Mary Vee: Use the Fodder from Life Experience to Craft Great Stories

Use the Fodder from Life Experiences to Craft Great Stories

There was a story or two from my high school literature classes in which the author gave a voice to a main or minor character with mental health issues. Think autism or an adult with the mind of a child. Each one brilliantly written. Great skill was needed to imagine the shoes of such a character and to write their story from their perspective.

A story popped into my mind not long after my mom finished a five-year battle with dementia and went to live with Jesus. A story of Anders, a young master chef who, due to no fault of his own, suffered a head injury and lost the ability to remember. Imagine making the batter for cookies and not remembering if you had put in one or two cups of sugar. While the amount of sugar may seem trite, the moment-by-moment decisions we make each day springboard from memories—even something as simple as checking a calendar for recorded events.

I toyed with who the main character should be for this story. The observant nurse. The neighbor. The parent. It wasn’t until I’d written half the story when–like a potter sitting before her clay–I smashed the form, tossed it aside, and plunked a new lump of clay onto the wheel, letting Anders tell his own story.

Anders struggles to remember what happened from the first page to the last. Bits and pieces pop on a page before the memory fades. I’ve been asked why the story wasn’t longer. I shrug and say, this was all Anders could remember. Fortunately, he reveals what brought about his redemption before he forgets. Anders shows his appreciation to readers by providing his very own master chef recipes at the end of the book.

Significant memory loss can be frustrating for the inflicted. In time, my mom, and my character, Anders, smiled with a twinkle in their eyes when they realize they should know a person but had no clue who they were.

I was surprised to read about a real village in Denmark designed for adults with head injuries, dementia, etc. There are apartments with decoration themes from the fifties, sixties, etc., and those with career themes such as professorial, plumber, or the wealthy-high tea is served for these ladies and gentlemen. The cashiers, movie attendants, baristas, and more are all medical personnel. This village became Anders’ home.

This is such a sweet story of a community who helped beautiful people unable to remember a name, if they locked the front door, or took their meds, but have so much to offer. If you’re looking for a story that will warm your heart, Anders’ Redemption is the one.

Mary Vee –  Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet. Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

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