An Interview about "Seniorwriting" (2007)

This interview was posted by Paul Lam of The Elders Tribune back in 2007. Since The Elders Tribune site no longer exists, I have decided to post the interview here. It may be of interest to seniors just discovering my book Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write or to teachers considering using it for a continuing education class or workshop. Besides, it provides a good reminder of the main purpose of this blog: to encourage writing.

1. Why a book encouraging seniors to write about their lives?

I believe that everyone has a story, or many stories, to tell, and that seniors need to make sure that their experiences and the lessons they have learned are preserved for their families. As an example, my father was a very quiet man who rarely talked, let alone wrote, and I really never got to know him. However, my brother recently shared a story that our father told him about the difficulties of driving an older Model-T Ford on unimproved roads from our home in southern Wisconsin to St. Olaf College in Minnesota in the late 1920's. Of course my brother remembered few details, and I never heard the story. How I wish our father had written about his life! Our mother did write her life story at age 86, and we are very grateful for that. She died this year at age 95, and we feel that we know her quite well. Also, seniors are likely to have some spare time, and the positive, therapeutic effects of writing, even in a private journal, have been well-documented. We need to write to discover, to heal, to reinvent, and to share.

2. How does your book differ from other writing guides for seniors?

There are many such guides on the market, and I have not seen them all. However, I favor a more creative approach than I’ve found in other guides I’ve seen or read about. Some of them seem to present extremely structured approaches. For example, one advertises “a structured template containing over 250 step-by-step life story questions (with ample space to write in answers).” I would find 250 questions intimidating, like a school workbook to fill in with mindless answers, but perhaps that’s just me. In one online-course I examined, the first assignment was to label the pages of a lined notebook, one for each year from birth to the present. Since I was over 70 at the time, that seemed like a daunting task, and it reminded me that there are many years, even periods in my life, that I do not remember at all. These approaches probably work for some, but I favor a more relaxed approach that involves brainstorming and free writing and organizing it all later. I offer guidance and examples, but no rigid rules.

3. What would you say is your personal goal for this book?

I would like my book to encourage and help senior non-writers develop the courage to write their stories for their families. I’m sure the structured methods work for many, but I think my approach is worth a try. I hope it proves useful, especially for individuals at home and in informal senior center writing classes. The book is small, inexpensive, and non-intimidating. I’m not expecting to gain personal fame or fortune from it. I would enjoy getting a few letters or emails recounting individual successes in writing life stories.

4. Between your books and blogs, the number of insights you produce is staggering. How do you do it?

Thanks for the compliment! Such insights as I share are generally based on my reading, my observations, and my experiences, and I shamelessly borrow ideas from others, properly attributed, of course. How do I find time? Unlike many seniors, I have no close family nearby and no regular paid job any more. Being a retired loner has a few advantages. I once wrote a blog post entitled “Living Large on Line,” and I guess that’s what I do. One piece of advice: always read a daily newspaper.

5. What do you love about writing the most?

I guess I enjoy the independent, solitary aspects of writing. I’ve never enjoyed interacting with groups of people very much, so writing is my way of communicating with the world. Of course I wrote my first book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor, to deal with retirement and loss and to get my life in order. I can write anywhere and everywhere, using a pen and a scrap of paper if no computer is available. I discovered that writing is my passion, and I advise all seniors to find theirs, whether it be writing or something else.

6. Is there a fundamental difference between writing personal history and fiction?

I think so. Some people seem to have a knack for writing fiction, but while I’ve written a few short stories, I seem to lack the imagination to write an entire novel. To me, writing personal history seems much easier, but I doubt that everyone would agree. Actually, I’d like to have the talent to write a novel, but it’s not going to happen.

7. Is there any difference between senior writers and younger writers?

I’m not sure. I suspect that seniors may lack confidence in their writing ability, as opposed to having the exuberant “I can do anything!” attitude of youth, and yet few of my young college students embraced writing with enthusiasm. I fear that we English teachers equipped with our red pens discouraged too many in the past. I wouldn’t do that to seniors, although I might suggest some copy editing by a family member or friend (or even a professional editor) if it’s necessary. I really believe that most seniors write better than they think they do. Writing errors aren’t likely to matter to a loving family anyway.

