I was having a virtual conversation with a friend about writing our life stories – not together I don’t mean, although there would be many years when we overlap, – and how to go about it, what voice to use, and who to address. When I write here I feel as if I’m talking to an unseen person – sometimes a friend, sometimes the stranger on the train, sometimes a reader, but I’ve been doing it so long now, that I’m not exactly sure who I think I’m talking to! I first very tentatively started writing here in March 2012. I didn’t really know what a blog was, but noticed that many people shared pictures – and sometimes just pictures, so I did the same. My aim was to publicise my books – well, at that time, it was my book – ‘Farholm’ which I had self-published on Amazon. I wrote about ‘Farholm’, and then I began to write about other writerly things, books I’d read, how I write, influences on me – and gradually I began to write more and more widely.
Soon I was writing about things I’d done during the day, places I’d been, people I’d met, the background to various events – the history and importance of them. Before long I was writing about anything which came into my head but the constant (among other constants such as food, poetry, books, TV etc) were stories about myself and my past. Mostly these were small episodes I’d slot into the main thing I was writing, or fictionalised events which had really happened, family stories and adventures – and I guess if anyone had the strength, endurance or will to read the whole blog, they would learn just about all my life story. Obviously there are a lot of personal things I gloss over, a lot of things I don’t reveal and a great many things I keep private and confidential. Most of these are quite dull and ordinary, some are the sort of things which would be ridiculous, embarrassing, uncomfortable or just boring. However, if they were in a longer or more detailed context, the ridiculousness, embarrassment, discomfort or tediousness would be in a setting, given a background where they would add something to the story of my life.
So, the upshot of this ramble is that I will try and set down my life story, my biography if you like. When my children were very young, I wrote something for them for their future. I forgot all about it, but my daughter came across it, and I admit I felt a little awkward as she read it. She however wished I had written more and found it quite interesting. After my conversation with my friend this morning, I think I will go back to an autobiography – and of course, no doubt I will share some episodes here as well!
PS my featured image is of me when I was about twenty.
Here is a link to my first published book, Farholm, also available as an e-book :https://www.amazon.co.uk/FARHOLM-Lois-Elsden/dp/B08M2FXYKP
Lois Elsden 