Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Writing for realz?

I'm working on a self-published book about my experience with a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy.  In short, why I willingly cut off my boobs.  I am working on it a little at a time and realizing how absolutely shitty my writing is.  I'm going to need a lot more descriptive information as well as a butt-load of editing skills.

When I went through all of this, I couldn't find much information about it anywhere.  It's more common now because of celebrities like Christina Applegate. But what about the average woman who doesn't have unlimited funds, influential friends and news media?  It's never an easy decision to have a piece or pieces of you cut off when they are presumably healthy.  There are things that I wish I had known going into it and I want to share that information with others.  I don't expect to ever make money off of this project.  My goal is to have people email me and say that my book helped them to get through their own surgery.

I'm trying to do this now before I forget most of the details.  I can't believe I can't find any photos from that time.  I think that I purposely didn't take too many because I didn't want to see how awful I looked.  I wish I had better documented the experience.  But if I try to record things now, I might be able to help someone else who is about to go through it.

Hell, maybe I'll be able to write something up about endometriosis or rheumatoid arthritis someday.  For being only 32 I think I have a little too much to share about diseases and "conditions."  But shit happens.  Life goes on.  I accept the body I have and I'm ready to move on.

Anyways, is it Friday yet?  Sushi on Friday night!!!  Sakura :-)

1 comment:

  1. Your writing will improve with time and practice. Perhaps you can find a writing circle to help provide support and advice. They might also have decent editors that you can negotiate with.

    Fortunately, you have the hardest part done with - you've got a good topic that you're passionate about.

    Write every day, even if it's only a sentence. Write even the stuff you think is utter crap - there could very well be the seed of something beautiful in there that you can refine and use later.

    ReplyDelete