Questions of format for writing project; literary arts vs. storytelling

As I struggled to fall asleep again this morning, my thoughts turned once more to my writing. I thought about the best way to organize my material so it would convey the powerful journey I’ve been travelling. Writing every day for 100 days has been a beneficial experience for me, to be sure. However, I want the reader to experience it in the same way, if possible. This is the point at which I am called to employ all my skills as a literary artist. As a first-time book author, I’m not sure how many of those skills I actually have, but I feel like the artistic part is buried deep within me, somewhere. After all, what is writing anyway, but a means of conveying an experience or story in a manner that heightens the emotional quality for the reader? Instead of saying: “I have Parkinson’s Disease”, I am called upon to open the door and welcome the reader so they experience Parkinson’s Disease with me. I want the reader to experience the symptoms, to feel the discomfort, to rejoice in the successes, and to struggle with the questions.

I have been struggling with the question of organization. It is one thing to write every day for 100 days, but an even more complicated undertaking to organize the material into some cohesive whole for the reader to digest. I must remember that the reader does not have the benefit of living within my psyche, so I need to lead and show them the way of the journey. So, I ask myself whether to employ chapters or daily diary entries. I wonder how I can utilize all of my 100 entries to retain the original thrust of the writing project without confusing the reader with many weeks’ worth of extraneous material. How can I focus the reader’s attention on ten or twelve main ideas so those ideas pack more of a punch and carry power in the reader’s life? How much editing and re-writing is too much? How much is necessary? Where are the boundaries that keep artistic license within the realm of good taste?

I believe I should extract a list of main ideas or themes for each entry, and then group all of the like entries together into chapters. This type of organization would create a more enjoyable reading experience and help the reader to digest important bits of information. A type of index could also list the day’s entries that pertain to a certain topic. This would help the reader find interesting topics they would like to re-read.
I am very anxious about moving away from the story-generating writing days to the days when I function as a true literary artist. Today my grandson asked me about my writing, and said I should publish my book. When I told him my plans, he casually replied that then I might even become an author! That is also my hope. That I will create a written product that will touch the reader, and they might think of me as an author. I want to be worthy of the label, and create a product that represents my best work. Then my grandson can tell his friends that his grandpa is, indeed, an author.

549 words
Day 91: October 29, 2023
Success!