Concentrating on a suggestion for how to start writing...

[Frances Morey]

Pepi,
This is the author's first sentence starting a ten page summation of Leoncio's Candle of Death, based on a true story by Anthony Josef:  He says, [the book] "...is a work of fiction. Although many events are historically accurate, all characters, dialogue, and interaction among characters are purely products of my imagination." www.bloodshedbooks.com
 
This disclaimer is no doubt because all the principals are dead. Then he goes on to list all the accurate details of the story. The sheer number and weight of factual instances of the horrors that unfolded are enough to fill up the entire nine pages! It is as thick a tapestry as any of the Greek tragedies. That hardly suggests that the work should be first off be described as "fiction." 
 
To call it a fiction off the top was a terrible idea, since that is only the embroidery that fleshes the out story to be believable to readers at the time they read it. It in no way detracts due to an absence of absolute accuracy. Absolute accuracy is basically boring. What drives a story are the facts and turns the story takes. That's what holds the reader's interest to keep them turning from page to page, unable to put it down until the end and then wanting more. Now THAT'S writing!
 
Anyway, the point I'm making is that you can imagine stuff based on hearsay which would be almost as good as an interview with the principal. In the amount of time you spent with your mother over a lifetime, surely you must have picked up enough factual information, instances where she had to drastically change her life around events. You no doubt remember other stories about how her life was led in the various situations to describe it more knowledgably than anyone else. The hardest part about writing is getting started. 
 
I would suggest outlining it in by epoch, and filling in memories from each, all in one liners--save the prose for the real thing. This will keep the narrative on track and make more sense instead of just meandering around after typing "Once upon a time...". Each epoch becomes a chapter, say, then when all the epochs are down on paper in outline form, start the writing.
 
Best,
Frances
 


Pepi Plowman <pepstoil at yahoo.com> wrote:
Yup. The book my mother always wanted to write. 
Since she's dead, it's pretty hard to know what really
happened and likely would end up being mostly made up.
Which is okay, I guess, considering we are such
infinitessimally small specks in this universe--I
mean, what difference does it make, anyhow? But I'm
stupidly literal minded and would want the true story.
pep

--- Frances Morey wrote:
> Now there's a story that needs writing, Pepi.
> Frances
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Pepi Plowman" 

> To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto
> Daze in the 60s"
> 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 11:58 AM
> Subject: Re: Stockholm syndrome?
> 
> 
> > Correct. I and my older sister were born in
> different
> > camps.
> >
> > But my mother still loved Japan--lived there for
> seven
> > years before the war and three 30 years later. 
> She
> > had many Japanese friends.
> >
> > But when she lapsed into Alzheimer's in her latter
> ten
> > years, her stays in nursing homes were
> characterized
> > by her awakening every morning totally disoriented
> as
> > to where she was, donning every dress she owned
> one on
> > top of another, muttering, "Got to go to the
> jungle.
> > The Japanese are coming. Got to go to the
> jungle."
> > before attempting to exit and being caught by the
> > nurses in attendance. She was crazy to get
> out--would
> > bite and kick--I think she was plenty scared of
> the
> > Japanese in those camps, and have no doubt the
> > experience contributed to the Alzheimer's.
> >
> > pep
> > --- Michael Eisenstadt 
> wrote:
> > > > His last wife and he both had alcohol problems
> and
> > > the
> > > > last I saw of them they didn't seem very
> happy.
> > > My
> > > > sister was devastated by his death. My
> mother,
> > > who
> > > > was a Japanophile...
> > >
> > > Pepi,
> > >
> > > Your mother was interned by the Japanese during
> WW
> > > II. I remember her talking about it at one of
> her
> > > parties.
> > >
> > > Mike
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> 
> 
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