As I was working on the manuscript at my writing table in the Tea Lounge of Four Seasons Doha recently, I ran into Andy Smart with Bloomsbury Publisher from London. He came by and asked if I was maintaining the word count of no more than 60,000. I have been editing like crazy since it was 67,000 at one time. It is about 52,000 now, and I am working on my last chapter.
Several years ago, I watched Something Got to Give, a wonderful movie played by Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. One scene that stuck in my head was the joy and satisfaction which was expressed by the character Nina, a writer (played by Diane Keaton). When she finished her play script, she screamed! My own deadline is Feb. 3, prior to departing for the U.S. for meetings on Feb. 4. Writing a memoir has been so different than working on my normal academic papers and accreditation reports at work. It is just a few days away, and I can’t wait to type the last word on my laptop and scream like Nina did! Please give me your word of encouragement in the comment section or write what you are currently trying to finish. I hope we can all complete our projects! Mickie
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Writing a Memoir
On November 4, 2009, an article in the International Herald Tribune caught my eyes, as I sipped my regular latte in the Lobby Lounge of the Ritz Carlton Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East. It was titled “Happy ending” with a caption “Death grants us the possibility of a meaning life even as it takes it away”, written by Todd May, a philosophy professor from Clemson University. The point of the article was that one tends to put things off thinking that there is enough time later. No one knows how many days or years he/she has; therefore we must make each day beautiful.
Writing a memoir on and off for the last two years was exactly an example of what Todd May was talking about. I had all the time in the world, so why bother when I was busy with other things? No more. The original diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of small intestine, rare cancer, was given to me in July 2008, followed by its reoccurrence in 2009. A possibility of death had granted me an opportunity to reflect on my life, and I had to get serious about finishing the manuscript. The book is about the gift of life which was given to me and all the people and events that led me to become who I am today.
I am very grateful that I already have a publisher that is interested in my manuscript and encouraged me to begin a blog. You will read about my life in Doha, Qatar, and the journey of finishing the manuscript and getting it published in the coming months. Please share my blog address to the people you know around the world.
I will be delighted if you would write a comment below. Thank you for visiting my site today.
Mickie
Writing a memoir on and off for the last two years was exactly an example of what Todd May was talking about. I had all the time in the world, so why bother when I was busy with other things? No more. The original diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of small intestine, rare cancer, was given to me in July 2008, followed by its reoccurrence in 2009. A possibility of death had granted me an opportunity to reflect on my life, and I had to get serious about finishing the manuscript. The book is about the gift of life which was given to me and all the people and events that led me to become who I am today.
I am very grateful that I already have a publisher that is interested in my manuscript and encouraged me to begin a blog. You will read about my life in Doha, Qatar, and the journey of finishing the manuscript and getting it published in the coming months. Please share my blog address to the people you know around the world.
I will be delighted if you would write a comment below. Thank you for visiting my site today.
Mickie
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