What’s Going on With Me & My Memoir

I wanted to write this article and do an accompanying video, which can be found here, on where I am in my memoir writing journey.

My initial goal was to have my memoir published in mid-December of this year. I’ve received feedback from five beta readers, read through them all, and wrote notes on what I wanted to change in my re-write. The challenge has been a moderate lack of motivation and an attention span that seems to become shorter and shorter.

It appears I’ve been consistent with posting makeup videos on YouTube, though I haven’t been. A day where I have a bit of motivation or want to engage in additional self-care, I pamper myself by playing in makeup and end up doing numerous videos. I then schedule them out to keep content fresh on my page throughout each week. Sprinkled in are dating and relationship articles which I schedule to post on Thursdays.

I’ve written additional short stories here and there, which are as quick as writing a blog article. My attention span can manage short tasks. The time required to sit and rewrite my memoir based off beta reader feedback has been beyond my capabilities, which is ironic due to there not being much to change.

I admit to feeling overwhelmed with what needs to happen once the rewrite is complete. The need to hire a professional editor, rewriting based on their feedback, finding a cover designer or purchasing software and learning to do it myself, and researching various self-publishing options as well as marketing techniques. If I pushed myself and worked daily on these things, I could still have my memoir published by mid-December.

I’ve read of people who publish three+ books per year. I don’t become discouraged because I know they already have their resources and teams lined up, which enables their process to move quickly. My memoir will be my first published manuscript, with the exception of my Doctoral Dissertation, so I’m starting from scratch.

Finances play a part in my journey as well. I’m comfortable, though I lack funding for some of the things I need i.e. professional editor, cover designer, marketing, etc. However, I’ve read some encouraging comments in Facebook Writers Groups where some people have self-published without investing a lot of money in the process.

I’ve thought about how important is it for me to publish my memoir. I’ve considered posting it on my website and other platforms for free just to have it available. I do believe my memoir will help others. Therefore, I feel it’s best to make it available through mainstream avenues for easier access to a wider audience.

I’m encouraged with the information I’m learning and will one day have my memoir published. I don’t beat myself up if I don’t meet my daily or weekly goal because then I’d feel worse and likely shut down completely for a while. I give myself permission to work on it when my mind cooperates. I feel good about whatever progress I make.

What are your challenges with writing during this year’s troublesome times? Has your attention span shortened? Have you been lacking motivation? How do you work through and overcome those issues?

I look forward to reading your thoughts.

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Dion

I journeyed from GED to a PhD in Psychology. I decided to focus on my writing once I retired from the clinical field. I write in various genres and have several WIPs for publication once edited. I post articles on this website for intellectual and entertainment purposes.

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