunks that aren’t relevant. And listen to her feedback.

Then the marathon memoir race will enter it’s fifth draft stage.

Note: Image by Braden Collum via Unsplash

17 Days in April

Image courtesy of Alvinn via Morgue Files

I’ve been working on my memoir for over ten years and it’s been difficult trying to find more than two or three days in a row where I can just write.

Well, I’ve broken that record this month with six days in a row of writing and a total of 17 days of writing.

And what a difference it makes.

I had the opportunity to write, reflect, gaze out of the window and travel back in time without interruptions.

In those three weeks I’ve manged to re-write five chapters of the third draft for a total of 42,262 words.

I have two more chapters to rewrite to complete the memoir and then I’ll hand it over to my editor by July of this year.

Fitzroy: Son of the King

Photo from Aime Lowe – Morgue File

Sacre bleau! I didn’t know that.

I’ve just discovered that the name Fitzroy is derived from two latin words – filius (son) and rei (king).

The closest I ever got to royalty when growing up in Fitzroy in the 1950s was when the current Queen of England, Elizabeth II, first visited Melbourne in 1954.

I was not yet two years old at the time and was too busy to attend the royal tour.

I was probably running up and down the fourteen wooden steps in our two storey shop or sprinting down busy Brunswick Street footpath chased by my mother.

I certainly was no prince in those days.