The Floor is Open: Writer’s Notes as Side-by-Side Stories of Memoir
After a long interlude I’m beginning anew this Sunday morning. I’m committing 3 hours of many mornings to come to writing memoir. With the goal of completing my memoir, I Would Have Named Him Peter.
I’m including excerpts from my memoir’s draft and adding writer’s notes as a way to share the parallel stories of the emotion and embodied data that surface as I work with readers and other writers.
September 18, 2016
Holding
I’ve been holding on. My body continues to contract without effect. Its time to work with my contractions so they do the work for me. I have been working against myself. I’m looking for a consistent pattern in my writing with the goal of completion — of my memoir and then of other projects that won’t come forward until I no longer hold on, eliminate what isn’t needed, and fill pages with words both handwritten and typed.
Elimination
When a woman goes into labor and is getting ready for the last push to birth her baby she often eliminates all the content of her stomach and gut. This morning I just let go of what needs to be eliminated and am left with space to fill up with new content.
Breathing
