DIKKON EBERHART
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WHAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU KNOW THE END

11/2/2018

8 Comments

 
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​Dikkon Eberhart



The hardest moment when you are beginning the writing your new book comes when you are at the end of your first chapter.  That’s when your enthusiasm about your first chapter—this fresh new story and fresh new voice that is so exciting—that’s when you are skunked. 

Chapter Two confronts you not only with a blank new page but with an entirely blank new chapter. 
 


In writing a new book there’s a second hardest moment, too. 

That’s where I am right now with my new memoir.  I’m into it to the tune of about 37,000 words (160 pages as laid out on my screen), with six of its seven parts written.   

I’ve been writing this book for close to two years, minus the months I took off earlier this year when my wife had broken bones, I developed a minor cancer, and I was uncertain where the book intended itself to go at its end. 

Today I believe I know the book’s intent for its end. 

Memoirs have the difficulty that you are writing about yourself, and you yourself are not done.  I had a birthday this past week, and all my grandchildren who live close to us here in Virginia (four of our five; the fifth lives in New York)—they all guessed right about my age now, except our three-year-old granddaughter who missed my age by one year.  I’m not seventy-one, I’m seventy-two, and I’m not finished yet. 

But the book needs to be finished.  A proper memoir purports to be about its author’s story—that’s what draws the reader in—but the reader only stays in if it turns out that the theme of the memoir relates to the reader. 
 
 

I’ve discarded about ten titles for my new memoir.  The discarding of a title is an act that occurs, by me, when I have learned one more thing than I knew before concerning what my memoir is about.  Each title is a billboard, and when I learn something new about the book, I need to change the billboard. 

I said I’m at the second hardest moment right now.  My present idea for the title has remained and has not been rejected during most of the last rewrite up to the spot where I am now.  When a title remains that long, I realize I am close enough to the end of the book that maybe I really do know what the book is about…or at least I think I do. 

Being that close to knowing what my book is about produces both a heady feeling of excitement--it’s all downhill from here—but also of nervous anxiety. 

What if it’s not all downhill?  

Those 37,000 words are in their fourth complete rewrite, to here.  Obviously, that includes their third rewrite, which was necessitated when my wife told me, “No, Dikkon.  You’ve got the voice all wrong.  Fix the voice, and you might have a good book.”  Once she explained what she meant, I could see of course that she was right.  The voice did need to be fixed. 
 
 

I believe I have fixed the previous voice.  Having fixed the voice, now I’m in my fourth rewrite and, as I said, now I think I know what my book is about. 

Now, it’s about my story as told to a reader in that voice.

Since it’s in that voice, the world of the story now is one step further away from the world the story was in using my earlier and less disciplined voice.  That distance now provides increased room for the reader’s interest to live in. 

People read memoirs pleasurably when they find that the memoirs are about themselves.  Any reader of a memoir is captivated by himself or herself—not by the author—and wants access to truth as it applies to the reader.

Now, obviously, the subject of a memoir is its author.  However—to the reader—the function of a memoir is to interest its reader by the fact that the memoir’s story—what the memoir is about—is closely related to the reader’s concerns. 

Readers want truth in their lives, and they study memoirs when the theme of the memoir mirrors the struggles or the joys in their own.  A relationship is forged on the page--did that thing that happened to you, too? 

Oh, goodness, I must read on!

So I’ll continue writing downhill from here, in that voice. 

See how it goes. 
 
 


I hope that it goes well, in that voice, because I need to be done. 

Not because I have a deadline—I never do contracts until I’m done, just in case I not really done—but because I want this memoir to be finished…because I have a burning idea about the next book after this one…and I want soon to experience its heady, first-chapter excitement!
 
 


​Some of you who are reading this piece are writers, and some among those writers write memoirs.  Tell me—am I correct to identify those two hardest moments?  I’m curious to know your experience. 


​Let’s connect!
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8 Comments
Bill Hunter
11/3/2018 02:54:02 pm

Yes, I'm writing a book called "The Caretaker". I hope other caretakers identify with it as well as those who will be dealing with taking care of a loved one. A number of people have been sent my way for this job so I think the Lord meant for it to be. One of the hardest things I had to do was to put down our younger son's beagle which I'd taken care of for several years. He was a best friend and it was a gut wrenching decision that moved me and I hope it moves the reader in all they have to do. If you're the caretaker, there's no one else - just you.

