- Joined
- Mar 6, 2009
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Hi,
My question is about starting a memoir, where to start and how to do it.
My memoir is about working in fashion and written in first person and starts as I enter the industry, which I feel is necessary to provide a contrast with the tone later in the book. Initially, I fear the book fails to hold interest as it may appear to be a collection of anecdotes presented chronologically. Following the example of other memoirs like Her Last Death (begins with a phone call announcing her mother's death, before returning to start as the beginning), I've decided to begin with a scene that appeared later in my book.
I feel the scene works for my purposes, providing a darker tone to the lighthearted start, and a question for the reader that hopefully drives them forward. The problem is it begins with waking up and realizing I've become something of a substance abuser.
I know waking up to start a novel is the number one worst start ever. This is a memoir, and the shock of waking up one day and wondering what's happened to my life is really what happened, but I don't want to submit this new beginning to editors and have them toss it because of the cliched beginning.
I've toyed with changing it, fabricating a similar start without the cliche, but it's not true and I've kept everything accurate to this point. I don't like making a fictional start to my non fiction book. Also, because it happened to me that way, I don't know any other situation that has the clarity of waking, the entire feeling of seeing yourself for the first time in the morning and being able to observe yourself from the outside in those first moments of consciousness. This was my state of mind when I was able to see myself and what I'd become. I feel I need waking up for it.
What should I do? Drop the new beginning? Use the cliche? Fabricate something new? Will editors toss out the manuscript because of the cliche?
My question is about starting a memoir, where to start and how to do it.
My memoir is about working in fashion and written in first person and starts as I enter the industry, which I feel is necessary to provide a contrast with the tone later in the book. Initially, I fear the book fails to hold interest as it may appear to be a collection of anecdotes presented chronologically. Following the example of other memoirs like Her Last Death (begins with a phone call announcing her mother's death, before returning to start as the beginning), I've decided to begin with a scene that appeared later in my book.
I feel the scene works for my purposes, providing a darker tone to the lighthearted start, and a question for the reader that hopefully drives them forward. The problem is it begins with waking up and realizing I've become something of a substance abuser.
I know waking up to start a novel is the number one worst start ever. This is a memoir, and the shock of waking up one day and wondering what's happened to my life is really what happened, but I don't want to submit this new beginning to editors and have them toss it because of the cliched beginning.
I've toyed with changing it, fabricating a similar start without the cliche, but it's not true and I've kept everything accurate to this point. I don't like making a fictional start to my non fiction book. Also, because it happened to me that way, I don't know any other situation that has the clarity of waking, the entire feeling of seeing yourself for the first time in the morning and being able to observe yourself from the outside in those first moments of consciousness. This was my state of mind when I was able to see myself and what I'd become. I feel I need waking up for it.
What should I do? Drop the new beginning? Use the cliche? Fabricate something new? Will editors toss out the manuscript because of the cliche?
