My current read is a large autobiography. How large? Let’s just say I’m on page 448 and am not quite 3/4 of the way through it. So it’s going to be a while before I finish it and post a review.
So what to blog about today? I’ve been slowly putting together material for my own autobiography. Not because my life is notable enough for the world to care, but perhaps someone in the family will. My plans are to write it and leave it behind, at least as reasonably completed electronic files if not printed on paper.
This is surprisingly more difficult than I expected. What are the things I should put in it? How to organize it? What to title it? What style to write in—very formal or casual stories? Do I analyze my life or just report it? How long to make it?
As to titles, I’ve thought of these possibles:
- The Journey Was A Joy
- Stories, Secrets, Legends, and Lies
- Tales Of A Vagabond
My current thinking is that I’ll use the third of these, but I’m still thinking about it.
One thing I’m also wondering about is how much emphasis to put on transitions as opposed to everyday living. The important transitions I could easily focus on are:
- Death of my mother in 1965, when I was 13
- Off to college in 1970
- Relocation from New England to Kansas City upon graduation in 1974
- Marriage in 1976
- Birth of our children in 1979 and 1981
- Move to Saudi Arabia in 1981
- Move to Asheboro, NC in 1984
- Move to Kuwait in 1988
- Iraq invades Kuwait 1990
- Move to NW Arkansas in 1991
- Retirement 2019
- Move to Lake Jackson, TX in 2026
The listing of these transitions show why Tales of a Vagabond is one of the titles I’m considering and the one I’m currently favoring.
The transition I’m thinking about most currently is my move to Kansas City. This made no sense. I had four job offers I was considering. Three were in Boston and one in Kansas City. Surprisingly, the KC one was for the most money despite the much lower cost of living compared to Boston. But if I worked in Boston, I could have lived at home in Rhode Island and taken the commuter rail to Boston. What to do, what to do? I took the job in KC. When my last semester was over, I loaded up my 1966 Plymouth Valiant with 3-speed on column, well-used snow tires in the rear trying to get some last little use out of them, and headed west.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
So I’m now wondering, 52 years after the event, why I did it. I guess I needed a complete break, a change in surroundings. I was taking baby steps in my new spiritual life, and I needed my physical life to also be new to allow those baby steps to quickly transition to the start of spiritual maturity. That’s my current analysis.
Well, back to writing. Currently working on the next volume in The Forest Throne series.
Either let the title evolve around what you have written or choose a title and align your writing to it. I prefer the former.
Lauri: Thanks for the comment. The title has been evolving as I think of what to include. I think I’m starting to zero in.
I’ll enjoy reading it regardless! Just don’t call it “I Love to Tell the Story,” — lol. I remember reading about the long trip to KC and it was captivating — did you blog about that or was it in a previous book? I know what you mean about it being hard what to include and where to focus in a memoir. I ended up going with church memories, since that was a big part of my life.
Susan: Thanks for commenting. No, I won’t copy your title. Did I send you my chapters about the trip to KC? If not, I’d be happy to do so to get your opinion.