Essex local discovers life-story writing flow after Autism diagnosis
No Joe Bloggs by Joe Morris should be an inspiration to those wondering if they can pen a life story.
Indeed Englishman Morris fell into his autobiography project while seeking medical care.
And being diagnosed with Autism certainly did not hold this writer back.
In short, his book ranges from affectionate childhood memories growing up at Ilford, Essex, to quirky tales of London life.
Plus there is a moving account of Morris’s family, who survived the Holocaust, among other lighter topics like England’s 1966 World Cup win.
Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Morris to hear more about his life, writing the book and encouragement for fellow creators.
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Writing his own way
Meet Joe
I’m married to my lovely and wonderfully supportive wife Bev.
We have two brilliant grown-up children: Sam, who’s 26 and a couple of weeks ago married the lovely Lucy, and Rachel, who works for a Jewish bakery but has graduated from university with a textiles degree.
No Joe Bloggs came about as a result of my diagnosis with Autism and I now have Asperger’s Syndrome.
I have retired on mental health grounds but still love writing.
Indeed I have been blogging for over three years and derive enormous fun and enjoyment from it.
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What No Joe Bloggs is about
My book No Joe Bloggs is funny, moving, heartfelt, extremely nostalgic and uplifting.
Certainly you’ll love my references to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Tony Bennett, who were my late and wonderful dad’s heroes and idols.
He loved listening to wartime band music and relished going to the West End in London.
For example, driving up to the West End, with me, my mum and brother, he revelled in the sights and sounds.
Indeed there’s a whole chapter or two about the West End.
A book with purpose
I wanted to tell people about my life story.
Firstly I just felt an obligation to tell everybody about my life journey.
This included, personal reminiscences about my childhood, my favourite things in life (such as favourite music, singers, bands, TV personalities and celebrities) and affectionate portraits of football teams in England during the 1970s.
Second I wanted to write about my parents and grandparents.
And this was important because my mum and her parents are Holocaust survivors.
Therefore I’m a grandson of Holocaust survivors.
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Supporters win out
My family was superbly supportive and full of love and approval for this book.
Indeed all of my family have now read No Joe Bloggs and were deeply impressed.
Unfortunately some others took a disliking to my book and said biographies should only be for celebrities.
However, I know that life stories about members of the public can be extremely fascinating and stunning works of art.
How No Joe Bloggs came to be
Getting started
I started the book at a Jewish care centre in Stamford Hill where I joined a mental health group.
Here I took myself off to their computer room where No Joe Bloggs began as a basic short story.
It was about my claim to fame: my grandpa once cut the hair of all the West Ham players who played in the 1966 World Cup Final.
Next No Joe Bloggs just poured out of me and took me roughly a year-and-a-half.
Finding a writing flow
Without wishing to sound boastful there was no planning or compilation process.
However, I did make sure there were clearly marked chapters, with a logical beginning and ending, which my wonderful son helped format.
So to be honest, I love the English language and all the words, grammar and vocabulary just seemed to flow out of me.
Once I’d got going, and thought of words or images popped into my head, I knew the kind of book I wanted to write.
Overcoming writing hurdles
The hardest part of No Joe Bloggs was fearing that if I didn’t save the writing on my computer I would lose it.
This was because somebody in the computer room might have wiped it completely.
Also towards the end, I started writing about the horrendous Holocaust and a hypothesis about what might have happened to both my grandparents and mum.
Certainly this was very emotional, moving and I had to fight back the tears.
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Rewards and writing advice
The most rewarding part of No Joe Bloggs was the day of publication, holding my book in my hands and showing it off to my nearest and dearest.
Also, my publishers gave me five copies initially to hand out to family and friends and that was just thrilling.
Now it may sound pompous and forgive me for saying this but my favourite part of the story was, and still is, every single word, expression, metaphor and lyrical reference in the book.
I love writing descriptively and everything in No Joe Bloggs ticks all the right boxes.
A tip for people who may be considering starting a similar project is to simply go for it.
For example, my starting point and method is to think of any word or image from childhood, which you think is right for you, then start writing.
Next just relax and go for all those lovely memories from childhood and then adolescence.
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Final say: No Joe Bloggs
No Joe Bloggs is a warm, personal and funny life story by a humble and unassuming Englishman.
Indeed it began as a short story but ‘flowed’ on to be so much more.
So take a read for yourself by purchasing a paperback or Kindle copy from Amazon.
The book is also available at most other online and offline bookshops, including Angus and Robertson.
And be sure to tell Morris what you think at his Facebook page.
Happy writing!
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Your say
Does your family have a claim to fame like Morris’s? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Send me an email or leave a reply in the comments section at the end of this article.
Get in touch
Have you hit a roadblock planning, creating, polishing or finishing your life story? Let me know here so I can help!
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