Gillian Marchenko

Writing a book, one author’s process

I’ve been tagged by my friend Isaac James Baker, author of brilliant new novel Broken Bones about a twenty-something man’s month long stay in a psych ward for an eating disorder (go buy it now… I’ll wait), to participate in a #MyWritingProcess blog hop. Writers are asked four questions about their process and then they tag a couple of their friends. It’s a writing process revolution! Writing a book. Maybe everyone will do it?

This challenge couldn’t have come at a better time. I am deep in the process of writing a book, my second, which has eclipsed everything else in my life. I’m mom to four girls. The laundry is piled up. The bathroom smells. The kids are whinny because of the lack of attention. Business as usual around here when mom is caught up in writing.

Anyway, thanks Isaac, for the tag.

Q: What am I working on?

My second book is a memoir about depression, faith, and motherhood. Yep, I’ve written about special needs parenting, and now I am writing a book about depression. Party of one over here. I’m not a downer, though. Honest! Let’s just call me deep. Shall we?

The depression memoir was sold on proposal to InterVarsity Press. I’ve decided there is no way I can write this book. I can’t write at all, actually. I are a writer. See? But I am pushing ahead because I love to write and we already spent the advance on braces and vacation, and because there is a stigma about mental illness in our churches and communities.

My deadline is in the fall. I currently have about 40,000 words written. Glennon Melton Doyle wrote on Facebook that she has six words down for her second book, and three of them are her name. Oh, Glennon, I hear you! My issues are that the words don’t belong in the manuscript or they are poorly written.

Edna St. Vincent Millay said that a person who publishes a book willfully appears before the populace with his pants down.

Writing is vulnerable.

But nobody writes wonderful first drafts (if they do, I am going to avoid them and refuse to read their work on principle). Rewriting is key. I’m attempting to ignore self-sabotage and doubt.

Q: How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’ve found a handful of books that deal with depression and faith and hardly any (if any?) that throw in motherhood as well. And most of the books are straight non-fiction borderline ‘how to’ books. My book (God willing) will be more narrative and true to memoir form. It will tell a story, my story, and hopefully within that encourage others who suffer in silence and provide spiritual and practical ways a person can fight depression.

Q: Why do I write what I do?

I stumbled into writing memoir. When my daughter Polly was born with Down syndrome, I wrote through the pain and it turned into a book.

Also, my love of memoir probably stems from my childhood. When I was a little girl I would sit on a bench at the mall with my grandpa and people watch. My grandpa had a comment about everyone who passed and usually it wasn’t politically correct or nice. “Look at the rear on that one.” Or “slow down, buster, you’re not that important!” While snickering I learned the art of observation.

I still observe (although I try not to say or think mean things). One of the ways I make sense of life is through the written word. E.M Forster said “How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”

Q: How does my writing process work?

I lurch around in the dark, type words, peel back memories and scenes from the past, and try to find something salvageable. Writing a book is like doing a puzzle. I don’t have a ton of advice, but here are some concrete things I do.

-I prepare. I read a chapter from a book I love. I pray about my writing.

-I write. I try to find several hours in a row to think and write. This works out well for me because my kids are all school aged and are gone during the day. I shoot for 1000 words or two hours editing. I spend a lot of time looking off into space too.

-I get the first draft down. I wrote the first draft of Sun Shine Down and then hired a professional editor. I printed out her suggestions, sat down to the blank page, and re-typed the whole thing. This tip was from wonderful author and writing coach Kate Hopper.

-I purchased Scrivener. I recommend this program for writers. I like the cork board feature. It helps me see the big picture of my book.

-I use on-line restrictions. I found an app that blocks social media for 25 minutes and then gives you 5 minutes to check email or get up before returning to the work.

-I try to ignore negativity. I talk to other writers and attend a monthly writing group. I read good books to remind me why I write and help me hone the craft.

The second half of Millay’s quote is “If it is a good book nothing can hurt him. If it is a bad book nothing can help him.”

There’s nothing like a good book.

So, there you have it… a little peek into the process of writing a book.

I’m tagging two fantastic writer friends: Annette Gendler and Jen Pollock Michel. Annette was my writing instructor for advanced memoir at StoryStudio in Chicago. I’ve just recently gotten to know Jen and look forward to her book that publishes in July. Thanks for participating ladies!

Annette Gendler writes literary nonfiction. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Tablet Magazine, Natural Bridge, Bellevue Literary Review, Under the Sun, and the South Look Review, among others. Her website is AnnetteGendler.com.

Jen Pollock Michel is a regular contributor for Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics and writes for Today in the Word, a devotional published by The Moody Bible Institute. In July 2014, Jen is publishing her first book, Teach us to Want: Longing, Ambition and the Life of Faith, with InterVarsity Press. You can follow Jen on Twitter@jenpmichel or you can find her at jenpollockmichel.com.