8. What’s the biggest challenge for a senior starting to write his or her life story?

Assuming an alert mind, I believe that the biggest challenge might be simply the logistics of getting started. I advocate plunging in with a notebook and a pen or pencil, but computer users may have an advantage. More and more seniors are learning to use computers these days, although a few are afraid of these new-fangled machines, as my late mother was. Younger people grew up with computers, and a few of us oldsters learned to use them at our jobs, but for my mother’s generation and some people in my own, computers are scary. Anyway, a willingness to write is the main requirement, along with a pen or pencil and paper, or even a tape recorder. I see no insurmountable challenges.

9. Any suggestions to overcome reluctance?

Talk to people who have already written their life stories. Join a relaxed memoir writing group at a senior center or community college, or even on line. Jot down your story ideas. Read my new book, Seniorwriting, and record your writing ideas as you read.

10. Writing sounds like hard work. Is it really worth it?

Yes! Once a person gets started, especially by keeping an informal journal, the process gets easier and easier. Most seniors will become enthusiastic about their life stories, and so will their families. For me, there’s great satisfaction in seeing my work in print or on a computer screen, whether it’s a letter to the editor, a blog post, a short story, an article, or a book. I guess writing can be hard work, but to me, it’s just doing what comes naturally. One warning: if a person’s main goal is to make money by personal writing, it’s probably wasted effort. However, for self-satisfaction and for discovering, healing, reinventing, and sharing, writing can’t be beat!

Note: This book is available on line at buybooksontheweb.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. See links in the sidebar of this blog.

Seniorwriter is Discovered and Quoted!

Imagine my surprise when Deb Nicklay of the Mason City, Iowa, Globe Gazette discovered my blogs and asked for my comments on memoir writing! Of course I couldn't resist answering. I don't consider myself a true expert, but I'm always willing and eager to "share my wisdom."

Nicklay's article appeared today. I am quoted, along with a California blogger and memoir writer. The only minor error is that I am said to live near, rather than in, Chicago. Perhaps the citizens of Mason City think everyone lives in the suburbs. Anyway, it's a good article. I'm pleased the see more attention given to the interest in and importance of writing: journal, memoir, autobiography: call it what you will. Just try it.

The article headline is "Memoirs are a permanent and personal way to share your story."

Check it out on line at http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2008/09/07/news/feature/doc48c34ee86d1ea893207915.txt

A Matter of Choices: In Defense of Self-Publishing, Part II

The term “self-publishing” means different things to different people. Because it’s a negative word in some circles, many try to redefine the term to make it sound more positive. For example, my own POD publisher, Infinity, prefers “Author-initiated Publishing.” Here are a few definitions from Wikipedia (http:/www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-published). You’ll note that some of these definitions overlap; it’s a matter of semantics.

True Self-publishing

“True self-publishing means authors undertake the entire cost of publication themselves and handle all marketing, distribution, storage, etc. All rights remain with the author, the completed books are the writer’s property, and the writer gets all the proceeds of sales. Self-publishing can be more cost-effective than vanity or subsidy publishing and can result in a much higher-quality product because authors can put every aspect of the process out to bid rather than accepting a preset package of services.”

Comment: I suppose this is the way to go for true entrepreneurs, but it’s not for me. It essentially involves forming your own “publishing company” (does that fool many into thinking your book is traditionally published?) and understanding all the procedures involved, including seeking bids. It also generally involves ordering huge numbers of copies to get a good per-unit price, and if the book does not sell, it seems to me that the losses could be huge. And where would one store all those unsold books? I’m sure this works for some, but frankly, I’m too old and comfortable to “go for broke” this way. Besides, I lack business sense.

Vanity Publishers

This is a pejorative term rarely used these days. It used to be the only alternative to traditional publishing, with appeals to the writer’s vanity and desire to become a published author. Vanity publishers make most of their money from fees rather than sales. The author pays all the costs and bears all the risk. This is a method best known for producing basements full of poor-quality unsold books. There may be a touch of vanity in all self-published authors, but this is a term to avoid.

Subsidy Publishers

These publishers claim to be more selective, but they take payment from the author to print and bind a book. They may contribute a portion of the cost, as well as services such as editing, distribution, warehousing, and some limited degree of marketing—or they may not. They generally retain all or most rights to the book, and authors have little control of production aspects such as cover design. If the book sells, the author receives royalties, but if it doesn’t, it soon disappears from the market. It no longer belongs to the author, so he/she can’t try to sell it elsewhere. Vantage Press claims in its recent ads to be the “largest subsidy publisher in the field.”


