Thirteen members participated in the Write Your Life Story – The Basics workshop on Saturday, September 8th. Click here to see photographs of the event.
We began the day with a writing exercise everyone used to introduce themselves and talk more about what motivates them to put words to paper. Some said they write in hopes of publication, some write to understand, and some write to let their families know who they are.
Throughout the morning, the group learned about organizing as they write, some of the many approaches to writing memoir, how to how to retrieve memories, generate story ideas and use lists to break a story down to a manageable size.
Everyone sat around the pool and ate great boxed lunches from Jimmy John’s in Winter Park (It’s my favorite, I had to mention it. Ask for Mike; he makes a mean sandwich.) and dug back in for an afternoon of instruction on mapping out stories, techniques to craft strong sentences and how to successfully revise and proofread.
These are some of the comments from workshop members:
Participation in one of your classes is like getting a B12 shot. I’m always invigorated at the end of the day and ready to write around the clock. Carolyn Freligh
I gained courage in sharing some deeper feelings and thoughts. Art Cross
I really enjoyed this class, and I learned so many new things. Terry Neuman
It [the workshop] was like a firecracker under my butt…This is excellent, and I will recommend it to friends. I have one in mind. Linda Dobson
Great workshop. I enjoyed everything I heard. It was a very thorough explanation of how to write, how one goes about the process and why. I liked getting a chance to practice what we talked about. Sue Powers
The next day-long workshop will likely be in November and will focus on Bringing Your Ancestors to Life. Check back for details.