I began by working on the level of the scene, learning those building blocks. I wrote scenes from Wayne’s point of view, based on events he described in detail, as I recorded our interview sessions. I wrote scenes based on my memories of times with Wayne, from my teen years, and then from the early 1970s when I moved to Hornby Island, where Wayne lived with his wife Anne and their first daughter. I wrote scenes based on my visit with Wayne and his brother in Guangzhou in 2012.
Lois mentions the realization that “as a reliable narrator, I needed to be more forthcoming about who I was. Constructing a narrative persona is essential work for any creative nonfiction project. You might ask: which self is speaking and what do readers need to know about that self to trust the narrative?"
I just wrote the above lines in my journal as they really struck me ... is this self (to be revealed) a concrete thing, like an "identifier" ("I am X,Y,Z, I come from...") or something more abstract or made meaningful by the narrator? I'm thinking this all the time in my CNF writing... and always curious to know if I am "doing enough" for the reader.
Just a super great question to ponder, thanks Bronwen! And the baby picture of you and your mom is just delightful!
Lois mentions the realization that “as a reliable narrator, I needed to be more forthcoming about who I was. Constructing a narrative persona is essential work for any creative nonfiction project. You might ask: which self is speaking and what do readers need to know about that self to trust the narrative?"
I just wrote the above lines in my journal as they really struck me ... is this self (to be revealed) a concrete thing, like an "identifier" ("I am X,Y,Z, I come from...") or something more abstract or made meaningful by the narrator? I'm thinking this all the time in my CNF writing... and always curious to know if I am "doing enough" for the reader.
Just a super great question to ponder, thanks Bronwen! And the baby picture of you and your mom is just delightful!
Amazing! What an incredible project and journey to writing and sharing it. And always delighted by the baby B. pics along the way!!