Memoir Author Interview with Jamie Patterson

Post #64 – Women’s Memoirs, Author Conversations – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler

Memoir Author Jamie Patterson Talks About Writing Her Memoir

Kendra Bonnet and I are pleased to welcome Jamie Patterson to Women’s Memoirs. Jamie shares with us the story of writing her memoir, Lost Edens – A True Story, and gives some sage advice to memoir writers in the process.

Here’s our first question:

Women’s Memoirs: Question #1. Jamie. We noticed that you’ve been writing since you were nine years old. What do you think motivated you to become a reporter at that young age?

Jamie Patterson: Writing was always something I felt comfortable doing. When I became the Kids Corner Reporter for the neighborhood news it was partly good timing–they needed a kid willing to spend time writing out a story and I was more than willing. This is back before home computers were the norm so everything was hand-written and then hand-submitted to the editor. It’s something I took really seriously–I’d love to see my notes again and my 9-year-old drafting process. They’re probably long lost but what a hoot it would be to see now!

Women’s Memoirs: Question #2. You have a difficult story to share in Lost Edens – A True Story— a story of emotional abuse. Would you tell our readers about your decision to write your memoir?

Jamie Patterson: When I wrote Lost Edens – A True Story the writing was simply part of my life–as a writer that’s really how I cope. Writing wasn’t as much a decision as it was a simple reflex. The bigger decision was whether or not to publish. I came back to the manuscript three or four years after writing it and saw a raw honesty to the story that I would never be able to replicate.

More than that, it was a story I wouldn’t tell now about the same situation. I thought there was something really unique in how the story of Lost Edens – A True Story perfectly captured the desperation of the time and–as a writer–thought a broader audience might benefit from the story. I’m so glad I made the decision. Conversations I’ve had about the book have led me to an even greater understanding of the story–it’s been years since the events in the book happened and years since I penned them to paper but I’m still learning!

Women’s Memoirs: Question #3. Once you decided to share your life story with others, what was the most challenging aspect of the memoir writing process?

Jamie Patterson: The most challenging aspect of turning something that wasn’t really written for an audience into a story to be shared was the editing process. The original manuscript was over 90,000 words, well over twice as long as the final printed version of Lost Edens. Finding where in those 90,000 words the essential story was, was difficult. In the end I’m confident that I made the right decision to remove the text I did. What is left I think perfectly captures the confusion, desperation, loss, and sense of hope that comes from such a difficult time.

Women’s Memoirs: Question #4. Thanks for that answer, Jamie. I’m sure that many women are struggling with the difficulty of telling their story and will appreciate your insights. Next, I’m wondering in what ways you think writing your memoir changed you?

Jamie Patterson: Writing the story helped me to own the events. By writing everything down, things that happened turned from something that happened to me (in more of a victim sense) to simply something that had happened. This really helped me to manage my thoughts and emotions.

Publishing the story has been even more of an evolution as I constantly learn from each reader’s response and reaction to the text. Every single time I talk to someone about the book or receive an email from a reader I learn something new. This unexpected education has been so gratifying. I’m convinced that conversations about emotional abuse need to be louder and more regular.

Women’s Memoirs: Question #5. Thank you Jamie for sharing your thoughts. I have one final question for you. Now that you’ve gone through the experience of writing your memoir, I wonder if you have any advice for other women just starting to write their memoirs?

Jamie Patterson: My advice would be to get it all down on paper and then take time to find the story within the story. I think this could be really freeing if a writer came to the page with the knowledge and acceptance that not every word will be used but that no word will be useless. Every word you get down on the page, every draft that makes its way to the page, is one step closer to finding the story you want to tell.

The best advice I ever got was: “Write drunkenly, happily, voraciously. Delete soberly, judiciously, and freely.”

Jamie Patterson is a writer, teacher, runner, and dog owner who spent most of her twenties trying to please everyone she encountered and help everyone she met. She has a Master’s degree in Language and Literature from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A former spokesperson for the American Red Cross and the Girl Scouts, Jamie is a frequent flier based in Minneapolis, and an academic editor with Walden University.

Visit with Jamie Patterson and join her fans on Facebook. Some proceeds from the sale of Lost Edens go to The Institute for Human Animal Connection.

Tagged as: memoir, Memoir Author Interview, Memoir writing