The YouStory

MaybeThinkofallthemomentsthatmakeupyourlife. yourshasbeenonefilledwithadventureor youisaninspiringtaleofovercomingadversity.Perhaps family.simplywishtopreserveyourhistoryforyour daunting.Buttheideaofwritingitalldowncanbe Thegoodnewsisyoudon’thavetoprofessionalsdoitalone.Therearesometalentedlocal availabletohelp.

ByNickSteele

First, let’s talk terminology. Many people use the words memoir and autobiography interchangeably. But in the publishing world, a memoir typically focuses on a particular time or aspect of a person’s life, while autobiographies are a record of that person’s life from birth to present day. However, this distinction is only relevant if you are hoping to sell your story commercially. What is most important is to identify your goals and the correct resource for you. If you have already written (or plan to write) your own story for publication, you’ll need an editor with publishing experience to help you focus and refine your e orts. If you don’t want to write it yourself, you need a ghostwriter. If you’re solely interested in preserving the story of your life for your loved ones, you want a memoirist or raconteur.

The Memory Palace

“With a personal memoir, the individual is able to tell their story in a very authentic and natural way,” o ers Olivia Spallino Savoie, a raconteur based in The Villages.

“I arrive with a set of questions. They serve as a guide, beginning with prompts regarding childhood and adolescence and progressing to the present.”

Once Savoie has completed her interview sessions, she uses that material to compose the story. Her goal is to preserve the subject’s voice and memories without any embellishment. It generally takes her a month or two to complete the manuscript, which can range in length from 5,000 to 50,000 words. She is also able to incorporate 50 to 100 photos in the final book.

“We construct tribute books to celebrate lives and cement legacies by interviewing family and friends and compiling photographs, letters and other documents,” she explains. “By preserving all of that, you have something that will inform and inspire present and future generations.”

To learn more about Olivia’s services, visit raconteurwriting.com.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

If your goal is to sell your story, you likely need an experienced editor to assess your manuscript and help you get it into the best shape possible before you submit it to literary agents or go the route of self-publishing.

Belea T. Keeney is an Ocala-based editor who works with writers in various ways, from editorial evaluation to developmental editing. She has edited such notable books as For the Record by musician Don Tolle and the award-winning memoir Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda by Kenna P. Marriott.

Keeney begins her process by giving her clients a sample edit to provide them with a sense of how much time and e ort a project will take.

“Memoirs for publication are quite di erent than ones solely for people who already know the writer,” Keeney o ers. “They involve much more scene-setting, backstories and detail to show the reader the action and drama. Most of my clients come to me with at least some material already written. I’ll do an evaluation of the manuscript, o er suggestions, comments and queries to help the writer shape the rest. Some just have an outline, and I help them decide what to include, what to add and how to write their story e ectively.”

Visit beleatkeeney.com for more information.

The Sky is Not the Limit

Let’s say you believe your story has the potential to be published, but you need someone else to write the manuscript.

That’s where ghostwriters like Patricia Charpentier come in.

This celebrated author of the award-winning book Eating an Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a Time has helped hundreds of people write and publish their stories over the past 20 years. She has also worked with a number of individuals with Alzheimer’s.

“I work with a lot of people with memory loss. I get as much as I possibly can,” she o ers. “They’re usually very clear about what happened a long time ago. It’s what happened 10 minutes ago that they have trouble with.”

In addition to ghostwriting, Charpentier o ers editing services, coaching and classes.

To learn more about her book and services, visit writingyourlife.org.

The Glass Castle

A few years back, writer Amy Mangan penned a column for the Ocala Star Banner called Writing a Story Worth Telling. She explained that most people defeat themselves before they even start, by o ering up a litany of excuses.

“Not enough time. No talent. Few skills. Bad lighting. Bad computer. Bad third day of the sixth month of the year,” she mused. “Excuses, really. I recognize them all. I’ve made these arguments, too. Lack of co ee also has been one of my reasons. But empathy and ca eine-deficiency aside, my response to them (and me) is this: Stop whining and start writing.”

