This may not be your method, but writing as much as you can as honestly as you can may show you the blank spaces and blind spots in your memory. When you write a first draft, it’s often helpful to engage in what’s called word vomit. This will serve not only to take the pressure off you, but also to help you determine if you feel ready to write this piece now. Sometimes it’s best not to reveal your work until you’re ready. Instead, start with writing your narrative before you let everyone in your work.
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Depending on the type of story you wish to write, this may not even be desirable. But this doesn’t always need to take place. You may wish to ask a family member if they consent to being portrayed in your narrative. Here are some tips and resources to help you make it happen.
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Whether you’re writing an emotionally challenging story that implicates a family member, or simply including them in your narrative, you’ll need to answer this question: What do you do when a piece you’re passionate about includes stories that implicate your family?
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We’ve already discussed how to write about the body, but Gay’s book can also show us how to write about family when it’s difficult.
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Sometimes oversimplified as a memoir about gaining and losing weight, Hunger is so much more, using the body as a motif to talk about issues that go beyond the media’s depiction of body image. In Hunger, Roxane Gay faces a litany of uncomfortable truths: the way we body shame, dismiss rape victims, and look to families who can sometimes increase the weight of our most private suffering when they don’t understand the entirety of the situation.