Before You Were You - Behind the Scenes

Before You Were You - Behind the Scenes

Life, by itself, is full of anomalies. Toss in a behind the scenes look at the chaotic life of writer and suddenly you discover a paradox wrapped in caffeine, procrastination and questionable snack choices. So why write about my process? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it's because I want others to realize it's never too late to pursue a goal, or maybe, just maybe, it's a PSA of sorts dispelling the myth that writing is somehow glamorous. Far from it, it's messy. Between inspiration and procrastination, there are moments of silence, a continuous blinking curser, a game or two of Spider Solitaire and throwing in a little chair boogie while listening to my favorite 80's song playing in the background.       

Sometimes ideas take time, and even years to percolate. Then there are times when you wake in the middle of the night with a thought, jump up, grab a cup of java and head to the computer. I am a fast typist but sometimes the words in my head are much faster, and I worry I may lose the thought. In fact, this is exactly how BEFORE YOU WERE YOU was born. (Like the pun? I did). I literally woke up from a dream about growing up. In my dream, my mom and Grandma were there. We were laughing at my mom telling a story about her grandmother. I had not remembered that story in years. I wanted to get it recorded so I wouldn't forget about it. One thing led to another and instead of working on my other book (the one that has been in work for upteen hundred years), I began jotting down memories. My DNA, character or makeup, whatever you want to call it, requires structure. I needed to outline how I wanted to record these memories. Once recorded, I could share them with my kids. 

The next week I was visiting my dad who is 86. We were talking about his childhood. When I asked him, "What kind of snacks or junk food did you have back then?" He glanced up at me with the most serious face I had ever seen. "Tam, we didn't have snack foods. Many times, we were lucky to have one biscuit with gravy for the whole day." From there, he proceeded to tell me his stories. Stories I had never heard. Things I had never known. I was trying to write them down as he was talking, but at the same time, I was mesmerized by his recollect and candor. 

The next day, I was telling my daughter these stories. She was blown away and was curious to know more about our family. She really only knew my mom and my grandma on my mom's side, but nothing from my dad's side of the family. She also only knew her grandmother from her dad's side. She didn't know about the jokes, long ago traditions, laughter, tears, and the good and bad times. I realized all of these nuggets were one generation from being lost forever! Legacy was more than dates, names, and the places about your ancestors. I guess you could say my daughter was the inspiration for turning BEFORE YOU WERE YOU from a project into a book. 

BEFORE YOU WERE YOU is a book written by the person completing the information. They become the author, the storyteller, the historian. They share their family legacy throughout the pages of this book. Stories about their grandparents, their parents, their lives and then, when the time is right, they will pass it on to their children, nieces, nephews or cousins. I added intros for each section and structure prompts for ideas, but this book is personal. Prompts are just that prompts. This book is to add thoughts, additions, photos, handwritten notes and family recipes. 

Picture of the first outline

Putting together BEFORE YOU WERE YOU brought with it a learning curve when came to layout. You see, I do my own set up and editing. Who would have the thought publishing a book with lines to write on would be so difficult? I could not simply insert lines using the "underline" key. Oh no, that would have been too easy. To ensure all of the lines were blocked evenly, the lines had to be created using the word processing "Table" function by assigning single column number of lines for each question and section. Making sure spaces were even also meant several redo's when downloading the content. Oh, but then there was the unique challenge of cover design. I wanted something simple, but elegant. Something that said, "This is a Keepsake" by the look, not just the title. Using a design website, I finally managed to create a cover I liked. However, the initial cover I created did not meet the cover limitations of my publisher; therefore, it was back to the drawing board. Yes, another pun. 

What began as a middle of the night dream morphed from project to book in a matter of weeks. I admit the popularity of this book as taken me by surprise. I cannot help but wonder if it's because time is finite. In some way, we all want a part of our past to be carried forward into the future. Everyone is tied to their phones these days. Kitchen table conversations no longer exist. And sitting on the front porch talking with our neighbors have faded into fond memories of days gone by. 

So, there you have it. The BEFORE YOU WERE YOU behind the scenes tell all. The truth lies within you. It is YOUR story to tell. Funny, maybe. Heartbreaking, probably. Scandalous, I hope not. Regardless, it's your legacy. Pass it on!