Howdy! Here we are halfway through January. Must be time for a Just TypiKel catch up.
What’s been happening around here? Well, despite crossing her paws, Poppy would tell you honestly that I have been writing. Both on submissions for various publications and for the book.
A Just TypiKel Catch Up
And where am I at with the memoir?
To be honest, I’ve run into a handful of speed bumps. Early bird registrants at the Oakland memoir conference that I attended in the Fall, were offered the option of sending in up to 20 pages of our memoir writing for critique. I sent in 18 pages worth, only, in Just TypiKel fashion, to have them get lost. Poof! They vanished in the delightful mysterious land of email. Thankfully, they agreed to allow me to resubmit and I received their thoughtful response a few weeks ago. Did I get right down to their suggestions? Nope. I was further waylaid by the festive visit of my college lad, a myriad of Christmas festivities and Snowmageddon 2016/17. Brrrrr. Here on Canada’s west coast, we’ve been under an icy grip of Arctic chill for the past 40 days. It was the longest cold snap in over 30 years. Today is the first day of rain. Disbelievers, you can read more about that here.
Reunions, overeating, and taking my life into my hands every time I slipped about outdoors aside, the most extraordinary hiccup for me had to be the unexpected explosion of my mouse.
Yes, they can explode. Who knew?
It was a quiet, chilly afternoon and I was binge watching something on Netflix dusting our downstairs tv room where the computer lives, when all of a sudden there was the loudest boom emanating from my desk. Like the crack of thunder. What the hell? I shot over for a look-see but was flummoxed as everything looked completely normal. It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized that the mouse was compromised. The pair of double-A batteries had self-combusted. And no, it wasn’t a Samsung … What was amazing was that not only was there not a fire, but the mouse still worked, so we limped along with fresh batteries, cringing as the coverless mouse scratched its way over the mouse pad. It died after surviving a miraculous two weeks.
Long story short, I finally got around to buying a replacement one which meant no more excuses.
Back to the book. As advised by the President of the National Association of Memoir Writers (I know, pretty cool, ‘eh?) the main thing I need to work on for the memoir (about the people we met and the bizarre adventures we had over the ten years I worked with my type A, quirkier than me mother at her Vancouver Asian antiques shop) is the mechanisms of my internal changes over the course of those ten years. I need to figure them out and outline them for the reader at the beginning of the book. Give the reader an idea of what they can expect and also to encourage them to keep reading.
SO. I’ve been agonizing over that. It’s been both difficult and rewarding. Why? Because it’s forced me to strip down to the truth of why I’m writing this memoir. It’s one thing to say it’s because folks love reading about Francine, it’s another to be still and think about how I changed. I’m comfortable nattering on about others but this is forcing me to peel off the layers of me.
Am I a good little soldier and spending all my time buckling down? No. I confess that I do wander off and check out what’s happening in the world. Sorry, Francine, I know you want me to just get on with it and get the “damn thing” written. And just today, ooh look, I read that Harper’s Bizarre is upset over Kate Middleton’s choice of hair clips.
That led me to think that perhaps Kate could use one of these gorgeous gems as modelled by my newest relative. I absolute adore them. We lost so many of my daughter’s barrettes over the years but this beaut stayed on, all through lunch!
Enough about me and a Just TypiKel catch up. I’m curious about you? What have you been up to? Lost the festive weight? Packed more on? Working on your 15th book? Signed a deal with an agent? Finished binge watching The Crown and The Gilmore Girls and now onto This Is Us? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
22 Responses
The holidays are not healthy for our memoirs are they? I’ve run into a few hiccups myself, one being storyist is holding my mostly completed manuscript for ransom until I repurchase their software because…updates. There has got to be something illegal in all this somewhere. That was not cheap software to begin with.
I’ll get around to buying it when we are done moving next month….gotta get the damn thing written. 😉
Noooo – I am so sorry to hear about your hiccup. Sounds appalling. However, as you say it’s important to keep plugging away and get the damn thing written. Best of luck with the move and getting on with it.
It’s so tough after you feel like you’ve finished, isn’t it Kelly? I had three different editors (looking at different things – fortunately I didn’t have them all editing at the same time) on my first book (one did two passes). After reviewing (and making most of the suggested changes) from the first two, the third hurled me a whopper – “your book’s too short and missing key information- add another section {amounting to a 35% increase in word count}. He was right, of course, but it took me a good few months to hunker down and do what felt like starting over. It’s OK to take a breather. That’s when inspiration tends to strike. Glad to see you back at blogging.
