Today is the first day of Jemi Fraser's blog tour. I'm sorry my post is a little late due to circumstances beyond my control. Her TOUR CALENDAR is at the end of the post.
I asked Jemi to talk to us about emotional nonfiction. Take it away, Jemi.
I asked Jemi to talk to us about emotional nonfiction. Take it away, Jemi.
EMOTIONAL NONFICTION
Writing is
always an emotional experience. I know this is true for me, but I believe it is
true for most authors as well.
I write
romance, an emotional genre. My characters become important to me and I’ve often found
myself laughing and smiling along with them as I write. I worry along with my
characters and cry for them as well. (Yes, even as I create the things that
they worry and cry about!)
I figured
writing romance was a pretty emotional experience.
And then I
started writing Dancing With Dementia. Nonfiction, but more emotional than any
fiction I’ve written.
Because of the
nature of the project, I found myself emotionally drained as I wrote. Watching
our Loved Ones experience dementia is tough. Even those funny moments (and
there are lots of them) in the book were emotionally difficult to write.
Writing about
that dementia meant that I experienced each and every incident over and over
again as I wrote and revised and edited and proofed.
I tried
working on other writing projects to lighten my heart but the Dementia project
refused to let me go. Those other projects were firmly booted to the back
burner for a long time. They’re battling
for my attention now that Dancing With Dementia is heading out to the real
world.
With the
emotional impact DWD has on me, I had to make some adjustments.
•
shorter time frames for writing
•
don’t write
immediately before or after visiting my mom (our Loved One dealing with
dementia)
•
don’t write late
at night (guaranteed sleepless night)
•
alternate between the serious moments and the ones
filled with laughter and joy
•
focus on how to help other people navigating those
first steps in the Dance of Dementia
It will be
interesting to see how my writing process morphs as I once again focus on
fiction writing.
It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Jemi
Fraser’s DANCING WITH DEMENTIA,
Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia Blog Tour
through MC Book Tours today.
The author is offering a tour-wide international giveaway of an Amazon
Gift Card. More information on the giveaway is listed below.
Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia
by Jemi Fraser
by Jemi Fraser
◊ Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
◊ Publisher: Just Jemi Books
◊ eBooks
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1-9991258-1-3
◊ Publisher: Just Jemi Books
◊ eBooks
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1-9991258-1-3
Dementia and Alzheimer’s touch the lives of millions around the
world, but so much is still unknown.
As first-generation Canadians, we didn’t recognize
the early warning signs. We didn’t know the differences between regular aging
and the early stages of dementia. We’ve made mistakes but we’ve learned a lot.
DANCING
WITH DEMENTIA will help you:
•Identify those early warning signs
•Use visuals to improve communication
•Choose your words wisely
•Redirect and reassure
•Stay calm and cope with your own emotions
•Consider nursing home options
•Improve caregiver self-care
•Identify those early warning signs
•Use visuals to improve communication
•Choose your words wisely
•Redirect and reassure
•Stay calm and cope with your own emotions
•Consider nursing home options
•Improve caregiver self-care
We’ve learned to dance the early steps of the
disease with our love and laughter intact. If you are looking for help
recognizing early signposts along with practical ways to cope with early
Dementia and Alzheimer’s, this book is for you.
For those
who aren’t familiar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her.
Jemi Fraser
writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her nonfiction work focuses on the ways
that dementia has impacted her family. Her fiction work varies from
contemporary romance to suspense and flash fiction. Years as a teacher have
taught Jemi that life is short and that happy endings are a must.
Jemi lives
in Northern Ontario, Canada where snow is always a topic of conversation and
the autumn leaves make everything better.
For more on
Jemi and her writing, visit her following sites:
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This
tour-wide giveaway is for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. The giveaway is
open internationally.
To enter the
giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the
instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.
If the widget doesn’t show up, just click HERE and
you’ll be directed to the widget.
