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Giving myself away.
Novel + memoir. It's a thing. I didn't make it up. (I thought maybe I did, but then I googled it, and there it was.) Some days I like it as a genre title ... some days I think it's ridiculous. Because all novels contain elements of memoir, right? It's called "write what you know." And all memoirs contain elements of fiction, right? I'm not blaming anyone of lying. But who can possibly remember every tiny little detail? Not me. Oops; er, "not I" (thanks, Grammar Teacher Mom). I cannot.
Novel + memoir. It's a thing. I didn't make it up. (I thought maybe I did, but then I googled it, and there it was.) Some days I like it as a genre title ... some days I think it's ridiculous. Because all novels contain elements of memoir, right? It's called "write what you know." And all memoirs contain elements of fiction, right? I'm not blaming anyone of lying. But who can possibly remember every tiny little detail? Not me. Oops; er, "not I" (thanks, Grammar Teacher Mom). I cannot.
INSTANT FAMILY: JUST ADD BLOOD
(excerpt in the 2022 Kansas Authors Club Yearbook)
“When blood sees blood of its own
it sings to see itself again.”
—Suzanne Vega,
“Blood Makes Noise”
No, this is not a vampire story. Haven't we had enough of those? Well, maybe not, but anyway this is not one of them. This is an adoption story. And not one of those "oh, I changed my mind and I want my baby back" sappy tales. And it's not one of those "thank god I found my real family and we're happily reunited" fantasies. Gag. This is a real adoption story. It's not a fairy tale—but it may have a happy ending, we'll see—it's not an epic saga—though it may try to grow longer in the telling and may have some universal truths—and it's not a superhero fling—though the antagonist may have her triumphant moments and appear heroic at times to the untrained eye. It's just an in-your-face, brutally honest, cynical tale of an adopted girl living in one parallel life, one alternate reality, and hating it, loving it, dreaming of another one, and thanking the powers that be that this is the one after all.
Oh—plus, there's some sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. At least in spirit.
... (continued under "more novoir" subsection) ...
—Julie Ann Baker Brin, 2nd place, 2021 Kansas Authors Club statewide contest, category: "1st Chapter of a Book"
(Excerpt in the 2022 KAC Yearbook)
Thanks to judge Brian Dyer, presenter and contest manager Kerry Moyer, and all the fabulous, hardworking, talented folks involved in Kansas Authors Club. I am humbled.
So I entered stuff (have I mentioned that "stuff" is one of my favorite words? So poetic! Ha.) into several categories of the 2021 Kansas Authors Club statewide contest, and one of those categories was "First Chapter of a Novel." There weren't any strings attached, such as "novel must actually be finished" ... so I thought 'what the hey? Let's enter this and see what happens!' And state-wide second place is what happened. So now I guess I should probably write the stinkin' novel. When?! Erm, possibly retirement.
So I entered stuff (have I mentioned that "stuff" is one of my favorite words? So poetic! Ha.) into several categories of the 2021 Kansas Authors Club statewide contest, and one of those categories was "First Chapter of a Novel." There weren't any strings attached, such as "novel must actually be finished" ... so I thought 'what the hey? Let's enter this and see what happens!' And state-wide second place is what happened. So now I guess I should probably write the stinkin' novel. When?! Erm, possibly retirement.
See the page menu at the top for more. Thanks for visiting my portfolio site! —Julie Ann Baker Brin | Contact me: juliebrin@gmail.com
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