I am honoured to be part of the WOW! Women of Writing Blog Tour for Rosanne McHenry’s memoir Tales of a Rogue Ranger.
Today, Ms. McHenry is visiting my blog to share advice on how to choose stories from your lifetime of experiences.
Welcome Rosanne!
Making the Cut: How to Choose Stories From a Lifetime of Experiences
We all have great stories to tell. But how do you choose from a lifetime of experiences? Where do you start? What gets told and what gets cut? The answer is: tell all of your favorite stories! But tell them in a logical and engaging way that connects with others, and stick to a central theme. This is the essence of storytelling: connecting with your audience and keeping their attention.
I worked for most of my life as park ranger, and I have countless stories to tell. In trying to decide which stories to relate I began with storytelling: trying out the most entertaining tales on friends and family members to gauge their reactions. The stories that get the best responses are the ones I choose to write about.
My first book was all about how family camping experiences as a child inspired me to become a park ranger. So I began by describing my favorite family adventures, choosing the funniest, most engaging, and most intriguing tales I could recall. I talked about how visiting different parks as a child inspired me to become a park ranger. I talked about the deep connection I felt with nature. Then I recounted my own early assignments as a park ranger. As I recalled each story it was amazing how many details came to mind, things I’d almost forgotten. I tried to tell stories in a way that captured everyone’s full attention. My readers often tell me that my stories make them feel as if they’re living the narrative themselves. This is what I want to achieve as a writer.
My second book is more ‘rough and tumble’, with stories about the challenging things a patrol ranger encounters in parks. From ‘Nature Guide” to “Wilderness Cop” I became a full-time peace officer with all the ‘tools of the trade’ worn around my belt and a star-shaped law enforcement badge on my shirt. Every day was an adventure and I never knew what I would encounter next. People are amazed to learn about what a park ranger really does.
But not every story gets included. How do we decide which ones to cut? This can be a difficult task, but the answer is easy: if the story has no bearing on the overall theme of the book, then it’s out. This can be tough to do. A good editor makes all the difference. My editor helped me cut the tales that had no connection to the theme of the book. She also helped me to organize the chapters into a flow that made the most sense. Finally, she helped me edit out all the mistakes I couldn’t see. I also asked a dozen other authors to review and proofread for me. All of this together is what gave me the final desired result: a book I can be proud of and stories people want to experience.
Thank you so much for your advice Rosanne. All the best on your book tour
Be sure to visit all the stops on the blog tour!
Beverley A Baird 