How can I write about a part of my life that tested my sanity? Childhood sexual abuse challenges the writer as well as the reader. An entire book on sexual abuse can be overwhelming. So, there must be a better way. I decided to narrow my story to a narrative on memory. And to add a different twist, I made the story about two men who had an obsession with memory. One man, myself, moved past the horrific memories brought on by childhood abuse, and moved away from the dark side. The other character, a nineteenth century scientist, obsessed over the mechanics of memory. So much so that he eventually killed himself.
For the sake of making a smoother transition between the two characters, I decided to write both in the third person. I never thought that I would write my story in third person, but it provided a smoother narrative while not taking away from the power of my story. (Or so it seems.)
My story provided the most powerful narrative, and Richard Semon’s, the nineteenth century scientist, educated the reader on the mechanics of memory. What more could I ask for — tell a powerful story and educate the reader at the same time.
My next blog will discuss why I decided to use Mnemosyne in my story.