POD (Print-on-Demand) Publishers

The computer age has created small-batch printing at reasonable cost. No longer does an author need to order and store vast quantities of books, although a few still do. Once “in the system,” one or more copies can be printed and delivered to the buyer very quickly. A majority of such publishers use Lightning Source for printing and Ingram for distribution, but a few, like Infinity, do it all in-house. Infinity generally keeps a stock of about ten copies, and prints and ships more as needed. Such books often used to be low-quality and easily identifiable, but that’s no longer true. Infinity books look beautiful. POD publishing has come a long way.

POD publishers differ in their offerings. Most allow authors to retain the rights to their work; a few don’t. Most offer various packages of services such as cover design, proofreading, content and/or copy-editing, and indexing, but like most traditional publishers these days, they do little marketing or publicity unless you’re a known author. Most offer ISBN numbers and availability at their own web sites and others such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. POD books are unlikely to be stocked by book stores, but most can be ordered there. POD publishing costs vary widely according to company and the number of services you order. Books are usually published within a few weeks, not the years required by some traditional publishers.

A subdivision of POD publishing is on-line publishing. Some standard POD publishers allow uploading of books via computer, but companies like Lulu.com and InstantPublisher.com accept uploads and can deliver printed proof copies in a few days. For the ultimate do-it-yourselfer who is really impatient, this may be the way to go. I used Lulu for both my family tribute to my late mother, Remembering Violet (for family only) and for Elder Expectations, which has an ISBN number and is listed with my other books on Amazon.com and elsewhere. For Remembering Violet, I designed the cover myself; for Elder Expectations, I used one of the Lulu stock designs, with a few color changes of my own. Both look beautiful. I was happy with Lulu; there is a good help line that brings live on-line answers if you need them, and everything is spelled out. This seems the least expensive way to go for very small quantities of books needed quickly and not intended for sale, or books with especially low sales potential. In fact, for the computer-literate beginning author on a tight budget, I highly recommend Lulu.

With any of these publishing methods, marketing is up to you. There are many books available on the subject, including John Kremer’s vast 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. Good marketing takes time and effort; I admit I’ve not done much of it, but it can be done.

Don’t let this vast number of publishing choices deter you. If you have something to say, either to the world or just to your family, go for it. For me, at least, most of the satisfaction is in the writing. Strive for success on your own terms, whatever they are.

Here are some of the more popular POD publishers, most found in ads in the latest issue of Writer’s Digest: Most offer free publishing guides.

Trafford (http://www.trafford.com/)
Author House (http://www.authorhouse.com/)
Bookstand Publishing (http://www.bookshelfpublishing.com/)
Outskirts Press (http://www.outskirtspress.com/)
iUniverse (http://www.iuniverse.com/)
Infinity (http://www.infinitypublishing.com/)

Here is my basic advice: ask yourself the following questions, and then check out the various publishing companies.

1. Who is your intended audience? Family and friends? The general public? A certain group?
2. What services will you need? Copy editing? Content editing? Cover design? Formatting aid? Word processing assistance? Others?
3. How many copies do you want or need?
4. Do you want an ISBN number for online searchability and listing on Amazon.com and other web sites?
5. Are you in a hurry for your book?
6. How much time and money are you willing and able to spend?

Ask other self-published authors about their experiences. Check ads and web sites. And most important of all, always read the fine print!

Please feel free to share your own self-publishing experiences, good or bad. Email me (my email address appears in my complete profile here) to be a guest blogger.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne
Photo: Remembering Violet with self-designed cover, published by Lulu.com. Not for general public sale, but contact me if interested.

More Kind Words about "Reinventing Myself"

Another blogging friend, Barbara J. Kirby Davis of The Serenity Room, has reviewed my first book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor. Here's an excerpt:

"I've just finished reading Reinventing Myself, Memoirs of a Retired Professor by Marlys Marshall Styne and LOVED IT!!! Her book was a pleasant surprise--filled with honest accounts of a life well-lived.

"This strong, talented lady writes about her struggles and joys, her trips all over the world and life as a resident of Chicago. What an exciting life she has lived! I am usually reading four or five books (all in various stages of completion), but when I began reading this one, I couldn't put it down until it was finished."

It's wonderful to learn that someone has read my book and loved it! Now if only the rest of the world would discover it. Thanks, Barbara.

Check out Barbara's blog at http://www.theserenityroom.blogspot.com.

Share Life Stories and Memories Without Writing?