At the time, Mangan was at work on a memoir. Her journey past her own self-defeating excuses was fueled by the inspiration she drew from her father Sherman Yeary, who at the age of 67 wrote his first book, The Story Pole, a memoir about growing up in a small town.

“He didn’t have an agent or a book contract,” she explained. “He self-published four non-fiction works, all centered on his life, family, friends and his beloved community of Ocala, Florida.”

Mangan recently published her memoir entitled This Side Up: The Road to a Renovated Life. After devoting a decade of her career to writing about picture-perfect homes and gardens for such magazines as Better Homes & Gardens and Southern Living, this first-time author bravely pulled back the curtain on her own less-than-perfect life. In it she reveals how financial, health and marital struggles threatened her very existence and how she found the strength to face down adversity and redefine what

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Although all memoirs are personal, some require the writer to revisit their darkest days and reveal details that others might prefer stay hidden. Often these books o er readers a lifeline and a road map to help them navigate their way out of similar situations.

it means to be happy amid overwhelming circumstances.

“A crisis can make you feel isolated, let alone experiencing several at once,” shares Mangan. “I want people to know they’re not alone, they will survive, that there is no shame in your life falling apart.”

How did she stay focused until she had the very best manuscript she could create?

“I made it a priority. I got up at five every morning and wrote for two hours. I didn’t stop until I had completed at least a thousand words,” she recalls. “I also did not self-edit. That first draft... you just have to write it. On weekends I would proof and edit drafts.”

Mangan advises that writers also need to fully understand their reasons behind telling their story. She cautions that if the goal is based mainly on being published, it’s time to reexamine your motivations.

“I was fortunate to get the book published, but my goal was first to write this story as a tribute to my family and also the friends and loved ones that carried us through some very di cult times,” she reveals. “Secondly, I wanted to give hope and courage to others. That’s the best reason to write a memoir. There is real power in sharing your truth.”

To learn more about Amy Mangan and her memoir, visit amymangan.com

Mickie Zada recently released Looking Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Abuse: If We Don’t Change, Nothing Changes. Part memoir and part personal growth guide for those who have been victims of abuse, Zada draws from her 34 years as a victim of domestic abuse and o ers insightful perspectives and strategies.

“Like most memoir writers, I worried that I’d be judged,” Zada reveals. “I was concerned that telling my story of domestic abuse would shed a negative light on who I am. One day, I decided that other people’s opinions of me were none of my business.”

Zada confesses that even after that epiphany, she still needed a nudge to move forward.

“It was still di cult for me to come to terms with writing about my domestic abuse,” she recalls. “When I was on the cusp of making the decision to speak and write my truth, I sought advice from a former counselor. He congratulated me on my intention to write a book and told me that as long as I don’t tell my story, I’m still being controlled and abused... still protecting my abuser. Wow! That was an eye-opener. That being said, one of my sisters is livid that I am truthful about domestic abuse. I do my best not to be inyour-face with my experience, but I chose to be honest, specific and direct. Hopefully, as more people talk about domestic abuse it will be brought out of the shadows. My sister will either get over it, or not.”

Even while dealing with such serious subject matter, Zada kept her book upbeat and accessible.

“I chose to use a sense of humor and write from my heart energy,” she explains. “By writing as if I’m sitting down at the table, talking with my readers, the words took on a less traumatic tone. Let go of the fear of other people’s response to your memoir. Start at the beginning, and let it flow!”

Visit survivingabusenetwork.com to learn more about Zada’s book and other projects.

By Cynthia McFarland

Living in Florida we’re probably more aware of water than residents in many other states. It’s a peninsula, after all, so we’re surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, not to mention all the rivers, lakes and springs we’re fortunate to have nearby.

Despite all that visible water, our primary source of water is groundwater, which comes from underground aquifers.

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, most of Florida’s public water systems use groundwater, drawing from approximately 12,000 wells that connect with five major aquifer systems.

Notice the “s” on the end of that word. Yes, there’s more than one aquifer beneath our sandy soil. The largest of these is the Floridan aquifer system, which underlies not only all of Florida but parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, extending for about 100,000 square miles.

Four additional aquifers supply water in Florida: the sand and gravel aquifer (western Panhandle area), the Biscayne Aquifer (South Florida), the intermediate aquifer system (southwestern Florida), and the surficial aquifer system (any otherwise undefined aquifers that are present at the surface).

So long as the average person can turn on the tap and water comes out, it’s safe to say they probably don’t think much about where that water comes from. But as residents of a popular state with an ever-increasing population, we’d be wise to learn more about the remarkable, yet vulnerable, aquifer systems we depend on.

In A Nutshell

If you could take a giant vertical slice out of our part of the state and look at it from the side, you’d see a relatively thin layer of surface material (soil, sand, clay) at the top. Underlying that, you’d see a vast area of porous carbonate rocks.

Because that rock material (mostly limestone and dolomite) is permeable, it not only holds water but allows water to move through its holes, cracks and fractures. Filling those openings are both fresh and saltwater. Freshwater is found in the upper part of the aquifers, while saltwater, which is heavier than fresh, is found at greater depths.

The Floridan aquifer averages 1,000 feet thick. In the central part of the state, the freshwater layer is thickest and can extend as deep as 2,000 feet below the surface. Toward the coast and the southern part of the state, that freshwater layer gets much thinner.

Growing Population

“The Floridan aquifer system is one of the most prolific water-bearing aquifers in the world. The nature of the limestone, caverns and fractures in the limestone allow large volumes of water to move freely,” explains Scott Laidlaw, a professional geologist and bureau chief for water supply planning and assessment for the St. Johns River Water Management District.

One of five regional water management districts established by the state Legislature in 1972, the St. Johns River Water Management District covers 18 counties (12,283 square miles) in northeast and Central Florida, including Marion. As environmental regulatory agencies of the state of Florida, these management districts are tasked with “ensuring a long-term supply of drinking water, and to protect and restore the health of water bodies.” (The districts work with public water utilities but don’t supply water themselves.)

As might be expected, the increasing number of Florida residents is a very real concern for these agencies.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is a growing population and greater demands on our resources,” notes Laidlaw. “When we determine regions where groundwater alone can’t meet all the projected demands, we’re required to create water supply plans. All five of the districts in the state conduct regular water resource assessments to evaluate the potential e ects of supplying the demands for water with only groundwater.”

The 18 counties in the St. Johns district alone are anticipating a population of 6.7 million people by 2020 with an expected water use of 1.3 billion gallons per day.

Our district alone is currently using just over 1 billion gallons per day. Keep in mind this doesn’t include such densely populated areas as South Florida or the southwestern portion of the state.

Utilizing Technology

“The district has always looked at innovative ways to get water back into the aquifer,” says Laidlaw, noting that an ongoing e ort is finding ways to reclaim water and reuse it, rather than pulling more water from the aquifers.

Reclaimed water is wastewater that has been treated and disinfected. Although this water is termed “non-potable” (not intended for drinking), it can be distributed for irrigation purposes, cooling power plants, etc.

“In Ocala, we have the Pine Oaks Wetlands Recharge Project to bring reclaimed water and storm water back into the aquifer system,” says Laidlaw. “These types of projects can be very beneficial to the system and bring in water that might otherwise just run o .”

The St. Johns district set a record for highest reclaimed water used beneficially in 2017 at 223 million gallons per day. District wide, more than 50 percent of wastewater flows have been reused beneficially since 2010. Alachua County leads the pack with an impressive 96 percent countywide reuse utilization rate.

Laidlaw adds that existing technology is also being used to bring treated reclaimed water up to standards so that it can be used for human consumption.

“This technology is being used across the country and in other countries,” he says. “If we can use reclaimed water, we don’t have to pull so much water out of the ground, and if we don’t take it out of the aquifer system, the whole system benefits.”

Saltwater Intrusion

Because the entire state is underlain by brackish water and saltwater, there is always a risk of that salty water mingling