MY FATHER – ON WRITING

Writing books is easy!

By Georgia Lee, from the diary of Emmett Lee     

Dad reading to my son Miles, 1991

      When my father, Emmett Lloyd Lee, turned 80, I gave him a guided journal

“A Father’s Legacy – Your Life’s Story in Your Own Words.” Dad is a

natural, conversational writer, full of depth yet lacking pretension. Reluctantly

accepting my gift, he then became obsessed with writing every day, filling every page

and requesting more journals. He began to ignore guided prompts and chose his own – a

 

topic under each letter of the alphabet. I now teach Memoir Writing, at OLLI, a division

 

of Emory University and with groups and private clients. I use Dad’s musings as

 

examples for students who believe good writing must be fancy, multi-syllabic and

 

impossible to read to be any good. My Father’s Day tribute is Dad’s own words

 

                                              ON WRITING BOOKS

      I always thought that writing books must be a hard job. Not so! It’s easy. Just follow

 

certain steps. Write with a pen, not on a computer. Get a ready-made book (like this

 

one-“A Father’s Legacy” and just write in it. Respond to questions. Don’t like the

 

questions? Answer them anyway. It’s fine, and might be better, to come up with your

 

own, to be sure you can answer them. Or, like every politician questioned by the media

 

on T.V., just answer another question. Next, you must decide if writing about yourself,

 

how much are you going to tell. Anyone could write a bestseller under the title: “Let it All

 

Hang Out – My life’s most sordid secrets revealed” You know this has never been done.

 

As Hamlet’s father’s ghost said, “I could unfurl a tale which would chill your young

blood.” And so could everyone else.

My father died July 1, 2014. He was 89. 

How much to reveal – that is the question

“Now cracks a noble heart.—Good night, sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” — Hamlet – William Shakespeare