Much as I hate to admit it, I realize that there are people out there who are not willing or able to write their life stories. In many cases, they're just afraid to try, but some have physical disabilities that make writing difficult or impossible. It's only fair to note that there is an alternative: just talk and record the stories of your life.

One company devoted to helping you do this has been around for a while, and I've had no experience with it or its products. However, you might want to check out American Storykeepers.

This is outdated technology (aren't cassette players rare these days?) but the idea of speaking your memories rather than writing them, and the possibility of helping friends or relatives do this, appeals to me. Any simple recording device will do.

I hope that the art of life writing never dies; everyone should leave his or her story. However, if you love to talk but hate to write, or can't, consider recording your experiences, your memories, and those stories you like to tell. Consider helping others do the same.

An update, 8/11/08: Apparently bowing to changes in technology, the American Storykeepers site has been discontinued. The basic idea, translated to video, is still a good one.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

The Power of Senior Writing: Perhaps I've Made a Difference

As in most of my other writing, my main goal in my twice-a-month eGenerations column, now more than a year old, is to encourage boomers and senior citizens to write, to record their memories, experiences, and wisdom for their families. I often wonder if anyone is listening, but in at least one case, I think I've encouraged a senior to write.

I've never met Wayne in person. I met him through eGenerations, where he contributes to his journal and to the forums. Wayne lives far away. He is over 80, widowed, disabled, and confined to a wheelchair. A daughter is his caregiver.

That sounds depressing, doesn't it? I can tell from his posts that he does get depressed by his situation. He even said goodbye to his eGeneration friends some time ago, but he came back in relatively good spirits. Wayne hasn't had an easy life--losing his beloved wife was a major tragedy for him--but he somehow manages to maintain an ironic sense of humor.

In his eGenerations profile, Wayne lists his biggest challenge as living and his wildest dream as walking. I'm old enough to understand.

Here are some excerpts from several of Wayne's eGenerations journal entries and comments.

"Twenty-one offspring at ages from 60 years to minus 5 weeks. Most of my hand-me-downs will not be material, but will be my memoirs, just recently written and covering the events of a family from its start to my finish. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for what it is worth."

"Seniorwriter, I think I have started writing out of frustration and confusion. I am frustrated because I cannot do what I always did and I'm confused because I don't remember why. Writing of any kind seems to help put facts and figures in place, in order, while otherwise they are just bouncing around in my mostly dried out gourd of a head. In some of us, God forgot to include the zerk fitting and so we were never properly maintained."

(I had no idea what a "zerk fitting" is, so I looked it up. It seems that it's a fitting providing a way for grease to be forced into mechanical joints that need grease to prevent wear and make movement easy. Perhaps those of you who are mechanically inclined knew that. What an appropriate image Wayne has used for some of the problems of aging!)

In a longer journal entry, Wayne wrote:

"I just finished proofing and printing out my memoirs, and possibly just in time, as I seem to be losing more of my abilities daily. Darned Golden Years. Anyway, I ended up with 62 half-pages (5 1/2 x 8 1/2), including some pictures and genealogy charts and historical records. I managed to find a "Four Seasons Winery" binder which fits in real well with my four seasons of progress: The Early Years to 21, The Middle Years to 65, The Later Years to 75, and The Ending Years to--God only knows. Looks real professional too.

"Wish I had met Seniorwriter earlier and started writing earlier. So many memories and so little time. Our offspring and theirs deserve to know something of their ancestry for a variety of reasons, one reason being health. I was able to offer some medical/genealogical information to the doctor of a 3-year-old grand-niece which will help prevent her from going through a lifetime of genetic Crohn's disease.

"I would like to make this recommendation to the general membership of eGenerations: write it down in some, any form so that those coming after you will have some of your knowledge, your experiences to treasure, or in some cases to avoid. Memories are all we have to leave sometimes, and oh yes, we're all going to leave them here.

"I would like to thank all of you for the help you've given me and the encouragement to keep on writing."

Many thanks, Wayne, for heeding some of my suggestions and writing your memoirs. You've made me feel that there's an audience for an old, retired writing teacher. Perhaps I can still make a difference in a few lives.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Finally! Archives for my eGenerations Columns

It has bothered me a bit that on those rare occasions when someone asked about one of my past columns, I was not able to help him or her. The current column was always there at the top of the "Connect" page, but earlier ones could only be found when they popped up at random. Now, at last, all the columns can be found at http://egenerations.com/write-articles.

