My life has always been an open book. With Wailing Wall nearing its target publication date of late summer, 2015, that will soon be more true than ever. Since memoirs often discuss touchy topics (what fun are they otherwise?) there's a lot of talk among memoirists about how to manage you content when it involves people who would have preferred you keep the family secrets tightly under wraps.

For the most part, memoirists say that you have to tell your own truth. Talk about how you experienced certain situations from your own perspective. Okay.But some of the things I talk about in Wailing Wall includes *real* people. People that I love.

Hi, Everyone! Draft 3 has gone to the editor so I thought I'd post the revised Chapter 1 for your reading pleasure. Thanks to some great support from my writing group and editing team, this version is FAR better than the one that was previously up - I hope you'll think so, too.

Dear Backers,

It's practically Spring! Even though many parts of the country are covered in snow, the calendar says it's coming and I'm thinking sunshine. Of course, Spring also means the anniversary of Joshua's death, so it's bittersweet. 

Today, I took a long drive in the country to gather my thoughts before I dived in to Draft #3 of Wailing Wall. One more round of rewrites with my editor, Anne Horowitz, and we will be ready to go. I can't believe I'm almost there. It's been a difficult story to write and I'm grateful to each of you for hanging in with me over the past year. 

You can expect to see your copy of Wailing Wall in late summer. As we move through design, I'll have a better idea of the publication date. In the meantime, I hope you'll holler at me on my Author page on FaceBook - Deedra Climer. That's where I do most updates, rants and share other info about the writing life. You can also ask questions about the project, my writing or anything else you're interested in. My life is an open book ... literally!

Best,

Deedra

Dear Backers of Wailing Wall,

I have two exciting announcements and I wanted you to be the first to know!

1) The first draft of Wailing Wall is complete!  What a crazy wild ride. I hear that rewriting is the fun part and I sure hope that's true because getting the first draft out was downright painful! 

2) We have an editor! Anne Horowitz has signed on as the developmental editor for the project. Previously of Soft Skull Press, Anne is now a freelance editor out of Brooklyn, New York. She'll get the first draft in mid-December and start working her magic!

As for me, I'm going to take the month of December off from writing and spend some quality time with the people I love.  And maybe, if there's a good snow, I'll get some skjoring time in with Ezra, Prince Among Dogs. 

Love to all,

Dee

WE DID IT!

Thanks to all 92 people who believed in the project and backed it with their hard-earned dollars! Someone said to me last week that the pressure was now on, but I see it differently. For me, the pressure was the fundraising period. Writing is the fun part!

Some of you are asking for more draft chapters and I promise to get a few more up this week.  One of the great things about publishing through Inkshares is that I will have the benefit of professional developmental editing (something I wouldn't have been able to afford if I'd self-published) so chapters of the book will likely be very different from what you're reading now.

Again, thanks to all of you for believing in the project and believing in me. Especially my family who came through in ways I would have never imagined. 

And, thanks to Joshua for telling me in no uncertain terms to just write the damn book!

xoxoxo,
Dee

Thank you for being one of the first 4 backers to contribute to Wailing Wall!  In just over 48 hours, nearly $300 has been raised toward the funding goal and I am overwhelmed by your kindness.  Please, keep sharing the Word Slave status updated with your networks so that appeals will reach far and wide. Incentives for new backers will be offered periodically. Stay Tuned!