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Dikkon
11/6/2018 10:31:46 am

Hi Bill --

Thanks for writing this comment to my piece. Your last sentence is moving. Earlier in your comment, you mention that the Lord has sent other people your way for this job, so I hope you continue to sense His presence and support.

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Hazel Moon link
11/3/2018 03:16:06 pm

You are a strong man and 72 is still young. Remember Caleb was 80 when he said, "Give me this mountain."
I like your thought about knowing the end of the story before you begin to write - - (what ever it is you write - fiction or true.) I am 87 years old and still learning new things. I have recently began placing my teachings on YouTube and of course have used FaceBook for many years to place Gospel truths there. Age is only a number so keep up the good work.

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Dikkon
11/6/2018 10:41:59 am

Thank you, Hazel, for your encouragement!

Often I've tried to know the end of the story before beginning to write it, but that technique doesn't work for me. It never has. It takes me a long time to write a book because it is continually being rewritten while I'm in the books' world. I perceive that the advantage of my technique is that the eventual book ends up more tightly integrated and richer as to style and vocabulary and pace than it would have been if it has merely been a transcription of some earlier outline. At least I hope so!

FB and YouTube? How do I find you?

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Betty Draper link
11/4/2018 08:21:33 pm

Now that was an interesting read brother since I have at least at this time 6 different starts to my future book. In fact I just changed it in my head today, got to pen that one down. When I think about what to title this book, all I see in my head is this big TRUTH IN BOLD RED as the title. In fact, until I just wrote out those words the title was only going to be, TRUTH but I kinda of like TRUTH IN BOLD RED. Truth to start with, truth to end...hummm. I say this often about the Lord and gaining knowledge that if I never learn anymore knowledge I know enough truth to keep me till He takes me home. Deeper has been a word I continue to kick around as the between starting truth and ending truth. As you can tell I am kicking around these ideas since I do believe you have tons of wisdom on this subject of writing and I am gleaming some as I read your post on this. Keep pouring it out, I am listening.

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Dikkon
11/6/2018 12:02:09 pm

Dear Betty--

First of all, I am impressed with TRUTH IN BOLD RED as compared with TRUTH. My original title for my Mom/Hitler memoir was the single word RELIEF. My editor put her foot down. "You'll kill this book dead with a title like that." The truth was that relief was Channa's and my basic sensation after being saved--so that one-word title was true. But it was also boring. You know what title my editor came up with instead--which is NOT boring, and about which I have frequently been complimented. So--even though I have no idea at all what your book is about--I recommend you stick with the not-boring TRUTH IN BOLD RED. Yay!

Thanks for saying you appreciate my thoughts about writing--I appreciate you saying so! And I will keep pouring them out.

Whatever your genre--fiction/non-fiction/memoir--take a look at my downloadable piece entitled "What Would the World Miss Without Your Christian Story?" Yes, it's about memoir writing, but its fundamentals are applicable to the other genres just as much. You'll find some of my thoughts there.

I LOVE your sentence "if I never learn anymore knowledge I know enough truth to keep me till He takes me home."

Thank you, sister!

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floyd samons link
11/6/2018 08:53:08 pm

I'm excited for your new book!

I'm also excited for your "new voice", which I presume is much like the voice in Mom/Hitler.

You're the pro, but for some just getting started is a tough hurdle. And for me, the hardest part has to be the endless editing!

Four rewrites and you're not done yet... makes me cringe!

But I know you'll get it across the line... and I can't wait!

Reply
Dikkon
11/7/2018 10:37:51 am

Thanks, Floyd! I'm grateful for your enthusiasm...as well as for your wonderful assistance recently.

I laughed at your sentence about four rewrites and not being done yet. That makes ME cringe too!

The thing for me about the re-writes which makes them exciting is that each of them adds more depth and breadth to the story, and, as I am adding those dimensions, I imagine that the impact on the eventual reader becomes potentially more strong. At least I hope so.

Thank you for your persistent interest, my friend!

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