Ouch. That was quite the kicker you got. Good on you for hunkering down in the end. As for me, not quite finished … but still. I’m hoping that the tweaks can be taken care of in the first chapter or two. Thanks again for your support, Nanette. Yet again, it’s lovely having you out there.
I need to get back to mine as well. I set it down a couple of months ago and haven’t picked it up since. Time to get to work!!!
Yes, Rena. We can do this!
“the mechanisms of my internal changes” grabbed my attention and made me realize I’m no where near ready to write a memoir. Not that anyone’s asking.
I’m busy ferrying the kids to ice hockey and trying to be grateful that I work and it stimulates me (vs. wishing I could lounge on the couch and be a kept woman).
Oh, Katy. I love following your life over at Experienced Bad Mom. Has me remembering all kinds of “gems” that I went through and yes, sometimes miss.
You are just (typikel-ly) amazing! Dig deep and get that book done! You’re my inspiration. (No pressure.) 😉
Thanks, Jen. I appreciate the positive push! No pressure – just get the damn thing done. Bless ya.
Wow, who knew that a mouse could explode !! I can only imagine how the holidays and visitors can interrupt your writing flow. So glad you are back on track and look forward to the next “teaser” !!
Thank you so very much, Jane. And yes, who knew a mouse could explode? Just TypiKel that it should happen to me …
Many people would be dissuaded by lost emails and an exploding mouse, perhaps thinking that these calamities were a message from the universe. But you know that these are just the kind of quirky things that happen to our favorite quirk magnet and you forge ahead. Good on you, my friend!!! I’m glad that you also took some time off to enjoy your family!
Aw, thank you, Mo for your thoughtful words of encouragement. Insightful words, too. Yes, these quirky things due tend to pop up when I least expect them. Maybe if I did expect them, they wouldn’t happen?
I binge watched Man in the High Castle, and I’m reading my 5th book of 2017. My mouse has not exploded, and it has barely snowed here, but I am kinda hibernating in the way I do most Januarys.
Good to catch up with you, Kelly – sounds like the writing is moving along.
Psssst … between you and me, I’m binge watching Scandal. How have I not watched this before? Scandalous, really.
Stop beating yourself up – everybody needs some time off – and for us creative types – we rarely get that time off, because even though we aren’t “Doing it”, it is still very much alive in our heads! You’ll get to it – and you will know exactly what to do at that time. Love the hairclip – amazing that it stayed on. We are having unseasonable warm weather here in the South – in the 70’s this week – the week prior to the election. Yes, there is no climate change. As always – I enjoyed reading this – and I’ll wait patiently for the book
Thanks, Vickie. So odd that you’re having the unseasonably warm weather (well you were when you kindly wrote this, which was awhile ago. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you) and we’re having the cold. I still have ice in the back lane which is extraordinary for here. And yes, so true about how our minds continue to work on while we’re off. If only I could shut it off at night. Does yours continue to fire on then as well? Or can you shut it down at bedtime?
Reading about you working on your book always gives me such inspiration. I haven’t written word one, but someday… Glad you survived the terrible cold weather – I didn’t think we’d ever thaw out. We didn’t get as much snow as you did, which was a bit of a disappointment. I went over and read the Kate Middleton article, and had to laugh. She seems like a no nonsense kind of girl, so these hair clips fit right in. Hope you’re having a great week!
Thanks, Lana for your lovely comment. Boy, we were hammered with the snow and ice. Supposed to get cold again mid-week. How about you?
I have been out of the loop, so just catching up…you are very brave to ask others to read your work…I have had many read my work and ask for more…this is not me bragging, but when they ask, I freeze…it’s as if I can’t think of one more word. As you may have noticed I have written fewer posts on my blog. Today, I was in the assistant principal’s office (for once I was not in trouble)…she asked why haven’t I written in a while…I couldn’t answer…I am usually never at a loss for words. Lately, the words have been fewer. Hopefully, something will put that spark back in me. Take Care.
Hang in there, Beemie. I’ve really been enjoying your alphabet posts. The words will come and the spark will reignite. They’re just on hiatus. Maybe a side effect of the election? No, I know what you mean. I freeze when someone laughs at something I say and then they ask me to say something else that’s funny. I can’t. I freeze. It’s like I can do it when I’m not on show or something …