Well, this seems like a decent place to begin, even if this thread doesn't seem to see a great deal of action...
I am working on my autobiography. There is no fame or fortune that merits such a writing, but I have something in common with many people that makes my tale worth telling: I am an insulin dependent diabetic for over 35 years.
The hurdles are many. For starters, there are probably
HUNDREDS of similar texts out there. I'd like to think mine is different because it isn't the kind of book that takes on a patronizing tone that says, "Hi...I hear you're a diabetic. Well, here's what diabetes is, and here's what to expect." It's more along the lines of, "Listen, you dolt! Remember that entire seven-layer chocolate cake you devoured on your own last night...? Well, here's what it's going to do to you in ten years..."
There's also a kind of "choose your level of learning" in my writing. For example, you can learn the details of diabetic retinopathy, like a little something known as
neovascularization, or you can cut to the chase and absorb the fact that diabetics go blind due to internal bleeding in the eyes.
As the years go on, there seems to be more and more that I learn about my own illness. I mean, who would've thought that there could be complications to the complications of diabetes?
I'm also trying to find the right mix of "scaring the readers straight," and allowing for hope to exist in the minds of said readers. I am 42, and the complications of diabetes make me feel as though I'm in my 60s. I did this to myself, and I want to help others avoid becoming disabled, like me.
But the greatest hurdle...? My computer went B.S.O.D. on me the other day. (That's "Blue Screen Of Doom.") The laptop with the original document won't even turn on anymore. That same document is the only corrupt file on a disc I saved it to ages ago. And just as I'd started rewriting it from scratch, my desktop seems to have shuffled loose its mortal coil.
And that, to those who bothered to read this "little" post, is my project. As soon as I can get my hands on a computer that I can call my own, and not that of a friend, I will be back to work on it. Any tips, hints, and/or suggestions on how to get this thing into the hands of those who need it most, your input would be appreciated.