Rachel's Round-up

Lots of people are writing lists of their achievements/highlights of the past year. For me, there is only one, and that is finishing writing my book, a memoir about my late father, Alan Carter.

It’s due out in March on my father’s birthday. You can sign-up for the waitlist here (there’s no obligation – I’ll just send you an email when it’s ready to order). 

To be honest, I think I doubted my ability from the outset of how to write it. Writing a memoir is tricky. This is partly due to the amount of research that needs to be undertaken, and then wrestling with it, attempting to craft it into a structure, and most importantly learning to use your own voice. I’ve not studied writing formally beyond an ‘A’ Level in English Literature, and while I enjoy reading good quality writing I hadn’t particularly studied the art form of the memoir. So I learnt as I went along. 

I started four years ago, and with various stops and starts I had done lots of work but was struggling to pull it all together. I set myself a goal at the start of this year to finish in 2023. By the summer I was stuck again and ready to give up. That was until, I tried to let go of the project and then something so miraculous happened I had no option but to finish the book. I had some quiet time between work projects and worked flat out, full-time, no longer questioning if I could do this thing, but rather, just doing it.

A few people have asked me what was so special about my father, that I should choose to write a book about his life. Well, the short answer to that is, read the book and you will see!

The longer answer is that he was a larger than life character that inspired many, including me. The book follows his journey as a young teenager in London choosing to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, his love of outdoor adventuring, his natural enthusiasm and zest for life. Spanning three continents and drawing from his own fishing blog, I’ve brought together all his stories. He was someone that always worked hard to improve himself, to serve others, and to fully live his faith. So, if you’re curious, sign-up to the waitlist. And again, there’s absolutely no obligation, just an email I’ll send when it’s ready. But I would love for you to read my book about my father, Alan Carter.