Writers’ Workshop
A few years ago one of our number, Roy, experienced a stroke. This had various debilitating effects which included impairing his ability to continue his combined passions of both playing the guitar and composing music. It also left him unable to write. However, as a means of retrieving some of his old handwriting ability he decided to write the history of his and his wife’s life together. Incidentally, Irene, Roy’s wife, also attends our service together with Roy, making them our first Filo couple.
Roy viewed writing this biography partly as therapy but also it was something he wanted to do for his wife. And so, the task of hand writing Roy and Irene’s memoirs was begun.
Once finished, and with now much improved writing ability, Roy passed the manuscript to the daughter of a neighbour who typed it up. Upon reading this finished article, Roy realised it was really little more than a first draft. There was so much that he had missed out, he explained. Eager to present his wife with a comprehensive review of their years together a decision was made. Roy took the prototype biography to one of his sessions with Libby and asked Malcolm, Libby’s husband, if he could engage his services as editor/ghostwriter. Malcolm was delighted to oblige. On the day I was with them it was their first editorial meeting, see below photographic evidence.
The first task Roy wanted addressing was getting the right tone for the tome. An early sentence reads ‘I myself am married to Irene. A super lass. Lucky me!!’ The two exclamation marks, by the way, were not arbitrary but firmly insisted upon. I learned that Roy and Irene met at a youth club when she was 17 and he was 20. (Next week they will have been married for 60 years.)
Not only is an extensive re-write currently being undertaken but an expansion of the appendix to accommodate all the bits that won’t necessarily fit into the main body of text; ‘I keep remembering things I want to put in.’
Malcolm said he felt that Roy was really ‘warming to the journey’ of telling his story. I’ve a feeling this might take some time……..
Happy Anniversary Roy and Irene
