writingforyourlife

I recently finished The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, a favourite amongst book clubs.

In the 60’s, a doctor is forced to deliver his own twins during a snowstorm.  His wife is unaware that one of the twins is born with Down’s Syndrome. The doctor tells his wife the child died, and convinces his nurse to take the child to an institution.  Instead, the nurse keeps the child and raises her as her own.

While I really enjoyed this book’s premise and plot, I thought the quality of writing was mixed.  It started strong and faded near the end.  It’s a classic choice from which to draw writing dos and don’ts.

• Do create a fascinating premise: One healthy baby, one with Down’s Syndrome, separated by 1960’s intolerance and a thrilling family secret.  
• Do create suspense:  When will the mother discover her daughter didn’t die, but was hidden from her for over 20 years?
• Do hook your reader:  Chapter one features strong writing and the premise is set quickly.
• Don’t tell… Show! :  The story covers such a long period of time, Edwards often resorts to carelessly inserting major plot events by simply saying they happened rather than showing them.
• Don’t write sloppy endings:  There is so much build up to the climax, the ending is sweet but feels rather thrown together.
• Don’t exhaust your reader:  Character development is one thing, but piling on inconsequential details can get old, fast.  Be selective.

Please don’t let my criticisms stop you from reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter .  A writer must look at reading selections from a critical perspective in order to learn from them!

It’s worth a read, and I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys mainstream literature.