Saturday, July 29, 2017

Some Changes to My Story

I just decided to change one thing about my memoir.  What I had written as the epilogue seemed too long to be such.  It got to 27 typed pages. So I converted it to another chapter, and now up to 16 chapters. And I have begun a new epilogue.

Yesterday I added a quote I had found in Prozac Nation that I had not remembered until I ordered a copy of the book.  It was something along the lines of how all depression stories are different.
And recently I read Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression  by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah. This is among the books we have at the center where I work. There was a quote in this one about not repeating what had already been said about depression if the author was to write a piece on it, mentioning William Styron's memoir on depression. The author of Willow Weep argued she and Styron would not have the same angle on anything.  In other words, another person who saw how each person's story is different. This is another interesting book on depression, BTW.


Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression


I had included these quotes in what had been my epilogue, but have since removed then to include them in the new one.  I'd been considering doing an afterword after the epilogue, but my original epilogue just seemed too long.

So far, though, I plan to add no other chapters, and don't think an afterword will be necessary now.

4 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

It sounds as if you are nearly at the end - which must be exciting, and a bit scary too.

Ann Bennett said...

Wow, I look forward to reading your memoir one day.

Anonymous said...
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Stephanie Faris said...

It's an issue many people deal with. So glad you're opening up about it. It could help others.