Scrap Paper

Scrap Paper, Guest post by E.J. Moran
When I began writing Shadow Crimes, the biggest issue for me was remembering my ideas and keeping them organized. They would pop up anytime and anywhere, and if I didn’t make a point of writing them down at that very moment, they would get lost in La La Land forever. I must admit, it was a challenge and scraps of paper became my new best friend. I had them everywhere, scattered throughout my home alongside a trusty pen.

Scrap Paper, Guest post by E.J. Moran
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Twelve years of memories from long ago began resurfacing, flooding me with ideas, phrases, descriptions, even chapter headings. I could be brushing my teeth, or talking on the phone, cooking, or even heading out the door, and I would have to stop, search for a scrap of paper and write the idea down. It didn’t just happen at home either. I could be paying the cashier, driving the car, eating a meal or walking down the street and memories constantly burst forth. It was exciting because I couldn’t stop them coming, nor did I want to, but I had to get a grip on organization because my life was becoming overrun by little pieces of paper with (often illegible) notes.

I decided it was high time to make order out of my notes on scrap paper if I was going to write a novel worth reading, so I headed to the nearest stationary store and bought paper clips and an accordion folder to use for dividing my chapters. At the end of every day I clipped my scraps of paper together, and every morning I took those papers filled with ideas and put them into the relevant chapters in my folder. That’s it. That’s how I learned to capture the idea and keep it forever.

The interesting thing about writing a fiction story based on one’s life is the opportunity to relive the past. Truthfully, I hadn’t thought about my modeling career for years. I was too busy raising a child, being a good wife and setting up homes in new countries. I did my share of volunteering and even taught English for a while, so my former modeling career was the last thing on my mind. I had forgotten about the incredible, unusual life I had. Memories of jet-setting around the world, exclusive parties, beautiful clothes, the feeling of being utterly special (I admit it; it was addictive) and belonging to what some consider to be a very elite crowd, all came rushing back and I relished in it. Then some of the horrible memories resurfaced. The ones of feeling insecure and worthless, or confused and afraid. I began to remember all of the bad stories I had heard or the sad stories I lived, and the true ugliness of the modeling business came forth.

In the end, all of the scraps of paper filled with ideas gathered from so many memories, both good and bad, helped me weave an incredible story, a story that can be believed, and a story that needs to be told.

Scrap Paper, Guest post by E.J. Moran
Born and educated in the United States, E. J. Moran began a career as an international fashion model at the age of eighteen when she was scouted by a top modeling agency based in Milan, Italy.
Moran’s move to Italy set in motion the rest of her career. She signed with top agents and modeled for famous fashion designers and photographers. Her work took her to Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Paris.
After marrying and starting a family, she retired as a fashion model and continued life as an expatriate in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore, and Italy, where she divided her free time between teaching English and volunteering for multiple international organizations.
Recently, she decided to put pen to paper and make fictional use of the plethora of experiences she gained during her globetrotting life. Moran and her husband currently divide their time between Europe and the United States.

Catch Up With E. J. Moran On ejmoranauthor.com/ejm/ 🔗!


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2 Comments

  1. EJ Moran12 February 2018 at 23:00

    Thank you so much for letting me share my story with your readers!

    ReplyDelete
  2. CMash13 February 2018 at 14:44

    I read this book and am so glad that the author had all those slips of paper. The book was great!

    ReplyDelete

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