Just about everyone thinks they’ve got a memoir in them, a compelling story of triumph over tragedy guaranteed to sell millions of copies around the world and ultimately become a made-for-tv movie. But the idea is often where it ends, because they don’t know where to start or who to ask for help.
The Root sat down with activist and inspirational speaker Sabrina Greenlee to talk about the process of writing her new memoir, “Grant Me Vision: A Journey of Family, Faith and Forgiveness.” In the book, Greenlee shares her inspirational story of growing up in South Carolina and overcoming poverty, abuse, and a horrific attack that left her blind to raise four successful children – including NFL star DeAndre Hopkins.
As she prepares to share her story with the world this month, Greenlee gave us her top tips for turning your memoir writing dreams into reality.
Get Help From a Good Ghostwriter
Greenlee gives credit to her ghostwriter, The Root’s Editor-in-Chief and South Carolina native, Tatsha Robertson with helping her bring her story to life. She said it was important for her to work with a Black person – specifically one from the South – who could help her capture the essence of what her life was like growing up in Clemson, South Carolina. And after meeting with Robertson, Greenlee said it was her answer to one important question that let her know she was the one.
“I said, I’m going to ask her how she cooks her collard greens. And I knew she was my girl when we could hold a conversation about collard greens,”she said.
Greenlee adds that working with a ghostwriter you trust can help you self-edit and really hone in on the most important details of your story.
“This is my first book, so I had to understand that everything I talk about isn’t going to make the cut,” she said. “In my mind, it’s my story, so everything is important. But Tatsha was very careful about putting in the things that were most important to me.”
Stick to a Schedule
Even if writing is your full-time job, it’s important to make sure you carve out time for research, conducting interviews, and yes, writing your memoir. Greenlee says she and her ghostwriter made an outline of the things they wanted to cover in the book and then worked together to schedule times to talk about each topic. Although she says the process was tedious, the time they spent planning paid off because the schedule made them accountable.
“There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears on her end and mine,” she said.
Put Your All Into Your Proposal
Writing a great story is only part of the process. You also have to secure a deal with a publisher to get your book to the masses. Greenlee says the key to getting a great deal is having a great proposal – essentially a business plan for your book. She worked with her ghostwriter to submit three full chapters, a table of contents, an in-depth outline of the book and a marketing plan to build a strong case for her book for potential publishers.
“We wrote an amazing proposal and we were confident that someone would read what we wrote and be able to take it to the next level,” she said.
Greenlee says her agent helped her set up interviews with major publishing houses to present her proposal. And because she wanted to put her best foot forward, she prepared tirelessly for each meeting with the help of a speaking coach. But she says the connection with HarperCollins was instant and she was ecstatic to work with them.
“They knew this was going to be an amazing book and they needed to hear me say that I was committed to the process and willing to make it come to life,” she said.
Deal With the Feels
Writing a memoir can force the author to relive difficult and sometimes downright painful moments, something Greenlee knows firsthand. Greenlee says it wasn’t always easy to conjure up memories of the abuse and the painful attack she suffered, adding that she dealt with moments of doubt about how others – particularly members of her family – would receive her story.
“I didn’t know what to expect and there are some things that I still haven’t told people that they’re going to find out when they read the book,” she said.
But Greenlee says despite those moments of doubt, it’s important to stand by your story and be confident that your memoir is your truth. She credits her ghostwriter with helping her work through that difficulty.
“It’s so hard because when you’re unveiling your entire body, mind and soul and putting it on these pages, you have to have somebody who’s understanding and can say I’ve got your back even when you don’t have your back,” she said.
Let it Go
Although you may never feel like your story is perfect, there comes a time when you have to let it go. Once your book is ready for market, all you can do is let it go and hope readers will feel a connection with your words.
Greenlee says she wants readers of “Grant Me Vision” to be inspired by her story and know that it’s never too late to turn your life around.
“As long as you’re on this Earth, there’s still time to get it right,” she said. “You always have a second chance at getting it right as long as you’re breathing. You just have to make that choice and want to change.”