#14

My memoir: Summer Skin

1. Reflection. I reflected on experiences that were powerful and meaningful to me, but could also prove to be inspiration for others. I wanted to write about an experience that happening more recently to make it fresh and relatable.

2. Free writing / brainstorming. I write best in journal like writing, I let messy thoughts flow with no true rhyme or reason. I let everything that pops into my head out even if I’m unsure if I will use it. I like to include everything such as the music I listened to at the time, the weather, my personal appearance, thoughts, the way the air felt, people, dates, time, location- everything.

3. Outline / re-write. I will read over my free writing and choose the most important pieces and work on them first. Secondly I will arrange smaller details and interject them under the larger key aspects. I will also look though my hand written journal to see if any entries can be useful.

4. Rough draft. I will tidy up my previous writings and connect them so they flow as evenly as I can at the time. I will also place journal entries if they help my piece and work well.

5. “Peer review.” I will often ask my friends or mother to give me feedback on my ideas. I usually do not let them read my writing, especially on this piece because it is personal to me. Speaking about my ideas allowed with others helps me to know if I have a strong or weak piece.

6. Final. I will put everything together, my main focus, details, journal entries and re-read it many times to make sure everything makes sense. If it doesn’t make sense to me then it won’t make sense to anyone else.

How did you choose your focus?
I pride myself on being driven to pursue my teaching career and working with special children. I wanted my focus to highlight my love for working with my campers, but also how it can be difficult to do so successfully when my thoughts were pre-occupied with my personal life. There is nothing I am more passionate about than working with teens with autism and I was almost horrified with myself for letting my focus slip when a man was not giving me the attention I desired. My focus is my turning point of when I let go of my personal hang-ups and fully zoned in to what made me truly happy.

How did you organize your essay?
I opened my essay as if my story was happening during the present time, although it took place last June in the summer of 2007. I gave details of where I was, my fears, and thoughts. I then present a flashback to the previous summer where I have a conversation with the person whom my essay features. This gives some insight and background to help my audience learn whom I speaking to, and our past together. I give detailed accounts of my days at camp and interject a personal journal entry from my hand written journal. I segment my essay in a way that the audience can easily follow and grasp my growth throughout my writing.

Did you use journal entries?
Yes, I used a journal entry that I had written in my personal hand written journal. The entry was dated June 28, 2007- which was written in the very beginning of my experience. It helps to show my hurt and betrayal from a man who I thought I knew so well. It also emphasizes my pre-occupation with him and how it hindered my relationship with my campers.

How did you discover what you had to say?
I discovered my reflection simply by free writing and reflecting on each day that led up to my ability let go. My ‘letting go’ experience was so emotional that I wanted to be able to capture the feelings with words down to the last detail. The experience left me tearfully empowered and I want my readers to be able to see and feel this.