How to Write a Book

Fictional Memoir

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Apparently Truman Capote was one of the founders of the fictional memoir. What a fabulous idea weaving fiction and fact together, most of us do that everyday anyway and sometimes the fabulous freedom of fiction can help you focus on the facts.

Letting fictional characters reveal truths about yourself and yet leaving the reader wondering about exactly which threads are real is genius.  As for the author talking to a stranger is so much easier, talking to the reader who we cannot even see is so much simpler, thank you!  

When a character knows you enough to take you through all of your trials and tribulations and takes the time to gently reveal a different perspective they become your allies, part of the team. Occasionally the protagonist propels their perceptions with no protection for the author but that’s ok we are just the singer in the band. Thank you Characters.

I believe the writer is in flow when they write from their subconscious not their conscious mind. That is why you cannot edit as you go and also why there are so many mistakes. It’s like a right hander putting the pen in their left hand and finally getting to their truth. Obviously it’s extremely freeing but also confronting and continuously changing.  Thank you subconscious.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and On The Road are well known fictional memoirs. I wonder how many or which of Jane Austens novels are fictional memoir?  I’m also sure there are many novels that are still sitting in ‘fiction’ whereby even the author doesn’t realise or are not willing to admit to fact. Thank you authors.

If you would like to find out how to write your own fictional memoir then please get in touch! frankiebanks27@gmail.com

My fictional memoir Sharks and Lovers is available to download here Amazon

Winning Gold

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Today a published author asked me to work on her memoir with her. A wonderful woman who I connected with as soon as we met.  I have had such a busy day that it has only just sunk in. I’m feeling very lucky.

A Wonderful Life

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Another amazing week took place and I realised that this isn’t just another amazing week. This is the start of my career as a writer, this is the start of my wonderful life.

Having my book in print is so empowering, being an author is now tangible and not just a product of cyberspace, it is in my hand. The essence of my story is what counts just like all stories. It is the heart that tells the story, not the brain.  The fingers can fumble around messing up the letters and punctuation but the heart is what you hear. That’s if you are really listening of course.

I joined a new writers group last week and again I found myself surrounded by Amazing people. Most writers, (personally I believe the ones that are any good) wear their heart on their sleeve. Even when the beat slows, stumbles, races or misses it can still be heard.

Sharing is a writers arrow so I do think it is rather appropriate that my first gig is at the S.H.A.R.E seminar room at Sexpo, I can’t wait.  The world is open, my book is open and so is my heart.

Let’s share.

Front & Back Cover

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My book is at the printers, it’s so exciting! I can’t wait to get my hands on it however I had a huge reality check when I realised the back cover did not sell the book at all, it just explained the characters.  It had to change, three drafts later and this is what I ended up with, I’ll probably do a few more changes but it’s getting there!

An Insightful Week

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First I had an amazing Monday nights sleep when I woke up something had shifted; I knew I could do it, do anything I wanted to do. The confusion had gone.

Then Tuesday I sat in the cafe and wrote my Sexpo workshop just a first draft of course but I was ready, I am ready.

Wednesday was a day of family, my children performed in the most amazing play. Adapted from Samuel Beckett’s, Where’s Goddo? It was very prophetic, finally I had stopped waiting for acceptance, permission or confidence to arrive, all I need is me.

Thursday was an interesting meeting with a wonderful scriptwriter who had read my treatment. As with all first drafts there were things she liked and things she wanted to change. But the meeting proved to me that the main strand to my story was strong and it will be out there one day. That’s all I needed to know. 

Friday was an awakening, I had slept on the whole weeks happenings and loved waking up full of enlightenment. This is the start of full confidence in my story and my life.

Urgent Writing from my Shadow

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I urgently had to get to the cafe yesterday where I do a lot of my writing. It was busy because the wind outside was cold, the energy inside was enormous! I had no idea which project I was about to embark on as I opened my laptop and took a sip of my warm sweet latte.

I started with S.E.L.F (my writing tool that I have begun) and reread the piece that I wrote whilst on my road trip;

Sharon had been hiding in the cellar, she was petrified that the world would judge her and so she locked herself away. The lack of light had stunted her growth and she had regressed into a little girl, she thought this was her power and so this was the persona she threw out to the world.  However it was time for her to grow up and become a woman and so she decided to open the door from the cellar. As she climbed the thirteen steps the light hit her and immediatly she grew.  Like a new born she couldn’t see properly for a while, it took time for her eyes to adjust to this different perspective. It took months not weeks before she could stand tall again but one day she looked into the mirror and recognised the reflection, she smiled her eyes wider than ever before.

Immediately it evoked huge emotion and I realised that it was time to plan my Sexpo talk. The characters that I arrived at from Jung’s Individuation Process are so dear to me I cannot wait to share them. If just one person at the talk can relate, understand, smile, laugh or even hate one of my characters or me I feel I will have done my job. I just want to entice people’s emotional openness.

As I have said before I have never spoken to more than about ten people in a room so this is going to be an amazing experience.  At first I was nervous but now I can’t wait, it won’t be perfect and I’ll stumble but I’m starting to realise that is my strength. I don’t mind people watching me clown around trying to find my feet if it makes them smile, laugh and feel better about themselves.  I reckon even if people are laughing at me it means they are growing and have taken me into their heart. If they are anything like me, their brain will catch up eventually.

Sharks & Lovers can be downloaded here

S.E.L.F

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Just like most writers I have many projects on the go and sometimes find my head spinning with which one to concentrate on. 

I thought I would take a little time to talk about my S.E.L.F book project as this has been left on the shelf for far too long.

