This is the place that I will keep updates of my memoir progress, including excerpts, notes and poetry. If you want to read the chronological progress for the memoir, go to the bottom of this page and work your way back up to latest entry.
9 August 2013– Poem, The Measure of a Man, in memory of Paul on the 4th year of his death, here.
15 July-9 August 2013–Souvenirs from My Heart; Postcards 1-14 here This link takes you to the last “Postcards” and all the others are linked there. here
6 July 2013— Update and pic for memoir on this page
5 July 2013– Pics and these notes on this page. Oh, The writing camp is going good. I’m up to 13+k words. At some points I wish I could just hand it all to someone and have them write it. I’m just so tired of crying. This is as hard as I knew it would be, even after almost four years of living without Paul. He is so present as I write our journey, of course that means I get to smile and laugh in between the tears. Man, he was funny. Man, I miss him.
30 June 2013– Synopsis and chapter titles in this post
29 June 2013–Memoir titles and update in this post
24 June 2013–Memoir update in this post
22 June 2013—Intn’l Widows Day Post
21 June 2013–Online community building, writing etc in this post
19 June 2013–Memoir update in this post
17 June 2013–Mind map for memoir and how-to in this post
16 June 2013–Two memoirs that I won in this post
15 June 2013–reblogged article on Overcoming Grief in this post
9 June 2013– This post reflections on the memoir.
8 June 2013— “What I Would Tell You Now” a letter to Paul, from this post
5 June 2013 12:17 A.M.– From the blog: I’ve gathered all my memoir-associated blog posts, notes, poems, essays and excerpts into one page that you can find at the top of the main “Home” page. Anything I do online having to do with the memoir, will be placed in “MEMOIR” for safe keeping and easy reference. There’s a sneak peek at the prologue of my book-in-progress in the post linked above.
3 June 2013— from this post…I worked on the memoir
2 June 2013— from this post….I’ll be working on my children’s books and memoir in between.
31 May 2013–from this post
I started a post earlier today and it turned into an essay of over 1000 words, so I set it aside for another project. (This was actually an excerpt from the memoir.)
and… Book reviews of books within my writing topic–children’s stories, poetry, and memoirs–also get me in the loop.
26 May 2013— Read “What Happens In A Bed” essay on this post.
20 May 2013— Read “Visions On The Beach” poem on this post.
19 May 2013—misc this post
For me, caves are temporary dwellings that provide emotional shelter from the storm when it is pouring down rain, and so windy that I cannot see the row of warm dry castles in the distance.
*I have an almost 130,000 word book-in-progress from my cave-time. (Don’t get excited, I may edit it down to far fewer words by the time I finish.)
*The main difference between you and I, is that I put words to the shallows and depths of my
inner feelings, then I send them out for witnessing.
*My joys are as embodied as my sorrows. Would one be as visceral without the other?
*My solitude is for me, but not against you. In here with myself, I figure out how to be out there with you.
*You are an essential part of my life, what can I do for you when the storm subsides?
Also, read “Treasured Souls” poem on this post.
17 May 2013— “Lady In The Cave” poem on this post.
25 April 2013—misc from this post
22 April 2013—misc from this post
What a learning weekend; blog schedule, joined Facebook & twitter, added copyright & creative commons.
Good morning, Monday. I changed things around on the site–I got that rearranging-the-furniture bug from my mom. With all the damn social media there is to plug into, and all the researching and writing I need to do, I have decided to try and keep a schedule. Don’t laugh, I can TRY.
The plan is to write new posts here on Mondays and Thursdays. During the days in between, I will keep a draft going with daily doings, and I will (of course) answer comments as they come in. That may mean more than one post on those 2 days (like today). Maybe a poem or a story, plus my regular writer’s journal.
One more step complete; I now have a damn Facebook page! Look for Patti Hall. Now Twitter @pattihallwrite.
As you see below, I learned how to add copyright notice to my writing here, and also creative commons notices. I found the info I needed in wordpress.
Holy crow, will I ever get to write again? Just kiddin’. I wrote a poem.
19 April 2013— “Book Of Paul” poem and notes… from this post
This is a piece of our story; the man I knew. This was written 11 months before cancer entered our lives. Written 20 Aug 2007; Paul teased me about writing a book for him, instead I wrote this poem for his 60th birthday.
17 April 2013—from this post
…We all learned something new about the many topics that were covered; publishing, the craft of writing, voice, inspiration and goals. The class was led by Rex, but our own hints, tips, comments and questions were graciously welcomed. No one stole the floor, as I have seen in other writing groups.
15 April 2013—from this post
When I get home I wake up the computer and roll along to check in with the blogs I follow, find new ones and research writing, contests, memoirs, and publishing. Somewhere in there I edit and rewrite a few projects in my writing files.
I’m in a quandary about the memoir…click above to read the rest
14 April 2013— from this post
Unfortunately there are way too many of us out here. Who has not been touched by cancer? Telling our stories is not only healing for us, but also healing and helpful for others. I know I have read many, many books and stories about other people’s struggles up, over, around and through this nightmare in the last 4 years. I just don’t think this genre can be saturated. We NEED to hear these stories; some of us NEED to write them. Click link by date to read more.
13 April 2013— misc from this post
The main project is a book. I have done some research and learned the difference between autobiography and memoir; one is from day one in your life, while a memoir is usually a particular period in your life. Also, decided the book is to be a memoir, instead of a self-help book. And memoirs sure seem to be hot right now. Click link above for more,
24 March 2013— misc from this post
I have managed to get a lot of writing, editing and organizing done. Computer writing files were a mess, and now are neat and tidy. Used my writer notebook to keep track of where I am with each project, be it a poem, story or book, and what I need to do next. Feel pretty good about my progress….
17 March 2013–from this post
First day of blog: I chose my Patti Hall name to step back to my roots. Hoping it will be a good match for my writing.
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June 20, 2013 at 4:59 am
Patti, I like this page and how you are using it to track progress with your memoir. You may have mentioned it elsewhere, but have you read Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights, and Oates’s memoir of her widowhood. I’ve read both of Didion’s books, was quite moved by both. I haven’t read Oates’s book (yet) but I heard her discuss it in an interview. It reminded me of how everyone’s experience with loss is the same yet different. We all feel grief but express it in such different ways. Blue Nights was perhaps more emotional for me since Didion was focused on her daughter’s death, but the way she wrote–the fragments, the structure–seem to speak more of her grief than her own words … if that makes sense 😉
June 20, 2013 at 12:29 pm
Excellent points. Yes, I read them when they 1st came out. I have a huge stack from library that I am working on also.
I agree that the structure shapes they way we filter the words. Thanks for stopping by again.
July 5, 2013 at 9:29 pm
Perhaps I’m just being lazy..but, shouldn’t we be able to click on references from the Memoir…to the works??
July 5, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Yes, I will go learn that right now. It has been on my to-do list for this whole learning curve ride.
Thank you for stopping by.
Patti
July 6, 2013 at 2:30 am
Updated MEMOIR page and added blog post links to all. Yippee!!! Good to mark that skill off as learned :>)
It would still be on the list if you hadn’t brought it to light…thank you!
Patti
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