Bisky's Twitterling's Scribbles! discussion

Today, I'm going to be blogging/vlogging about the illness that caused me to go MIA for so long. And I realised this morning, the book that I find is always the most aggressively promoted to me is the diary.

Someone asked me a few years ago, before all this, if I was going to write about my illness and time in high school (when i was 20?) but I felt like I didn't really have much of an outcome or a positive I could end with. Like I had to experience more (perhaps, a time like this)

I think it's always a good idea to write about what you're doing. But when should that form a whole book?

Wow that is a good question.

I've dealt with illness all my life being born with a congenital heart disease. Obviously having an illness or experiencing such powerful moments can be life changing or life altering and, for better or worse, it can define who you are. From such experience, as a writer, truly sweet things can be born from such bitter moments.

I think most writers, in some way or another, write about these moments as an extension of life experiences, both good and bad in the characters they create. Speaking as a fictional writer.

When should it become a book? Personally if it were me. I would ask myself, I'm writing it for me or for others dealing with the same issue/illness or perhaps it's a bit of both? And depending on your answer, the next question I'd ask, do I want such a personal experience out in the open? Am I willing to accept all that comes with such a book. Reviews, feedback etc. on such a personal and intimate heart pouring content.

Great questions through, as it hits home with me.

That is a pretty tough question
In the act of writing I always throw something in there that sticks out at me from my past. Not an illness, but for instance once I almost drown, and felt it, and remember every feeling I had at the time and could easily put all those descriptions down like they were nothing. When I write, I add little quirks or snippets of my life into characters.
An Illness and a whole book, depending on the illness I would think could be hard. As an example, I’ll use my mom who for the six years fought with breast cancer, they removed it and it came back a year later. I remember her telling me I don’t want to go through this again, as the first time was so dramatic for her, but then again, later she said, she went through it once, saying it won’t be so hard the second time.
I guess the question is, does the person writing want to relive it, all the pain they went through and remember all the struggles that surrounded them. But maybe as a book you want to show how tough it was and the perseverance and the inner strength it took to get through it. I like what Gavin said, ultimately who would you be writing it for, your family, other people who have the same illness, or bring to light to an illness people don’t know much about?
One movie I was thinking about while writing was Philadelphia, I remember the movie because it shed light on issues that weren’t talked about at that time, but let people know these issues are real.