Everyone Can Write – by a Dyslexic
by Genevieve Dawid
My name is Genevieve Dawid. I am dyslexic, dysphasic and yet still have become an author.
At school my spelling was so poor that I was told not to participate in English classes. Therefore I believed that I would never be able to write.
I left school not knowing where a comma went, let alone being able to spell. In greeting cards I simply put my name, fearing that a written sentiment may contain spelling mistakes. I had someone else type letters on my behalf and totally avoided having to write.
However, when moving onto further education at 16 teachers diagnosed me as dyslexic; within weeks with extra tuition I started to write far better, and found myself enjoying it.
Learning to use a computer changed my writing for good, as I had the added benefit of the Spell Check.
When I started to write more as I got older, it was suggested that my life story and experience in personal development should be published; I was petrified.
After a serious illness came the perfect opportunity to create my long awaited book. It was without doubt the hardest thing I had ever done, but I was determined that I would write all the words myself, not have it ghost written.
Daily, I spent hours writing, and in just a month I had the bones of a book. I then sent it to an editor for appraisal, direction and corrections before finally turning it into a book. (Most authors use editors before submitting a manuscript to a publisher.) The whole process took nine months.
Eventually, my part biography and self help book, ‘The Achiever’s Journey’ was published in 2007; one of my greatest achievements. Now I have the writing bug! I regularly write publishing articles and editorials
Recently I took a world cruise and kept a daily diary, - which went out weekly via e-mail to family and friends. A wonderful record of a very special time in my life.
What writing has made me realise is the extent to which our society has snobbish values about writing. It is not how you write, but what you write.
Everyone should write a memoir. For example writing your thoughts on your wedding day, after giving birth, or other memorable life experiences.
When my Father was dying of cancer he started to write about his life. I longed for him to be able to record all of his experiences. Sadly, he only wrote a fraction of it, but I treasure to this day the bit he did accomplish. However, there is so much I wish I could ask, and can’t. Now I’m older I want to know more.
Whatever memories or knowledge you may have, write them down. My grandfather was a brilliant gardener, but unfortunately none of his tips were passed on to me.
I have a wonderful son who is also very dyslexic. I treasure every word that he writes; most spelling mistakes are still readable, such as “shud” for “should”.
Every day I encounter others from the same generation, or who like me, were overlooked or not accepted, for not meeting the standards set for writing. Worse still, I see children leaving school today without basic writing skills.
The more I write the better I get. If you want to improve your English, by all means look to get assistance as I did, through additional education.
If you don’t want, or are not in the position to gain further education, then still write. Just write in your own style; it doesn’t have to be perfect. You could also choose to use a dictaphone and have someone type it for you. Then again you could record memoirs or information on a video recorder. Or type straight onto the computer.
Remember, what ever you write, you will without doubt benefit another, please loved ones, as well as providing an historical record.
Genevieve
