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BET THAT OLD TREE COULD TELL A FEW TALES

When working with a neighbor recently, trying to find a different way to write his memoirs, we sat in his comfortable dining room with old photos and memorabilia laid out in front of us.  I brought the coffee that day and the pause in our conversation gave us both a moment to think.  Then he said the most amazing thing:  “I bet that old tree out there could write this book better than I can.”  The fact that he just stated simmered in me for a minute or two; then I turned the page of my yellow tablet and we began again.

Did you plant that tree, or was it already here when you moved in?  “Oh, I planted it the very same week we finished unpacking.  That was 56 years ago.”  And so we began, the memorable pieces of his life following the growth rings of that that old tree.  “The Tree Nursery people told me it was a fast growing, hardy tree,” he continued.  “Just two years into its growth—the year our first child was born—there was a very heavy, wet, deep snow storm.  The branches were just leafing out, so the snow weighed them down; seemed like every time I changed a diaper, I also ran outside to knock the snow off that tree.  It had to be protected, too.”

EVERY individual has a unique and wonderful story to tell, and finding the right platform (the right storyline) to help them develop it is an important part of a ghostwriter’s job.  Here are a few of the useful “hooks,” I’ve found over the years.

• “Mom! What’s for lunch?” If the memoir writer has mentioned different restaurants or types of food multiple times during your conversations, consider triggering his “life’s memories” by the meals he enjoyed: family gatherings (turkey and gravy), birthdays (chocolate cake with extra frosting), special snacks after school (cookies and milk).
• “I just got a new IPad! Isn’t it great!” This memoir writer is technologically savvy. That tells me there is a tech-history in her life. Asking about the first radio she had, or the first TV she watched is fertile territory for triggering life-memories around each of those inventions, and so grows the story.
• “Is that an autographed photo of President Regan?” If your ghostwriting client has a lot of photos displayed, look for a hidden theme. Of course, you’ll see the obvious family photos—those cherished family members are the reason this lady wants to write her memoirs. However, if there are several patriotic photos in plain view, talking about those can open some surprising doors.
• “Where did all those blue ribbons come from?” Ah, this person holds a whole lot of memories about how those ribbons were won. The process of winning them didn’t just happen. The people, places, events surrounding each one will bring out an excellent framework for building this unique person’s life story.

There is great joy in working with folks who want to share their memories and pass their unique legacy forward.  THEN, when all the stories are in place, there is a special joy in seeing it IN PRINT.  I always share my experiences of self-publishing with my clients.  Even if they want only a few books (for children, grandchildren, great grandchildren), the print-on-demand self-publishing arena is a wonderful opportunity to have their memoirs printed in a beautiful format that becomes a treasured keepsake.  So it is that I encourage everyone:  “Don’t just think about writing your memoir, DO IT!”

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.

PUPPY PAWS AND CAT TAILS

Who doesn’t love their critter companions?  Don’t answer that if you’re “one of those” who don’t get the affection we animal lovers have for our pets.  Please, just smile, and continue putting up with us.  The benefits pets bring to us—calming our nerves and bringing joy to daily living—are also of benefit to you.

PET TALES are among the very top sellers online and in bookstores!  The topics they cover range from the miraculous to the memorable to the money-makers and everything in-between.  If you have had any exposure to animals and/or pets, you have a story to tell!  Here are a few ideas that I hope will inspire you to write and jump into the self-publishing marketplace.

Guard Dogs!

Would you step into the yard where a Doberman slept on the porch?  There are many dog breeds that instantly set off human alarm bells: German Shepherds, the Rottweiler and Bulldogs to name a few others.  What IF a writer could do a little research and tell the stories of these breeds from a different perspective—the viewpoint of the Hero.  Recently, we’ve seen many individual dogs in these breed lines searching rubble after earthquakes, tornados and bombings.  A few stories have been told about them; in my opinion, there are thousands of stories left to tell.  When those “puppy paws” return to handlers, raw, cut and bleeding, we can understand something very human about their efforts to rescue loved ones trapped in very dangerous places.

Big Cats—Little Cats!

Yesterday someone posted a picture on my Facebook page that delighted me to the point of sharing it with everyone I knew.  It captured the moment just after a leopard had curled itself into a too-small empty box.  The expression on its face showed great satisfaction.  The caption read “Cats will be Cats.”  My husband and I have two ordinary tabby cats (now 16 years old).  We instantly understood ALL the moments of laughter the photographer must have enjoyed as he watched that “big cat” circle and settle into place.  The opportunities our feline friends offer us on a daily basis—to write their stories—are endless.  Doing a captioned photo-book is just one possibility; a whole series of gift books could be created and quickly self-published, ready for future holidays.

What Would the World Be Like Without Them?

There are two sad facts about human interaction with the animal/pet population.  Abuse is at the top of that list.  The second is overpopulation.  Humane societies, animal control agencies, veterinarians and rescue groups have long stories to tell about these very big problems.  One of my writer friends (who raised several litters of show dogs) “thought” of writing the stories of the dogs (pure-bred and mutts) that she had rescued.  “If only people knew,” she’d tell me, “these things would happen less often.”  This category of True Stories is wide open.  Certainly, they need to be told to protect the animals.  However, there is another big “truth” behind the actions of humans who mistreat animals.  Law enforcement will tell you that how people treat helpless animals is a main indicator of criminal behaviors.  They are developing programs to “rescue people” who have been identified with these issues from future lives of crime and imprisonment.

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.