More than a decade ago Dad persuaded me that my life story would make for something that many people would probably enjoy reading. I started writing that in 2014. And then a lot of things happened. Dad's passing. The year spent journeying across America. Four years as a mental health professional. Those things and more atop the wackiness that life had already sent barreling my way since I was a cub. And let's not forget manic depression and all that led to!
Well, here's a bit of an update on that. Following a few fits with a fresh start on writing, during these past several months I have made significant progress on my memoir. I had been stuck at one point since mid-March however. And then a few days ago I finally cracked it and was able to knock two chapters out of the ballpark in less than 24 hours. Right now I am working on a new chapter, which is set-up for something of a "triptych" in the tale.
The first six consecutive chapters are done. Several other chapters of varying sizes, to be spread around the book, have also been written.
If someone were to ask for a rough estimate on the size this is going to be, I would guess that right now it's going to be a little longer than J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy, which is 272 pages in hardcover. Actually, that's not a bad book for comparison, for a few reasons.
I'm discovering that it's not just writing my life story out as a straightforward narrative. I am having to examine and consider things - and people - that are coming into a whole new light. The process of writing this is changing me, and I believe for the better. A few days ago I wrote about the little Amish girl who I met when I was ten years old. And that made me realize for the first time what an impact that had on my life (forty years later and I still think of her).
There is a title and has been for a year or so now. It took awhile to find one but I really love it. Only five other people know it and they're all sworn to secrecy. But every person I've told it to has responded with the same question: "What does THAT mean?" Hopefully they and many others will delight to find out.
So, there is the status on that particular project. It's found its groove again and the past several days have been a rollickin' wild ride across the life of young Robert Christopher Knight. This next part is going to be a hard one to tackle though. A lot of tragedy in a very short period of time. Maybe if this book gets published it will help make some things right that happened long ago.
And maybe enough people will be able to not only understand me, but be able to forgive me.
Edit: 09/08/2024 6:10 PM EST: I have been able to knock out three chapters within the past 48 hours. Including the one that illuminates the reader about the meaning of the book's title. That was tough to write but also a lot of fun.
This really is coming together. It might even be finished by Christmas, but that's not a goal per se. Just a possibility.
5 comments:
Make this something that you are driven toward. You've been working on your book as long as I've been reading your blog. I want to read it finally! Don't be like George RR Martin ;)
At one point ten years ago I had 75,000 words written. I now consider those crap. But they were GOOD crap. They were used by God to show me how NOT to write a book. Those were also written at a time when I was extremely manic, being driven by the condition and not true heart and intellect. Seriously, they were some off the very worst things that I had ever written. I had no clear vision, no sense of scale, nothing other than to write SOMETHING.
It's taken a decade but things are much better now. I'm in a better place, to talk about things like marriage (and what happened to that). I was still flailing my arms about ten years ago, like a person drowning. Before I started making REAL recovery. Before I was able to really help others using my own experiences.
It's had its fits and starts but it's finally taking serious shape. I'm confident in it now, that I couldn't be before.
I want to know about the Amish girl, you sly dog you ;)
I want to know about the Amish girl too! It sounds like young Christopher Knight was smitten with first love. You must tell us more!
It was a joy and a pleasure to write about the Amish girl. Even now forty years later I think of her. I wonder what became of her. If she formally joined the Amish church she probably married young. She may even be a grandmother now. Wherever she is I hope she is well. She certainly made an impression on me.
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