Writing about family can be a truly joyful experience. It can also be an incredibly painful experience.
During our next F.REE Telephone Based Round Table Discussion, Jan Fishler, author, writer & producer and Elizabeth Rosner, best-selling author will join NAMW President, Linda Joy Myers to discuss and be available to answer your questions about Telling Your Family Stories, Even When It Hurts.
Event Title: Telling Your Family Stories, Even When It Hurts
Date: Thursday July 7, 2011
Time: 4 PM PDT |5 PM MDT | 6 PM CDT | 7 PM EDT, for about 1 Hour
Cost: FREE FOR EVERYONE
(NAMW Members–The dial in details can be found below–if you can’t see them, simply login to the member area to view this post. If you are not an NAMW member, simply sign up for this free call by using the form near the bottom of this page).
[private_namw] Telephone Conference call-in number: (209) 647-1000
Telephone Conference call-in code: 458107#[/private_namw]
Not Available for the Live Call? Post your questions in the comments section of this page OR email them to info@NAMW.org.
NAMW members will be able to access a link in the NAMW Member Area to DOWNLOAD the audio mp3 of this call following the event. Not a member? Sign up below and you will receive an email with a link to stream the audio from this call, within a week following the event.
The format for this call differs from our Monthly Member-only Teleseminars in that it is an informal discussion Roundtable that you can be part of to exchange ideas with not only the experts but other participants on the line. Besides offering you a direct connection with experts–a benefit that will help you to develop your ideas and hone your skills as you write, edit, revise, and publish your memoir–you will have the opportunity to develop relationships within the NAMW memoir writing community. Please join us for these special events that are open to the public.
No RSVP is necessary for NAMW members. Simply login to see the dial-in information listed above. If you are not an NAMW member, simply sign up below. We look forward to meeting you there! If you are NOT an NAMW member, sign up below to receive the call-in details via email AND receive a link to an audio recording of the call within a week following the call!
I am currently completing edits on my first memoir, and although they play a relatively minor role, my son, in particular, has been very vocal about his desire that I don’t write “anything” about him. His teenage years were clouded by alcohol, depression, and obstinacy that was very painful to me and affected the trajectory of my life. Essentially, he refused to see or talk to me for years, which was completely unwarranted. He has since admitted as much to me, but he also refused to speak to his sister after she wrote a song about him that addressed his problems with alcohol and how it affected her (though it was never released). Obviously, I’m very concerned about hurting my son, who continues to battle low self-esteem and depression . . . and although I discuss what happened without judgment, and in fact, very kindly, my mothering instincts leave me feeling reticent to write the story, as it happened. Still, I don’t know how to fully explain my emotions and how much they affected my decisions without talking about his (and his sister’s) behavior during the time being discussed in my memoir. Any suggestions?
Truth is a relative term, and so many people struggle with defining “their” truth, knowing that each member of the family will have his or her own version of “truth.” Today at the Roundtable we will dig into truth and how we as memoir writers can find ways to tell our truth, how we can manage the concerns of family and friends should we be published. Join me, Jan and Elizabeth today for a great discussion!
–Linda Joy
I really wanted to hear this one, but I was out of town with a bad internet connection.
When I wrote my memoir, the more I edited, the more things I remembered. Things that were buried deep down. It was amazing at how freeing it was to let them out.