What is the date you began writing this memoir and the date when you completed the memoir? I began in 2013 and completed the book in 2020.
Where did you do most of your writing for this memoir? And please describe in detail. I did most of the writing at a desk in my studio. Because it is a graphic memoir, I had to write a script first. Even though it is about my life, I needed to do quite a bit of research to get the historical and personal chronology correct. I made folders for each chapter and then organized old family photos, documents, letters, and other research materials by year and chapter.
What were your writing habits while writing this memoir- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? At first, I drew illustrations as I wrote. When I had about 30 pages I showed it to a few editors with an outline for the entire book. After it was accepted, I put the drawing aside and focused on writing a complete script. I did that mostly on my computer although I often kept a notebook with me so I could jot down sections of dialogue that might occur to me. After the script was completed and edited, I was able to lay outthe book and figure out the sizes of the many panels. My editors asked me to have a font made using my handwriting so that I could save time and make text changes in Photoshop if necessary. Once the entire book was sketched and scanned with the text in pace, my editor and art director went over the whole thing looking for corrections. Once I got the okay, I transferred the drawings onto watercolor paper. Then I inked each page, painted it by hand, scanned it, and added the text using Photoshop.
Out of all the specific memories you write about in this memoir, which ONE MEMORY was the most emotional for you to write about? And can you share that specific excerpt with us here. The excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer, and please provide page numbers or Chapter number as references. There were many highly emotional moments for me as I wrote the book; my mother’s angry outbursts, my brother’s sometimes erratic behavior, my first encounter with my father. It is hard to choose ONE memory as the most emotional, but I did have a hard time writing the epilogue. While my father was not physically present for most of my life, he loomed large in my imagination. I thought he might be the key to understanding who I was and why I was so confused about how I fit into my family. So in the epilogue I decided to skip ahead a few years from where the book ends, to a time I spent in Italy on my own when I was nineteen. My mother was very disappointed about my decision to drop out of college but I was determined to finally get to know my father. I was sure we would forge awarm and lasting relationship. It didn’t work out as I’d planned. Here is an excerpt from page 224:
“I could imagine Michelangelo hammering slowly at the block of marble, trying to discover the secrets of his subjects. Maybe I need to be just as patient and methodical as I chiseled away at my father’s wall of silence. Or maybe one day, like Michelangelo, I would find out that I had run out of time. After all, my father was old already. There was a good chance family secrets would die with him.”
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Can you describe the emotional process of writing about this ONE MEMORY? When a particular memory is very painful, we tend to lock it away to protect ourselves from the sadness and anger. Over time, it becomes covered in dust and cobwebs. You don’t forget it’s there but you don’t spend time with it either. I wrote several epilogues that kind of danced around the pain and I was lucky to have an editor who could tell I was avoiding something. She gently prodded me to dig deeper. When I finally faced the memory of my father’s rejection, I found the words came swiftly and easily. And when I was done, I realized I had been crying as I typed.
Were there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? Actually, the whole thing just poured out and very little was changed.
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