Writing Memories

Doing this memoir writing course has really made me think about lots of things in my life - not just things that have happened recently. As part of the reading list I am reading Blake Morrison's 'When Did You Last See Your Father?' - I've not read it before and am absolutely captivated by it. The best memoirs seem to be able to effortlessly move between a child and an adult voice and weave them into something which gives a sense of the complete person.

In particular it has made me think a lot again about my father's death 10 years ago - I feel I have stuff to write and I feel as if it kind of needs to write itself. Time as always is the problem. I really wanted nothing else but to sit down this morning and write what was in my mind but the demands of the kids meant that I haven't been able to stop all day - and this is the first time all day (and now it's the evening) I've been able to take any time at all. One reads of writers who've written fantastic novels in the evenings when their children are in bed - I don't know how they did it, I suppose they're extremely motivated and disciplined.

I'm shy to tell people that I'm writing a book - it seems too presumptious and I feel silly, but also I do think I need to be a bit more upfront about it in order to feel serious about it myself. But you know what? I've studied literature long enough, taught it for long enough and have read non-stop since the age of 3 - maybe just maybe I could write as well. It's the only thing I've ever really wanted to do and that's the truth.