For anyone who might be interested, here is a list of titles for the columns I've written thus far. I'll try to keep the list updated. You can find them all with the above link.

1. Tell Your Story!
2. Excuses for Not Writing? A Few Reassurances and More about Getting Started
3. Need More Writing Suggestions? Your Life Experiences, Your Special World, Your Legacy
4. Writing to Discover: Who are you? Where have you been? Where are you going?
5. Flexing your "Writing Muscles": Interviewing Others--or Yourself
6. Sharing Your Experiences, Your Memories, Your Stories: Printing, Copying, or Publishing
7. Writing to Heal: Writing as Therapy
8. Expressing Yourself On Line and Off: Journals, Blogs, Books, and Blooks
9. Tell Your Life Story Through Poetry?
10. My Experiences with Print-on-Demand and Online Self-Publishing
11. Does Your Writing Need Improvement? Self-Editing, Copy Editing, and Content Editing
12. In Defense of Old-Fashioned Communication: Writing Holiday Letters
13. Year-end Thoughts and Last-Minute Gift Suggestions
14. Looking Back and Looking Ahead: A New Year of Writing
15. Newspaper Book Reviews: An Endangered Species?
16. The Humorous Side of Book Reviewing, or Is It?
17. Internet Book Reviews
18. Become a Book Reviewer?
19. Fact, Fiction, and Book Scandals
20. Writing Inspirations, Part I: Photographs

Happy reading and writing!

Another Book Reviewing Dilemma

In my November 18, 2007, post "The Truth About (Old-Style) English Teachers and a Book Reviewer's Dilemma" here, I lamented being unable to review an interesting and well-intentioned book because it contained so many elementary writing errors.

As a relentless promoter of life writing and family stories, I hate the disappointment of reading a seriously flawed book, especially one that shows promise. I'm too honest to encourage readers to buy a book that I find hard to get through.

Now I've found a second book I can't review in a positive way. This book was sent to me by the author in good faith, and I have not intention of shattering her dreams with a published review. More writing errors? No. This book is very well written in the technical sense. Its "sins," as I see them, are an unrealized premise or unifying idea, weak organization, trying to cover too much ground, and a strange lack of vivid personal details. There's too much telling and too little showing.

I don't question this book's value to family members and friends. What I question is whether it has value for the wider reading public. The author, who has apparently formed her own publishing company to publish this book (I'm not attacking self-publishing; I've done it myself, although not by forming a company of my own), tried too hard to make her family's story special and unusual, and I didn't see it that way.

I guess my real point is that while I believe everyone has a story to tell, and that family lore should be recorded, not every book deserves general publication and distribution, at least until it has had serious copy and content editing. (See my eGenerations column, "Does Your Writing Need Improvement?" at http://egenerations.com/article-1053-6-does-your-writing-need-improvement). Be careful!

As for the book in question here, I hope I am wrong, and that the author's dreams will be fulfilled. I still believe in big dreams.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Enjoy the Holidays, and Prepare to Write About Them

At this time of year, you may be too busy to think about writing your life story; hopefully, you're busy living that story. However, as you savor every positive experience, chance meeting, or family reunion, think about what you can write later. Don't forget the unpleasant experiences or funny mishaps. either. Remember the stories of holidays past that you may hear from family members.

Every experience is worth writing about, so think about the people you love (and possibly whose who cause you problems). Remember the wonderful gifts you give and receive, and the less-than-wonderful ones, too. Enjoy, experience, and think about writing your life, as the title of this blog suggests.

More Writing Ideas: Tracing Creativity (and Other Traits)

In his essay "Your character evolves through time-a memoir prompt," Jerry Wexler, of Memory Writers Network (http://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/your-character-evolves-through-time-memoir-prompt/) records steps in his development of creativity, from sewing costumes and assembling model warships to dancing, painting, and singing, and finally to memoir writing. He encourages others to try to same thing.

I second the motion, and it seems to me that this technique can be applied to many traits or personal attributes besides creativity. You might explore steps that led you to a certain career or hobby or special interest, or steps that led you to an awareness of yourself, or even toward religious faith or lack thereof. How about steps in your coming to understand a particular problem, and/or steps that allowed you to solve that problem?

