Transformation

I just finished revising the first quarter of the manuscript with the brilliant edits from Laura Taylor. I have to admit, I didn’t know sentences could have so many commas! I’m inclined to take a class in grammar, as I obviously don’t have a clue how to structure sentences! It is amazing how she eliminated unnecessary words and nailed the point.

I know we overwrote in many places. Our journey of writing a memoir took on so much autobiography that it was hard to determine where the parallel journey needed to stay focused. With our stories being told in the linear, we tried to write on mutual themes. A lot of it was parallel mind sets more than actual experiences or situations. So, to know what is rambling and what is pertinent story-telling takes that unbiased observer to work some magic.

My father has realized that his voice can be preserved through the edits, even though some choice of words would not necessarily naturally be uttered from him. We’ve picked through the ones that won’t work and replaced them with ones that will. This process has helped the flow of his story-telling to become more reader friendly.

I love this process. I love the red ink. I love learning how to become a better writer. Now I dive into the next segment, newly arrived, equally slashed, marked, and noted. I’m inspired again, and one more time, convinced this book will be published.

Believe in your dreams,

Kathy