Just the Facts

As many people in my circle know, I have been spending a very long time editing, revising and updating the haunted houses book. This is a very big book so it has taken me a long time to go through it. I was working on it every day until I became ill and was hospitalized, then unfortunately, I lost two years of being able to work on it during my recovery. However, after I was fully recovered and able to write again, I got back to work on it.

 

I have been back to work on it ever since. And I am so glad I took up this task to edit and revise the original book!

 

During the time I have been working on it, I have noticed A LOT of mistakes. This particular task of revising and editing the book has also required me to do a lot of fact-checking, as well as digging through historical records. (Yes, I am keeping track of my sources!) Unfortunately, the original source we got a majority of our information from did not do any fact-checking of their own. Therefore, a lot of that information was either flawed or based on urban legends. (I am trying to avoid including urban legends in this book!)

 

That said, I have had to rewrite MANY passages in this book. Finding out that our original source of information was flawed has indeed been alarming. I want to notify them about this, since other visitors to their site might believe that information, too. I also want to see if they can use my own work for that information after the book comes out. (I know the owner of the site, so maybe he will be agreeable to this.)

 

But what I have also noticed are claims about certain haunted houses which I cannot find anywhere in my own research. One of the houses written about in this book, for example, was said to have been investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren. I would not be surprised if this is true, since the house is located in Connecticut, but I could not find proof of this at all anywhere in my research. Therefore, I did not include that factoid in the revised passage written about that house.

 

What I try to do with this work is stick to the facts. I report only on my findings, not on urban legends or what some people say about a certain haunted house. I only want to report the facts and set records straight.

 

The paranormal field is rife with hype, urban legends and exaggerated claims. I happen to take the paranormal seriously, approaching it with an open and curious mind without being influenced by urban legends or hyperbole. That is the same approach I wish to take with this book. I want this book to tell the truth and not some fiction thought up by someone looking for publicity. If I do find proof of certain claims surrounding a haunted house, I will include it. Otherwise, it’s just a claim that can’t really be backed up, so it gets cut.

 

Just You and I

When it comes to writing a self-help book, or a book meant to assist a certain demographic, the authoring of such books can be tricky. Before I started the editing and revising of a book I began writing years ago, I knew I had to keep the book’s focus clear. I also had to approach the writing of this book not as “the voice of authority” but more like someone who has “been there, done that.”

 

The thing of it is, I am NOT the voice of authority on this topic. Yes, I have years of experience under my belt, but I’m not an expert on the book’s topic. And since it deals with something health-related, I have to be careful. I cannot try to present myself as an expert. I have no medical training and no training as a counselor.

 

I’m just somebody who survived an addiction.

 

That said, I have to keep that in mind as I write it.

 

Now, I don’t like to be boastful. I don’t want the book to be “ALL ABOUT ME” and how I managed to get through an experience for so long. But, the truth is, the readers in that group will WANT that information.

 

I keep thinking of what I would say to someone if they ever asked me how I survived managing an addiction for so long (sadly, alcoholism really cannot be cured!). My answer is always, “Read this book to find out.”

 

So I have to make sure that the writing is more about “I did” this or “I tried” that. You know? Instead of “you should do” this or “you should try” that.

 

In some cases, yes, using the word “you” might be helpful. And I think even the occasional “we” could work, since I am a part of that group and, on some occasions, the things I talk about can go for ALL of us. But, for the most part, using “I” instead of “you” sounds a lot better. And I also think if I write it in a certain way, that even despite it being first-person experiences, it could still be helpful to the audience the book is written for. I believe it could still be useful.

 

Yet, there I was, way past Chapter 10, and trying to figure out HOW to write a chapter on a topic that SHOULD be written by someone who works as a counselor or who is a minister or whatever. It was still a topic I could relate to, because that particular issue was a part of my journey. Unable to figure it out, I stepped away from what I’d written of the chapter so far and decided to just think about it. I did other things. I cooked a meal, did some chores and read a book. It was while I was reading that I figured it out: Keep it all personal. Use “I” instead of “you.” So I went back to that chapter and finished writing it as a personal story.

 

I wrote the rest of that chapter of that book with “I” instead of “you.” Even though the reader may nod in understanding as they read, having been there themselves, I have to keep it all personal, because that’s the kind of book it’s supposed to be. It’s my personal story. But I want it to be a personal story in which readers from that audience can feel empowered and have hope that they, too, can beat the addiction that I struggled with for years (and now going on almost 5 years of being free of it). I say at the beginning of the book that I am not an expert, have no medical training, no training as a therapist and that I don’t have any special letters after my name. I’m just someone who found a way to control the addiction that almost killed me. I’m in that group. I’m in that demographic. It’s a journey we and fellow recovery posse members are all on together.

 

This realization means I will have to revise and edit ALL the previous chapters written up until now, changing the “you” to “I” and making all those stories reflect my personal experience with that particular issue. As far as the writing of the book is concerned, I have to keep the writing personal as I tell my story and share how, in the end, I broke free.

 

Deleted passage from (unpublished) nonfiction book

I am currently revising a nonfiction book that I wrote last year. In one part of the book, I discuss ways of coping with haters (something I have a lot of experience with!). However, there was one thing that I wrote in that book that I was not sure about. I wasn't entirely sure if it was true or not. However, I wrote it because I just wanted to grab the first example I could think of and keep writing the first draft. Now here we are in revisions, and I'm more analytical about the book's content!

 Here is the passage I was feeling iffy about:

"While recovering from alcoholism, I got wind that someone I know was saying that I never really got drunk because I only drank beer. I eventually understood that she was trying to turn it into a competition over what qualifies as a “real drunk” as a way to get me to fail in my attempts. It didn’t work; I stayed sober. I stayed on my path."

I was not 100% certain if this was true. Sure, I had a pretty strong hunch it was true, and I usually trust my gut! But because I didn't have actual proof that it was true and I had no statements from anyone who would actually know, it was not a good idea to use it. Even still, what if it was not true? Including it would be slander. I didn't identify that mysterious "someone" but chances are good their identity would be revealed and if I was wrong, that is slander, and they could sue me for that. So I decided that it was better to toss it. 

I had a better example to use, anyway:

"As someone with burn scars on her face, I dealt with A LOT of bullying as a child. (I was in a car accident as a baby and that is why I am burned.) Even as an adult, I still got strange looks from people and was either avoided or treated badly and I often wondered if it was because of my appearance. However, when I was in my 30s, I made a promise to myself that I was not going to allow this to cause me to hide away from the world. My social anxiety is a daily battle and it’s worsened by the fear that people will judge me and treat me badly because of my scars. And every day, I have to look that fear in the eye and decide to go out into the world anyway! I refuse to live life hidden away in fear because of my scars. Life is too important and there is just so much out there to experience and enjoy. If people judge me or treat me badly because of my appearance, so be it. I will focus instead on people who can look past my scars and treat me like a person. Thankfully, there are people in my life who love, support and accept me despite my scars, and I focus my energy on them. Everybody else is just everybody else!"  

But even with that revision, I have to find out if it was indeed a car accident. I have gotten conflicting accounts over what really happened on that day I was burned. So I need to even check that before releasing the manuscript.

And, yeah, everything else in the revised text is accurate and true. It's probably a better example, anyway. And thankfully, no one can sue me for saying it!