Starting out

Having committed to writing the book.......and I am committed....... it's been surprisingly easy to get the early words on paper. It is as if the words have been brewing inside me, waiting to come out. It's proving to be much more than I expected. In the end it will cover not only my time in Bosnia but the path that lead me here. Given Michelle was there at the beginning it is ironic to have her here at the end - or the beginning of something new. She reminds me of somethings I have forgotten that are important to the story. Although she is still heavily emersed in writing her Phd being an observer has also reminded me of the need for rigour in my writing. Some stories I tell are as I remember them, there is no official record they are dredged up from my memories. The real challenge is recognizing how these stories need to be woven around the historical facts. As much as it is all about me, it is also all about what happened. How did the war begin? What are the important dates and times? Who were the key players? I'm not an historian so this all makes me a little nervous. I really don't care if people disagree with how I remember my stories (they are mine) but I do care that I get the facts right. I have an unofficial "military advisor" who will, I hope, help me with the military facts, I have a "ghost editor" who is making sure that the whole thing hangs together and I don't make a complete fool of myself. I think I need a "fact checker" - someone who will check my historical accounts, double check dates and make sure the text links to the official record. I am getting most of my facts from the internet and some will come with the papers I have in NZ; it is proving to be an unexpected addition to the writing process, athough as it dawned on me the importance of this detail, the detail is, I think, making the text more interesting.