Pages

September 30, 2019

Writing from Experience



By Siri Zwemke


I suspect I am not that unusual in that as a writer, I am more comfortable at home in front of my computer than I am socializing in a room full of people. My most successful relationships tend to be forged on paper. As authors, we work to establish a relationship with every person who picks up our book, and it goes without saying we want that experience to be a good one. And just like in any relationship, one must build trust with each other for there to be a successful outcome. 

“Write about what you know, infuse it with how you’ve felt.” Great advice from an English teacher early on; for my first book, it has certainly been the ticket. Whether you choose fiction or non-fiction, incorporating your experiences and knowledge into your written work may, for many of us, seem an obvious path to take. As a voracious reader, I have been disappointed on more than one occasion when an author has developed great characters and a fantastic story line, only to drop the reader over a cliff with a faux pas. (In my life, I call these faux paws, but that’s another story….)

Not long ago I was deeply entrenched in a wonderful book set in present day about animals (what else) and I came to a part where a dog escapes out of a car window and gets lost. The author went on to detail a conversation amongst the family members about how they could track the dog from location to location by the microchip, so not to worry.  Unfortunately, microchips are not GPS trackable. While not every reader would have noticed this inaccuracy, for every book there will be readers with the background experience to evaluate what you write. From that point forward, I lost interest in what would otherwise have been a well written book. While it was a very small thing in the scheme of the entire book, my trust in the author had been lost; they clearly hadn’t done their research.

For the book Rescue Meez, I chose to write about what I knew – I took my experiences and wrote a part memoir, part documentary, and part a ‘how to do this’ type book. Fortunately, I had great material to draw from and the only hiccups I ran into were discrepancies in how my husband and I remembered things. Whether you choose to write from personal experience, or you are researching the information necessary to create your work of art, be sure to do your homework. Even in genres such as science fiction, where all manners of things can happen, if you aren’t providing the reader with some background understanding as to why, for example, the laws of physics don’t apply in a particular situation, you may have a tough sell. Maybe we should all write fantasy, where just about anything goes!
________________________________________________________________ 
Siri Zwemke is the founder and Director of the Siamese Cat Rescue Center, a 20-year-old internet-based non-profit that spans the Eastern third of the United States and has helped 13,000 cats to date. Zwemke switched careers mid-stream when her love of Siamese cats turned her into a crazy cat lady, rescuing one too many cats and finding herself trying to fill a need she didn’t realize was out there. When the shelters kept calling and she kept saying yes to Siamese cats that were needing help, Zwemke left her job as a teacher of the hearing impaired and took on building a non-profit that eventually spanned 20 states and had 900 volunteers.   Zwemke has recently put pen to paper to document some of the hilarious situations she found herself in as she learned about cat rescue the hard way.  In her first book, Rescue Meez, Zwemke pokes fun at herself in a lighthearted manner as she grows the Rescue from the ground up. From handling rifle-wielding hillbillies in the mountains of Virginia to doing the Dance of the Dead Mouse, Zwemke takes us on a journey through the last 20 years as she shares information on the trials and tribulations of building a cat rescue organization. Currently residing in Virginia with her husband, Darrell (whom she met through the Rescue), several cats and a dog, Zwemke enjoys gardening, reading, and is working towards her black belt in Martial Arts. Zwemke can be reached at https://www.facebook.com/SiriZwemkeAuthor, siri@meezer.org and Instagram @Siri_Zwemke_Author.




11 comments:

  1. The blog is well researched; however a few grammatical errors can be spotted. You can improvise your skills by seeking academic assistance from livewebtutors.com offering exceptional assignment help. The services offered are reliable yet cost effective, exclusively for students overseas.

    For more info:
    Accounting Assignment Help

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very informative post I really like it. Happy to hear about it more. free guy antoine coat

    ReplyDelete
  3. We are here for them where all trouble students easy to get do my online class for me service at a very good price. We always support the students because we understand their problems. So, all students must contact us to get online academic help.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The students who study higher education have to face many tricky questions. As the
    questions are too much tough, they do have not that much capability of answering
    those on their own. So, they need an expert's help. If you are in the same position, our
    assessment help is the best solution for you. Our specialists give so much effort to
    solving your question and their knowledge can help you fully. Your assessments need
    to be submitted within a scheduled time, but with loads of work in your head, you can
    hardly think about submitting them in time. That you do not need to face if you are
    willing to take our assessment help. Experts of assessment help will be at your service.
    You do not need to spend sleepless nights to complete your assessment, just need to
    believe in our Assessment help service. Now the question that arises in everyone's
    mind is, 'is this affordable or not?' You can trust us here. After comparing it with other
    Assessment help services, you can understand that we are providing you the best
    service at the best affordable price. One more thing, here payment is secured with
    encryption. In today’s world, there is no time for procrastination. So take our
    assessment help & automatically you will be able to give more time to your job,
    studies & social life.
    https://www.onlinetutorhelps.com/assessment-help
    Assessment
    Help

    ReplyDelete
  6. This article is about her experience in life and relationship. They also shared her difficulties in life. It's nice information about hardworking women. Keep sharing. Now it's time to avail shutters in birmingham for more information.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This article is about a person who shares his experiences of his life. Keep sharing this informative article with us. Now its time to avail chauffeur service houston for more information.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Doctoral dissertation writing Perhaps the most significant effect of repealing the ECA 1972 would be on secondary legislation (statutory instruments etc.). Numerous instruments of secondary legislation currently in effect were enacted pursuant to the authority granted by. The repeal of the ECA would leave many of these Nursing dissertation help UK unregulated. Nursing dissertation help United Kingdom/a> tertiary instruments without a legal basis. These may therefore be considered ultra vires and have no legal effect as a result. If the UK does not enact domestic legislation on an alternative legislative footing to take the place of the prior instruments based on the authority of the ECA, there will be a lacuna in codified law to the extent that any void left by such instruments is not filled by existing and residually applicable domestic law.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Useful article, thanks for the important informationÑŽ Students from all over the world are trying to get a quality education, but they have to face such a problem as lack of time to complete their assignments. We paperwritingservices.reviews can help you write a good quality essay of any level of complexity

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pay someone to do my online course is not just a service; it's a transformative experience. We understand the challenges students face, and our mission is to turn academic stress into resounding success. By choosing our services, you're making an investment in your academic journey and ensuring a pathway to excellence.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your blog consistently offers exceptional and thought-provoking content. Your unwavering commitment to providing valuable insights is genuinely commendable. Each post radiates your passion for the subject matter, transforming your blog into an indispensable resource. Bravo for consistently delivering excellence!Driving Suspended License Misdemeanor New Jersey and Middlesex County Reckless Driving Attorney

    ReplyDelete