Thanks for
stopping by and be sure to follow Jemi on her week-long tour HERE. You never know what you
might find out. I hope dementia hasn’t touch your family or friends, but in
case it has do you have any tips to share on dealing with this terrible
disease?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
TOUR CALENDAR:
Monday, March 30: Denise Covey – Guest Post
Mystery Writing is Murder – Guest Post
Defending the Pen – Q & A & Review
Constantine – Guest Post
Tuesday, March 31: Joylene Nowell Butler – Guest Post & Feature
Mainewords – Guest Post
Tara Tyler Talks – Interview
Wednesday, April 1: Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post
Spunk on A Stick – Feature
Circle of Friends – Feature
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Feature & Top Ten List
The Girdle of Melian – Guest Post
The Warrior Muse – Top Ten List
Thursday, April 2: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews & Interviews – Q & A
Thoughts in Progress – Review
Friday, April 3: Pat Garcia Book Reviews – Review
Writer’s Gambit – Top Ten List
Ellen Jacobson Author – Top Ten List & Review
Monday, March 30: Denise Covey – Guest Post
Mystery Writing is Murder – Guest Post
Defending the Pen – Q & A & Review
Constantine – Guest Post
Tuesday, March 31: Joylene Nowell Butler – Guest Post & Feature
Mainewords – Guest Post
Tara Tyler Talks – Interview
Wednesday, April 1: Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post
Spunk on A Stick – Feature
Circle of Friends – Feature
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Feature & Top Ten List
The Girdle of Melian – Guest Post
The Warrior Muse – Top Ten List
Thursday, April 2: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews & Interviews – Q & A
Thoughts in Progress – Review
Friday, April 3: Pat Garcia Book Reviews – Review
Writer’s Gambit – Top Ten List
Ellen Jacobson Author – Top Ten List & Review
25 comments:
Thanks so much for hosting me and Dancing With Dementia, Denise!! I appreciate it!!
Jemi, your book is not only helpful but inspiring. Readers can feel the emotions you share and know they are not alone in their own struggles.
Denise, thanks for being a part of Jemi's tour and sharing her post.
You're welcome Jemi! Enjoy your tour!
It's a pleasure, Mason. Jemi's book is going to touch so many lives.
Working on it too long would be really draining. I hope you can dive into some happy writing next.
Thanks Mason - it was sure an emotional journey for all of us!!
It really was tough at times! I'm working on a romance series now. While there is always danger, at least I know there's a guaranteed happy ending!
A wonderful interview - and a much needed book. I am quite certain that multiple tears were shed writing this gem. How could they not.
I am very glad to hear that Jemi is working on a lighter series now - and wish her much success with both.
Thanks so much Sue! As you well know, the disease is devastating. I'm definitely enjoying my Romance Series now!!
Would sure drain if working on it for too long of a spurt. Sometimes we do just have to adjust or take a break depending on subject matter.
Congrats to Jemi! I can imagine that this would be an emotionally draining experience to write about dementia when you've been a caregiver. Thanks for sharing all your advice in your book, Jemi.
Congratulations, Jemi! It's all so exciting :-)
Hi,
I truly enjoyed your book. It pointed out so many things that took me back to my own mom when I and my siblings went through it with her.
Great work. Your book has heart in it.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
Exactly! I think I'd be the same for horror - and I know even my romantic suspense causes me stress in certain scenes!
Thanks so much, Natalie! I hope the book can help people facing the early stages of this disease!
It really is, Deniz!!!
Thanks so much, Pat! I'm so sorry you had to face this disease as well!
You certainly don't want to be writing really emotionally charged items alone. Although if someone is around, they might end up bearing the brunt, too!
Exactly! It's always a fine line to walk!
Sounds like a very difficult topic to write about, especially when it's drawn from firsthand experience.
It really was a tough task, but worth it if it helps others!!
I agree writing is an emotional experience regardless of the subject, but when it's personal, ever more so. I think that's why writing a memoir is so tough!
I'm glad you worked through it Jemi, you did all of us a favor!
I forgot how quickly a tour moves and how many blogs it hits on consecutive days. Duh, I'm starting my own, better be better prepared. :)
Thanks so much Renee! Memoirs are (in my opinion) the most difficult to write!!
Tours are QUICK! Looking forward to yours!!
Hi Denise and Jemi - I think it will be such a useful book to many ... helping us understand something about Dementia - and if Dancing helps ... then dance lots. I know there was someone in my Mum's nursing centre, who had had a stroke too - she could sing, but couldn't talk ... and could eat; whereas my Ma couldn't eat and needed intervention to let her live - she'd evaluated that decision sometime before her stroke caught her ... and so we could talk and spend those last years (as it happened) together as best we could ...
Take care both of you and all the best - Hilary
There are so many sad diseases and circumstances out there! I'm glad you managed to have good moments with your mom! Our mom loves music and we sing a lot. it definitely helps keep her communication skills stronger. We'll keep dancing!
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