by Janet C. Pratt

Building a Book About One’s Life

“Writing a memoir is much like remodeling our old cottage getting it ready for my retirement. There were many qualities of the place that I wanted to preserve, and some to modify, ultimately improving it and making it more comfortable, livable, and pleasing. And frankly some things I wanted to hide or cover up. But authentic is the word; a memoir needs to be honest, as does an old house.

“It is exciting to find something about a house that is old and still beautiful to want to preserve the best parts while enhancing the not-so-good parts, making them more functional. Like the faded, yellow brick fireplace that tumbled to the ground when my husband and I raised the cottage and set it on big timbers. Then we turned the old structure slightly to capture the best view of Lake Melissa and to make it fit on the lot. Certain guidelines had been set down that we followed, legalities, such as the distance from the lot lines and their proximity to neighboring wells and septic systems. We watched this carefully, not wanting to offend anyone by infringing upon other’s property. Adjustments had to be made, for instance, so that our lot line would not run through our neighbor’s kitchen. City fathers are very strict about these rules – unless you are very famous or very rich.