Hello everyone,
I’m excited to share an update on my memoir manuscript, The Dreamer’s Trash Bag.
In a previous video, I showed the first manuscript covered with green sticky notes. That version was sent to proofreaders, and they returned it with helpful feedback. I made revisions and sent the manuscript back again. Recently, I received the second round of feedback, which included pink and yellow sticky notes with additional suggestions.
Now I’m carefully reviewing everything again.
One important piece of feedback involves a specific chapter that is extremely important to the entire memoir. That chapter is the foundation of the story and represents the climax of the book—the moment where the tension builds to its highest point before the story moves toward the ending. Because this chapter connects the earlier events with the final resolution, I want to make sure it is very clear and powerful for readers. I am currently revising that chapter carefully to strengthen it.
Another thing I’m working on is word choice. During the review process I noticed that I used certain words repeatedly throughout the memoir—especially words like shift, shifted, and shifting. I’m going through the manuscript to replace some of those with better choices so the writing feels clearer and more natural while still keeping the meaning of each moment.
The third major area I’m improving is culture and identity. As an Ameslan user, many parts of my cultural experience feel natural to me, so when I first wrote the story I didn’t always stop to explain those experiences for readers. My proofreaders pointed out that readers who are unfamiliar with Ameslan culture may need more context. So I’m now adding more explanation and depth about Ameslan identity and experiences throughout the memoir.
Right now I am going through the manuscript carefully and surgically, reviewing each section and strengthening the story.
My goal is to complete these final revisions by the end of March and then send the manuscript to the proofreaders one last time before moving forward to the next stage of publishing.
I’m excited about this progress and grateful for everyone who continues to follow this journey.
If you’d like to learn more about the book, visit:
http://www.dreamerstrashbag.com
Thank you for your support.
James B. Smith
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