The idea is to focus on specific memories and try to describe them in detail, creating pictures with your words. That's what good life story writers do

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Those Hated--and Loved--Christmas or Holiday Letters

Christmas letters have probably inspired more parodies than any other feature of our hectic holiday season. They have been called "litanies of bombastic bragging disguised as holiday cheer," "anti-holiday letters memorializing deceased pets and reviewing all physical maladies endured throughout the year," and worse.

I confess that I am still a writer of Christmas letters. I think I inherited the idea from my late mother. After her death earlier this year, the most common comment I heard from her relatives and friends involved appreciation for her newsy Christmas cards and letters through the years. Anyone who received and read those cards and letters got a running report of her varied and interesting life, and she kept up the tradition into her nineties, with my technological help in the last years. She regretted having to give up this part of her routine a year or two ago

As for me, I've sent cards and/or letters for many years, even when I had to rush to finish them between hectic end-of-semester duties and Christmas eve. These cards have helped me keep up a current address list of old friends; when I saw an old college roommate from the 1950's recently, we still knew each other, thanks to our exchanging Christmas letters most years. I like keeping in touch with people whose paths crossed mine years ago.

Ted Pack presents parodies, examples, and suggestions for writing Christmas letters on his web site (see link below). In brief, his suggestions include keeping the letter brief and readable, keeping it light and happy, keeping it jargon-free (those on-the-job technical acronyms may not mean anything to your readers), focusing on highlights rather than trying to cover a whole year in a page, not promoting your home-based business, and above all, avoiding bragging, at least bragging without a touch of humility. I may have erred occasionally, but in general, my letters suffer only from being too long. We writers are like that.

Mr. Pack includes more specific suggestions on what to write about, as well as some humorous parodies of the worst examples. If you're a Christmas letter hater, give them another chance. I, for one, like to know what my friends, relatives, and acquaintances have been up to, and I hope that at least a few people want to hear about me. If not, they all have wastebaskets. I won't let a bit of disapproval deter me. Let's start a Christmas letter revolution. It's one way to share our life stories.

http://www.tedpack.org/xmasnews.html

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Organizing your Life Story

One question I'm often asked is, "How can I organize my memoir or life story?" Assuming that you have written a series of journal entries, in no particular order, where do you go next? How do you put them together into a booklet, pamphlet, or self-published book? If, like me, you write about whatever experiences come to mind when they come to mind, your material may seem to be an amorphous mass. Here is some of the advice I give in my book, Seniorwriting.

Read through what you have written. Do you find a recurring pattern, themes or problems or triumphs that appear often in your journals? If a theme or a series of themes stands out, that may be a good way to organize your life story. Some possible examples are family, funny stories, illnesses, family tragedies, hobbies, awards, military service; there are many other possibilities.

Do you prefer a more chronological approach? You may want to gather your stories together under time periods such as childhood, youth or teen years, adulthood or working life, retirement, old age, etc. You might organize by years or decades, as well. Another approach would be to organize by major life events or milestones: birth, religious rites, graduations, marriage, children's births, losses, retirement, etc."

There are several books available that make writing your life story almost a fill-in-the-blanks project. Use one of them if you wish. However, it's your story, so my advice is to organize it and tell it in your own way.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Writing vs. Marketing

It should be obvious that writing and publishing one's work are not synonymous. However, the proliferation of self-published books both full of errors and of limited interest to the general public has made me wonder if we need to make a clearer distinction between writing and publishing for the general public.

As usual, the answer may be in making careful decisions. I have encouraged, and still encourage, everyone to enjoy the benefits of writing: discovery, healing, reinventing, sharing, and enjoying, among others. It is very important to share our experiences and leave our stories for our families. As records of life in our times, our stories may have lasting value. Still, not everyone has the skills to produce a book that will sell, or the desire to market it. That's fine. Today, it is possible to produce an attractive book at reasonable cost without any expectations of sales. That's what I did with the tribute to my mother, Remembering Violet (see earlier post).

In short, do not assume that every book should be published, or not published. Get some advice. If you decide to publish, you may need an editor. Don't try to publish a book filled with writing errors. I've said that errors don't matter, but they usually do in the commercial publishing world. They also matter to occasional book reviewers like me.

This article from the "Just Write" blog may help you find your personal answer:

http://www.thmeeks-justwrite.blogspot.com/2007/11/publishing-question.html

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

More Encouragement to Write!

In case you need still more encouragement to write your life story and/or to blog, or to urge your older relatives to do the same, check out this link to Ronni Bennett's blog, "Time Goes By." I, too, would like to have "conversations" with my long-departed ancestors, and except for my mother, none have left their stories for me to read.

http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2007/11/repost-extraord.html

Let's Write in November!

