I started writing because I couldn’t not. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t one of those kids writing poems and stapling together little books I’d written. I was the kid taking ballet, tap and playing field hockey, softball, and whatever else was offered in my dinky little copper mining town in Zambia. My thoughts were too scattered to capture on the page.
But all that changed in the 90s. By then I’d been following an inner path for twenty-five years, studying The Wisdom and journaling insights I received in meditation. And then all of sudden I found myself impelled to write about my family and Africa. The result was a 500-page memoir of flashbacks that took three years to write. The poor volunteer reviewer from the National Writer’s Association penciled these little faces with downturned mouths in the margins, complete with dialogue, “Oh noooo, not another flashback.” It took another five years of writing classes and rewrites to turn my monster memoir into what would become two coming-of-age novels: Monkey’s Wedding and Mine Dances, about family, courage, loyalty and the soul of a country in transit.
My next project was to get to that memoir I thought I was writing in the beginning. Instead, my husband of twenty-five years started disappearing and I had to write about what I was going through. This became my memoir, Loveyoubye, a portion of which takes place in Africa. Since then, I’ve been blogging and writing essays, which include stories about my childhood.
You can read the first chapter of my memoir, Loveyoubye: Holding Fast, Letting Go, and Then There’s the Dog on Jukepop Serials.
Rossandra,
I love your blog. I think you have such great writing voice and your posts are interesting to read. Best of luck! Keep in touch.
-Krista Granieri 🙂
http://www.parentsglobal.com/btr
You are too kind. Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I so appreciate it.
Rossandra, it sounds like you have had such a fascinating life so far. I vote for the Afrian Memoir. I also wish you the best finding an agent for the completed projects.
Keep writing!
Thanks Lisa. Unfortunately, I had an agent and a publisher, bad timing, as is my African YA Historical paranormal. That would make it a AYAHP and a hard sell!
Rossandra,
Gorgeous blog! I, too, love your voice. Sure hope you write that memoir of Africa. Maybe now that the other big emotional memoirs have cleared the clutter :), you can dig in? Glad I found you through SheWrites.
Carry on!
Val
Thanks so much Valerie! Likewise. And yes, I’m finding myself writing about my African days in my blogs, so hopefully I can expand on some of them.
I enjoy your writing. Where can I find your novels and memoir. I would love to read them.
Hey TT! Thanks so much, I’m glad you found me. The books aren’t out yet. Will let you know when they are.
Your blog is beautiful! I was honored to receive the Liebster Blog Award and I am now passing it along to you.
Wow! Thank you so very much.
Just visiting you back. I like what I see. So you’re from Laguna Beach? You wouldn’t happen to be familiar with an artists who was quite active in the scene there in the 70s and 80s by the name of Sherry Andrens, would you?
I would love to read LoveYouBye. It seems like you have taken pain and hurt and turned it into something productive and good.
I really had to. Thanks for the visit.
I love your stories. Is that the correct word? Have been trying to put my thoughts/brain, into writing about my life and experiences, in Africa, and think that you have put me on that path. Thank you
Steve
I’m so glad you enjoy my stories, Stephen. Write your own. Get serious about it.
Your Miami friend! Call me if here for book fair..friend just published and is giving reading..786-999-9120
Enjoy for me, babe!!
Hi Rossandra, Thanks for commenting on my blog today. I’m enjoying checking out yours as well. And your dogs look like sweeties.
You’re so welcome. Thanks for checking out my blog.
Just read your blog post about being ‘egged on’ and found myself smiling…you’re a gutsy girl! And that was a great tidbit about something beginning with the letter E!
I look forward to reading more as a new follower. All good wishes to you.
I’m so glad you stopped by!
Hi, Rossandra! Just thought I’d come find out more about you. It’s interesting that you’re living in Laguna Beach. My grandparents were ‘Snow Birds’ and vacationed there every winter. I was down there with my family in 1975, where we visited friends of my grandparents living in a retirement community. I look forward to interviewing you. 🙂
Thanks for checking me out, Susan. I’m looking forward to the interview.