One Mile Walk

603 Writer's Conference

         My memoir has lain dormant for too long. So, yesterday I went to the 603 Writer's Conference at SNHU in Hooksett, NH to get inspiration. The conference was created by the New Hampshire Writer's Project (NHWP) and had a great program, Keynote speaker, and food (gosh I like chocolate dipped strawberries and double brownies) . The attendance was fair, I'd guess a dozen or so tables seating six.
         I signed up for Robin Baskerville's Workshop "The Readable, Writable Memoir: Where to Begin, What to Say, and When to Edit." I was surprised there were only two attendees, so Robin just sat in the chair next to us and we discussed our pieces informally.
         She assured me that my fear of preaching about the medical, legal, media, DSS, and health care industry, is not valid. Except, it has to be in context of the story. She suggested to use short comments, at appropriate points, with no page long diatribes. A memoir expresses what we experienced as truth for what happened. My memories may be misinterpreted, inaccurate, or just plain wrong, but they are what I believe to be true.
         I said I had been considering rearranging the order of the story and ‘After the Beginning’ was the ten pages I had submitted for her to review. The real story ‘is’ 1,050 pages long, but probably unpublishable. I am baffled as to what 'can' be left out.
         Robin said she was impressed with the story and moved by my impromptu discussion. (Remember: body language, tone, and spaced pauses contribute more information with a live conversation than what is available from a printed page.)
         I can start the story with ‘After the Beginning’ and insert the original first three chapters into the inaugural meeting with the lawyers as a major flashback. But that causes another dilemma; Renee's ambulance ride, Kimee's birth, and both ER episodes have to be in a flashback because we were not there. They have to be reported only when we were told much later.
         But, are two big flashbacks frowned upon in a memoir?