When I started writing my novels I used Jung’s Individuation process to breakdown situations from the perspective of Self, Ego, Shadow, Persona and Animas. Then the characters grew and their opinions became stronger. I didn’t realise at the time of writing that even the sub characters fell into these five categories, (they were probably the parts of my self that I didn’t much like!).

Jung has always been my hero and teacher. His philosophies are always where I turn when I feel I am lost and don’t understand. Knowledge surely has to start with your self.

So my theory is that writing using Jung’s process can help gain many perspectives on situations, people and problems. It breaks things down into manageable bite size pieces and gives insights into many views. It really has been therapy for me and if it can help me I’m pretty sure it can help other people too. That is why I have written my S.E.L.F Writing Solution.

Having spoken to my wonderful therapist friend Renate she has given me lots of suggested reading which I cannot wait to start. She always manages to make you look at things differently which is sometimes a welcome relief. So I will be swotting up on Salvador Minuchin, Virginia Satir, Erik Erikson and Irvin Yalom and many more.

Watch this space for a very different book from Frankie, hmmmm now which one is she!?

Renate Hoffmann can also be found on LinkedIn. Thank you Renate

Drafts of Gold

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I have just re-edited and re-published my e-book, it was a decision made in response to feedback.  Although I am happy with the new edition with many minor changes to grammar and punctuation I still believe that one day my first ever draft will be published so that the bare bones are visible. I won’t substantially edit that because it would lose its honesty. For now however I will conform.

Having just started writing the ‘treatment’ for adaption into screenplay, I am combining book one and two. This process has so far minimised the story from around 150,000 words down to 30,000. These are the main scenes that carry the story and characters forward, almost the best bits which is very gratifying. Obviously I am now looking at both novels completely differently, it’s a confusing, interesting and enlightening process, suffice to say I am learning and growing.

The treatment is in effect just another draft, of hundreds. I thought once my book was published the endless drafts would stop but I was wrong. Every process needs a draft so the adapting, editing and reworking will continue.  Those first drafts are worth their weight in gold, I now realise.  Like most things in life you need time away from something to really appreciate it.

Next on the list is the S.E.L.F book project which explores how writing can be used as therapy this is my Sexpo project and is very much in draft form, another draft!

My book Sharks and Lovers is available to download here

 

The Alchemist and The Secret

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We moved house recently so I got to revisit a lot of memories unpacking. These two books appeared from a box and immediately I remembered the lessons they taught me.

After travelling around Australia in 2002 my mum decided to come and visit me in Perth and fly back to the U.K with me. We stopped off in Thailand on the way home and in Bangkok on the Khao San Road. The Alchemist grabbed my attention inside a tarpaulin book stall. I had heard about it for years and finally I could lay my hands on it! As soon as I finished it (about three days) I gave it to my mum to read and then every friend that I trusted to return it!

So what did The Alchemist give me? It gave me peace, a sense that everything will work out and courage to relax and trust my instincts. Having just travelled around Australia it served as a full stop to a year of searching and also a bridge to the next chapter of my life.

The Secret arrived in my life after this I’m not sure when but obviously I asked for it! It told me what I already knew, what we all know but sometimes don’t practise enough. If you want something all you have to do is ask for it.

It gave me focus, focus on what I wanted and sure enough a lot of things came my way.

As I write my treatment for a screenplay I can’t help thinking how much these two books have helped me get to this stage. Then of course there is my third lesson, always say your Thank you’s!

Buy The Alchemist here
And Buy The Secret here
Thank you Paulo Coelho & Rhonda Byrne

Editing

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Finally, after a year and a half of grappling with editing, I think I just about have it sussed!  I have to share with you my findings because I am sure a lot of other writers struggle with this too.  Obviously, once you have a manuscript you know it will need editing so you start with the content, changing the odd grammatical error here and there as you go. However if like me you needed to edit your entire manuscript six times for content before you felt you had a finished product by the end of that process you have had enough of your baby crying. When someone says they will copy-edit for you, you almost bite their hand off.  Please take this screaming baby away for a while and give me a break!

There are three types of editing light, medium and heavy and within those contexts, there is also substantive and mechanical.  Substantive refers to the order of content and could be construed as heavy editing as it will also edit out content that is not relevant.  Mechanical editing is relating to grammar, punctuation, spelling and footnotes.  When using a publisher they may well have an in-house editor that will mechanically edit your manuscript to fit their style of print and product.

There are many programmes that you can run on your computer to edit your grammar and punctuation but they might not all understand your content.  For example, my novel starts out in Southend on Sea in Essex, England.  I’m afraid there ain’t a product out there that’s gonna give me the license I need to mess ’bout with words and get really lairy with my content.  So using a person surely makes sense?  Maybe if you live in exactly the place you want the manuscript read or based.  Otherwise, you have to make do with a few proofreaders and hope they understand your spoken language vs readability vs message.

My problem with clients is that I am in love with language and people’s nuances I love an accent and even better I love broken words and out-of-place context.  Perhaps I am destined to always be a light editor!  I am just not critical enough I love everyone’s speech.  Although I have today for the first time gone through my manuscript and seen the errors, every single one of them!  Is it because I have a printer ready to go?  Or is it because I have relaxed and realised everything will come in time and I’m allowed to make mistakes?  I guess the test will be when I next look at my client’s work, will I see the errors or only hear the voice?

The most fantastic thing is that my printed copy will be the best I can possibly produce and I now know exactly the process I need to go through with book two.  I will edit content first, a heavy substantive edit followed by a light substantive edit and then two or three mechanical edits.  Nothing is ever perfect and when I found an error in Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s I have to admit to a tiny feeling of elation.  However as I tell my children we can only do our best and then we can learn, improve and do even better!

My book can be downloaded at these websites

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GD8OG98

Kobo

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sharks-lovers

iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781925457209