Memoir Revision Diaries (Week 6)
Memoir progress, a song that hit all the right notes, and balancing work and personal projects
I hope you are having a wonderful day, wherever you are, my friend. This week was a doozy for me, though I reached my goal with this revision, which was to get it over 10,000 words.
At work, we’ve been swamped, helping make materials for a canvasing effort that is currently going on to see if Bronx residents would want one of our charter high schools in their area. We also have a big mid-year marketing report we’re preparing. By Wednesday, my brain was fried, and I feared I wouldn’t have any creative energy left for my memoir.
But I discovered that the energy I give to work differs from the energy I give to my personal endeavors. And like dessert, I will always have room/energy for my personal projects. It may not be a lot, but progress is progress and I will give what I can.
As of today, this revision is sitting at 10,267 words, and I am thrilled by the latest additions. There are a few areas where I know I can dig a little deeper, so I’m making a note for when I go back to give each chapter one final read-through before compiling it for my agent. What matters right now is adding scenes where they make sense and enrich the story while answering the questions my coach addressed in my first draft.
Musical Interlude
This week’s song is from an artist I never heard of until it came on the radio. It’s called “Never Been In Love” by Will Jay. I remember sitting in the parking lot of my chiropractor’s office, about to get out, when this song came on the radio. The lyrics caught my attention so much that I stayed in the car until it was over.
At the time I heard it, I was playing around with the idea of writing a memoir, and this song felt like the final push I needed to begin that journey. So, thank you, Will Jay, for this song that told me, Yes, it’s time for me to tell my story.
I feel good about the progress I’ll make in the coming week. Though it took some time, I finally landed on a pretty decent after-work routine that ensures I give ample time to writing while also relaxing.
I’d like to aim for at least 1,000 words per day for the next five days, adding another 5,000 to the revision, but I will not beat myself up if I don’t accomplish that. I stopped giving myself word count deadlines because I often make them unrealistic. I prefer time-tracking goals, saying I will work on my memoir for 30 to 50 minutes every weekday. That is more doable for my schedule.
And so while I would love to add 5,000 words by the end of the next week, my main goal is to work on my memoir for at least 30 to 50 minutes Monday through Friday. I look forward to letting you know how that goes.
Until next time,
💜 J
Do you prefer word count goals or time-tracking goals?