Frequently Asked Questions – The Book

In this ongoing series, Lol directly answers some of the the most-asked questions posed by fans – here, he addresses the creation and content of his memoir and first book, Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys…

Why did you wait until now to tell your story?

I’ve always felt that I was a writer. From the early days of the Cure, I wrote many lyrics. Some were used in the songs, some not. I left that decision up to Robert as he had to sing them, not me. I still write lyrics for people, and I always let them pick what they use. Which Is correct I feel as you have to believe in what you’re singing. The same thing with writing a book. You have to invest so much of your heart and soul in a book as personal as a memoir that you need to wait until you believe in that process and are willing to undergo the psychic excavation required to write it. I don’t think I could have done this in my 30’s or 40’s. I needed the distance between the central events to see them openly and honestly.

What was the hardest part of writing the book?

I think the hardest part was starting! I needed to trust the process enough to let go of my doubts and fear and just let the words flow. The middle section of the book required a lot of research to get the chronology correct. I remembered most things that happened, but the order was harder!

What was the most natural part of writing?

The actual process of writing was the best part of the book creation. I have always loved to write, and I think that having been an avid reader all my life helped me understand somewhat what would be interesting to read.

Were there other biographies that inspired you?

I read a great many memoirs and biographies before I wrote: ” Cured”. I realized that the ones that affected me the most were the ones that were honest. That was just as important as the literary merit for me. Two that stood out for different reasons were ” Born Standing Up: A comics Life” Steve Martin and “It’s so easy: and other lies ” Duff McKagan.

What part of the book did you write first?

The first part I wrote was the chapter about the “Reflections” tour in 2011. From that, the wellspring was opened up into the past. As the memory of a particular part came to me, I followed where it led and then spent a considerable time knitting the parts together into a coherent narrative.

How did you approach becoming a ‘writer’

One of the best things I did was talk to other published writers. From their experiences, I could understand the process of actually becoming an author. I loved every part of the process of writing, the first draft through editing then onto the final proofread. That’s when I knew I was meant to write!

Stay tuned for more FAQs, and if you have a question you’d like Lol to answer click here to send it to us via email.