November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), National Life Writing Month, and Family Story Month. Why November? Well, I don't know why, or whether, one month is better than another for writing a 50,000 word novel (not a task I'm likely to undertake), but it may make sense for life stories.

According to Denis Ledoux, of the Soleil Lifestory Network, "November is a great time, with the holidays coming, to discover that the best gift you could possibly give is one that can't be bought. To share a few stories of your life with those who mean the most to you is a very special present." That's essentially the message of this blog.

I hope my little book Remembering Violet (see my October 22 post) will prove to be a good gift for all the family members and friends who contributed, and for a few others as well. Thanks to computers and on-line self-publishing (I used Lulu.com) or local copy shops, there's still time to write down a few family memories, yours or a relative's, and distribute them as gifts.

Ledoux adds, "When you are writing your lifestory, it's not the Pulitzer Prize you're going for! We each store a unique treasure trove of valuable experience and insight in our memories. It's a loss for the whole community when that treasure is allowed to fade away."

Family Story Month is designed to let younger people, students, participate as well, perhaps by interviewing older family members about their lives.

Whatever your age and writing preferences, just write! If you can write that novel, short story, or poem, go ahead. But don't forget that Life Stories or Memoirs are also part of November's unofficial writing schedule. Just have fun!

Sources:

http://www.scrapyourstories.com/lifewritingmonth.htm
http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/roots/family.html

Photo: "Where I Write," by Seniorwriter

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Cherry Blossom Nostalgia: A Review

Cherry Blossons in Twilight: Memories of a Japanese Girl, by Yaeko Sugama Weldon, with her daughter, Linda E. Austin, is the charming life story of a Japanese-born senior citizen. It is a book for readers of all ages, from young people learning about history and other cultures to older people who lived through World War II.

Yaeko Sugama was born in 1925 in the small town of Tokorozawa, Japan, where she could see Mt. Fuji and the Chichibu mountain range in the distance. The family was poor, and lived in a typical one-story wooden house with a tin roof. Her father's shoemaking shop was in the front. Yaeko adored her father, but somewhat resented her mother's preference for her brother. "Girls are not so good to have because they marry and leave home, but when a son gets married, he stays to take care of his parents." That was the Japanese custom.

The author describes other customs of the time: the nature celebrations, the making of origami birds and kirigami from colorul paper, Yaeko's pet owl, stories from Japanese folklore. The author's charmingly drawn illustrations from a child's life in Japan are an added bonus.

After "Childhood" comes a section on "School," and then "World War II," "After the War," and "A New Life." The book ends with an appendix of Japanese children's songs, photographs of Japan in the 1950's, and a useful glossary and index of Japanese terms.

World War II disrupted peaceful life in Tokorozawa and brought air raids, bomb shelters, and rationing, leading the children to ask, "Who wants war anyway?" While the war took away the young Japanese men she might have married, it gave Yaeko a view of the outside world. She worked for American military families, eventually married an American soldier, and moved to the Chicago area.

Yaeko Sugama Weldon now lives in St.Louis, Missouri, near her daughter Linda, who helped her put her stories together. This book is a good example of the family memories and experiences we all need to share. While Yaeko expresses her regret that she didn't learn English better, her simple, direct prose is charming. That, as well as the story itself, should make this book especially interesting to young readers. However, I couldn't put it down myself.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne.
Link: http://www.moonbridgebooks.com/

More on the Power of Telling Life Stories

Yesterday, Federal Judge Joan Lefkow and her sister, Judy Smith, were featured in a Matt Lauer interview on The Today Show. Lefkow and Smith are daughters of the late Donna G. Humphrey, the 89-year-old murder victim who left behind a wonderful collection of poems that her daughters published recently.

The resulting book, I Speak of Simple Things (Ampersand, Inc., 2007), is a fascinating picture of a woman's life. In the Lauer interview, Judge Lefkow said that while the extensiveness of her mother's writing was a surprise, the family knew that Humphrey was constantly writing in her later years, even feeling guilty when she didn't take time to write.

