Writing and speaking publicly about admirable people around Kentucky has been gratifying for me. I’ve been “tipping my hat” to that group for nearly two decades.
Those who’ve read or heard my stories often mention their desire to give tribute through THEIR own written words to someone they consider noble, even heroic, who has crossed their path. Some of those interested hope to produce full-scale, published books and others consider producing something less comprehensive, such as a small, literary token of recognition for their hero… something, say, to pass out to family members at reunions.
Tipping the hat to my heroes and yours (Photo provided)
Around book signings and speaking events, attendees request my advice on the process because it’s not something they’ve done before. “Where do I start?” they ask.
With that in mind, I’m figuring Kentucky by Heart stands as a good forum to suggest a few general tips on writing about YOUR hero, or, at least, to give some early direction. And yes, these are purely my suggestions, and others familiar with such a task might add to or tweak them. Consider some of these ideas to help get you moving…
1 – Start a portfolio (collection) on your hero subject. For me, it’s a simple folder with notes I’ve scribbled, pictures, tidbits such as recognitions, letters, and about anything connected to the person. The collection could be your best foot forward until, say, you retire from your job and have more time to deal with the actual writing. In summary, first, find out as much as you can about your hero.
2 – Besides engaging with your hero, you should interview others, either formally or informally, who know this person well and can relate what they know, such as interesting anecdotes. Don’t dismiss outright any negative thing said about them, either. When your words about the person are finally written and people absorb them, it’s OK to show some of the person’s “humanity.” One can be heroic without being anointed an absolute saint. Unless one converses with another via email or text or has a short, oral talk, I’d suggest using a tape recorder, then carefully transcribe the words. Takes a lot of time, but I believe it is the easiest way to be correct and authentic.
3 – As mentioned pictures are important. Take or gather pictures, plenty of them. Not only will they be a welcome part of your written presentation, but simply perusing images of your subject will spark ideas and help one see patterns of behavior or the person’s characteristics (ie. Uncle Bob’s ever-present smile, loved being around people, often wore a straw hat, etc.).
4 – After the information gathering has moved along significantly, look for themes in your subject’s life that have spurred you to admire them. Maybe they are a selfless, long-term caregiver with amazing patience. Perhaps your hero overcame poverty in their youth and now ministers to others in poverty. It could be a wonderful teacher who touched your life positively and touched a legion of others. Almost without looking for it, character behavior patterns will develop and as you internalize them, it will foster your narrative about the person.
5 – Now for the writing part. When you have a good feel for your hero subject after some serious research, begin to start putting the words down. At first, don’t particularly worry about how good your narrative looks. It will improve as you go through the process and revise and edit your work. Think of your writing like you are creating a pretty piece of pottery; it starts as an unattractive “blob” of clay and after painstaking kneading and shaping it–along with adding heat to firm it up–you hopefully and eventually will have a desirable work of art to present as a gift. A powerful and proverbial writers’ saying on the subject is: “It’s not how you write… it’s how you REWRITE.”
Depending on how serious you are regarding publishing your hero story, make sure to find someone with skills to edit your work. An English teacher friend you know might work, but even consider hiring a professional editor. You can google appropriate information or get in touch with a local literacy organization. In the Lexington area, the Carnegie Literacy Center https://carnegiecenterlex.org/ is a helpful resource. Also, it could be helpful to assimilate a small group of “readers” to give some honest feedback for improvement before finalizing.
6 – In writing the hero story, first engage and tease the reader, have illuminating details in the middle, and add quotes particularly from your subject. Quotes can, and should be, powerful. Quotes should serve to “move the story ahead,” as writers like to say. Here are a few examples from my Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes book series:
– “One of the men was the president of the college,” said Harold, “and the other was one who picked up the garbage in town. Each remarked about how my father had impacted their lives.”
– “The man asked to see the warrant,” he said, “and when I did show it, he pulled a gun from under the pillow and shot me in the neck. I shot him at the same time, and I fell down instantly, paralyzed…” He characterizes the changing of a life in an instant this way: “I went from six-feet-four to four-feet-six. I didn’t think I would be around very long.”
– “‘Sy’ is one of those volunteers who is just there when called, and he is often the one we call for the difficult assignments… It takes a special human being to sit with a patient that suffers from diseases that are not prone to peaceful Hollywood-type endings.”
7 – Now to the “publishing” of your hero tribute. Let’s look at two basic scenarios. The first is quite common, where a person only sees this as a one-time project to record the life of a special person. It would consist of taking the manuscript and pictures to a reputable print shop and creating an attractive cover, say a spiral-bound one. Prices for the service can be of concern, but perhaps if the hero subject is a family member, one might find others in the family to “invest” in your work.
A more involved scenario would be to work with a full-fledged publisher to produce an actual book, even possibly one that could be sold at public bookstores. I’ll be brief on this. A periodical I’ve used for searching for publishers is Writer’s Market, published annually, which will help guide one through the process. It presents hundreds of possible publishers. I personally recommend a company, Butler Books, that published my last two in the Heroes series. The company is based in Louisville.
To close, I’ll say that writing about your hero can require some time and work, but I’ll also add that it can be a worthy venture. Perhaps it’s only a matter of getting started. Feel free to email me at sflairty2001@yahoo.com if you have questions, and good luck!
