December Member of the Month, Libby Knapp. Q & A with Laura Engel, SDMWA President
LE: Congratulations Libby on being the SDWMA December 2020 Member of the Month! How did you discover SDMWA?
LK: In August 2019 I went to a big book festival at Liberty Station in San Diego. There were real authors there selling their own books. There were publishers, editors and everything imaginable that had to do with books. I spent quite a while at the booth called Writers Ink, and instantly knew I would be taking some of the classes they offered. When I saw the San Diego Memoir Writers Association classes I knew I had found my home. I started the Memoir Certificate class with Marni Freedman and Traci Jones in December 2019.
LE: Have you always been a writer?
LK: I have every single thing I have written since I was 13 years old. My teenage years were traumatic and tumultuous, and I documented much of it in journaling and poetry. I have always felt like I had a few stories that truly need to be told someday. The first for now will be my memoir.
LE: Have writing classes made a big impact on your writing?
LK: Oh my gosh, yes. Being connected to the SDMWA teachers, students and everyone else has helped me to have more confidence in myself as a writer than I ever thought possible. I can not write enough praise and thanks to everyone I have met through this process. The steps that Marni and Traci have walked us through are beyond helpful. From taking the class I have at least 20 scenes that I have written towards my memoir, plus my outline. I have learned so much about dialogue, editing, and publishing that I know over the next 12-18 months I will get this book written. That is the other thing I have learned, writing a book does not happen overnight, it is definitely a process, but I know it will be worth it.
LE: We’d love to hear about what you are presently writing.
LK: I am presently working on my untitled memoir. Some people say if I was a child now with the parents I had, I would have been in foster care. I grew up believing my childhood was pretty normal, because I believed what my parents had taught me. What happens in our home stays in our home. The secrets behind closed doors must never be told. Alcoholism, sexual abuse, physical, mental and emotional abuse, and at 13 my mom committed suicide. I was diagnosed with manic to chronic depression at 35 and have had my own struggles with no self-esteem, and abandonment issues affecting my careers and relationships. I want to tell my story because I have fought and I now thrive as an emotional survivor, who has found acceptance of myself and joy in my life. I have done the work, and I know I am a spiritual person with a wealth of wisdom and strength to share.
LE: You are one of the winners in the 2020 Memoir Showcase (Congratulations!) Please tell us a little bit about how you chose your scene and what it was like to win a spot in the Showcase.
LK: I did not really choose this story, it chose me. It was a life altering experience for me at a time when I needed to feel needed by another human being. The choices I made on that day were given to me by a higher power than myself. I have always had a deep valley of compassion for others in my heart, but on this day I may have crossed the line into a place where I could have been in danger. I knew as soon as this event happened to me that it had to be told. I am extremely grateful that the judges picked my story to share at the Memoir Showcase.
LE: What are some of your favorite Memoirs? Your favorite Authors?
LK: I enjoyed “My Life so Far” by Jane Fonda because her mom also committed suicide when she was a teenager. I loved “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, because it showed me that a person can overcome pain and come out of life’s challenges as a stronger person. The memoir titled. “Manic” by Terri Cheney, taught me so much about mental illness and how our society has not wanted to admit that it exists and that is why more people need to talk openly about their own struggles with all types of mental illness. I was lucky to have anti-depressants and two sisters who always supported me in my quest to stay sane. Which has not been easy.
LE: Any advice for new writers?
LK: Find a support system. Find like minded people. Step outside of your comfort zone to tell your truth. Open your mind to all possibilities. Believe in yourself. Trust other people to hear your story and tell you their truth, it may hurt at first, but know that the story that needs to be told will be told. Just keep moving forward.
LE: Thank you Libby! And congratulations again on being December’s Member of the Month!