My dad’s stories
So, my dad is quite the character (as illustrated here, here, and here). He’s a great storyteller, as many of my family members on that side of the family. Last year, I decided I wanted to do something with my dad’s stories (lockdown will do that to you) and started recording his stories and transcribing them.
What I want to do
I thought about combining the stories in a book format, but I don’t know if it would work. There are a couple of things to keep in mind.
My dad’s a boomer and he grew up in the Kalahari—so this ‘book’ will have quite the niche market. You’ll have to kind of understand the background of the time and place to get the humour.
Also, the ‘book’ will be in Afrikaans, because we’re Afrikaans people, and the stories don’t translate well.
Because of these reasons, I thought I’d first test out the stories in a blog format. There are little start-up costs (although I’m going to pay for a domain), and it seems like a safe way to test whether people like the stories. If they get a positive response, I’ll think about approaching publishers.
Why I’m doing this
Obviously, I love my dad’s stories. It’s like a piece of history and I get to know a bit more about my dad. Since we’ve moved halfway around the world, it’s also something that we’re kind of doing together. He tells me the stories, and I do the rest.
Also, unfortunately, my parents are getting old and I don’t know how long they’re still going to be here. So, these stories are a nice way of preserving something of my dad to share with my kids one day.
My uncle (dad’s brother) was also a great storyteller, and many years ago, I recorded a few of his stories. I regret not getting more of his stories, because they were awesome. He passed away in 2016 and I had a rough time dealing with it.
Lastly
That is basically the plan. If a story translates well, I’ll put it up on this blog. Have you ever done something like this? How did it go? What motivated you to do it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Michelle
P.S. If you’d like to contact me, feel free to comment below, send an email to thatmichelleperson@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @M_ClutterBox.