You may read my earlier review of this book below, in my September 30 post, but more importantly, watch a video of this Today Show interview:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21297994/

Telling Life Stories Through Poetry: A Review

A Review of I Speak of Simple Things, by Donna G. Humphrey (Ampersand, Inc., 2007)

Donna Grace Glenn Humphrey, a native of Kansas, probably came to the world's attention only once, on February 28, 2005, at age 89. On that day, Mrs. Humphrey, mother of a federal judge in Chicago, became a tragic murder victim, along with the judge's husband.

This year, Chicago Tribune reporter Mary Schmich revealed, in a fascinating article, that Donna Humphrey had written poetry for most of her life, but while she shared some of it with family and friends, most of it was tucked into drawers and closets where family members found it only after her death. Fortunately, her daughters, Joan Humphrey Lefkow and Judith Humphrey Smith, joined Suzanne Isaacs of Chicago's Ampersand, Inc. to publish privately these revealing fragments of a woman's life.

Columnist Schmich calls the poems' style "plain and lyrical," and they probably do not rank among the world's greatest poetry. However, as a revealing record of a woman's life, these poems, "dedicated to the strong and noble women of the prairie," are priceless.

The book begins with "If I Were a Poet." It reads, in part:

"If I were a poet / I could speak my thoughts in language / All sublime and terrible . . . . But I, I only know of simple things / Heart-stabbing winter sunsets, / The unexpected thrust of pain / That tells me life is fragile . . . . My thoughts are not profound / I only speak of simple things."

In short poems gathered by the editors into "The Natural World," "The Inner World," "Time," "Home," "Longing," "Family," "The World Outside," and "Faith and Prayer," Donna Humphrey did, indeed, speak of the "simple things" that made up the lives of the ordinary women of her time.

Some of the poems reflect concerns about aging: "A book unopened in her lap, she rocks / And counts her gold in simple things / The heart remembers." In "Old Woman," she sees herself as an abandoned house. "I wait the Wrecker's ball / When with a sigh / I fall and leave a space / For building." "The Widows" begins, "We are everywhere / We with our perms / Our little purses / Our careful steps / Supported by our walkers / Or our canes. / We are the Survivors . . . "

Donna Humphrey, farm wife, mother, general store proprietor, office worker, and hospital assistant controller, lived for nearly 30 years as a widow. According to the book's introduction, she suffered from chronic depression. Still, "Through her faith, determination, and the love and responsibility she felt for her children, she thrived." She survived difficult times, and she lives on in her poetry.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

It's Almost Here!

Today, I received the proof copy of my new book, Seniorwriting (Infinity Publishing, 2007). It will be published in two weeks or so. Since this is my second book, receiving it was not quite as exciting as receiving my first, but I still was thrilled to see it.

I hope that this brief guide (81 pages, $9.95) can make it easy and enjoyable for senior citizens to write to discover, to heal, to reinvent, and to share their valuable experiences and memories with future generations.

If you're already a writer, you probably do not need this book. It's basically for beginners. I hope it may prove useful as both a guide for individuals and as a text for Continuing Education or Lifelong Learning classes in writing; it is much less prescriptive and structured than the other books of its type I've seen, some of which seem to take a sort of "fill in the blanks" approach. I believe that we need encouragement toward creativity, not rigid writing rules.

My book offers examples of personal writing, including some first presented in this blog, as well as some practical advice on organizing, revising, editing, and publishing or sharing.

I hope to take away the fear of writing and inspire other seniors to find as much joy in writing as I have. Perhaps I'm naive, but I still believe that all seniors should share their valuable experiences and life stories--and that they can!

(No, I don't know who the gentleman on the cover is. His picture was provided by Infinity.)

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Do you Have Publishing Experiences to Share?

If you have published and/or shared any of your writing, I invite you to tell your publishing story here. Either add it as a comment or e-mail it to me (you can find my e-mail address in my complete profile).

Have you downloaded software and followed suggestions and instructions from a self-publishing site to produce a book or booklet? Have you published an e-book or posted your work on a web site other than your own?

Have you looked for or found an agent? Have you published with a traditional publisher, large or small? Have you self-published or used a POD publisher? Have you used a copy shop or small printer to produce a pamphlet or booklet?

New writers often ask the questions, "What next?" "How do I share my work (with the world or with my family and friends)?" Tell us your stories of success or failure, your struggles and/or your triumphs.

Writing is often not about income, but about self-satisfaction. Have you found it, or have you unintentionally been part of a horror story, or both? Either way, please share your recommendations and your warnings.

For a longer discussion of publishing, printing, and sharing, see my September 4 column at eGenerations (see the link on the left).

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne