Individual Artist Project

Funding from this project will go towards paying artists in Minnesota including a writing coach and a manuscript critique. These artists will be identified through support from local writing organizations like the Lake Superior Writers or Loft Literary Center. The project will also have local economic benefit because much of the funding for this project will be spent locally as part of my cost of living. My writing highlights the important connection between identity and place throughout life. My memoir is deeply rooted in Minnesota and in Duluth in particular, and this project will elevate the presence of this community through the publication of two essay excerpts from the manuscript. Lastly, I'm aware that I have the potential to inspire others in the community. I was greatly influenced by a friend and mentor, Michele Wheeler, who published a memoir about her terminal breast cancer, and illustrated the great power in sharing your story with the world. I plan to pay that inspiration forward for other writers in our community. I connect with other writers through the Lake Superior Writers group, Loft Literary Center, and through my monthly Story Found writing group, Story Found, which was established following a course I took through the Loft.; My intended outcomes for this phase are to complete major revisions and prepare the memoir for querying agents and publishers. To do this, I have the following goals: 1. Complete major revisions including edits to the structure, tone, and setting of the manuscript. 2. Following initial revisions, solicit a formal manuscript critique to receive feedback from a professional writer or agent about narrative arc, structure, perspective, character development, voice, and potential paths to publishing. 3. Receive personal consultation or coaching to grow my understanding of the publishing industry as it applies to publication of my memoir. This includes support for determining a path to publishing, developing a query letter, and identifying agents or publishing houses. 4. Publish at least two essays developed from manuscript excerpts. These publications will help build my writing portfolio which will support future queries to agents and publishers in phase three of this project. I have illustrated my success at writing and publication through publication of creative nonfiction essays, peer-reviewed research papers, technical documents, and web content. I was recently awarded third place in the Hal Prize for nonfiction in 2023 for my essay, A Frayed Thread. This memoir is the first project of its magnitude that I have undertaken, and since June 2020 when I began, I have completed the first draft of the memoir. I have also taken many writing courses with renowned authors to enhance my abilities in creative nonfiction and memoir. This includes three courses previously funded through an ARAC small grant for education.; I will know I was successful if, at the end of phase two of this project, I have: 1. Written and verbal feedback from a professional writer on my second draft manuscript to inform future revisions. 2. A revised manuscript ready for querying agents at the end of two years. 3. A plan outlined for publication, which I can pursue in phase three of this project, including: - Feedback from a writing coach on a path to publishing. - Feedback on a draft query letter. - Identified agents and publishing houses to target in phase three for publication. 4. Published two essays based on excerpts from my manuscript in public venues with readerships of at least 750 each. In the long term, I will know I have been successful when my manuscript is published and publicly available, following the last phase of this project.