Writers Toolkit—Journeying into Memoir Land: Skill Building for Memoir Writers Tele-Workshop
Keep your craft honed while you travel, in your mind or to the beach. You can listen to this telephone-based course on your iPod while you bask in the sun, or join us live for the telephone calls. No homework, just skill building content. We know how busy you are during the summer months, so remember that if you can’t attend all of the dates, you can download an audio recording of each session when you sign up to participate in the workshop!
Workshop Leader: Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., MFT & NAMW President
Dates & Times:
Session 1: June 21st 2:00 PDT/5:00 EDT: Who, what, and where?—How to begin. Who is your audience, what is the destination of your book or story? Turning points, timing, themes—what is your message? Plotting and other devices.
Session 2: June 22nd 3:00 PDT/6:00 EDT: Secrets, lies, scandals, and truth—making your way through the dark forest. Writing the dark and lighter stories, finding your voice. Family conflicts, memories—whose are they?
Session 3: June 23rd 4:00 PDT/7:00 EDT: Arrival at your destination–broadcasting your message—forms of publishing, contests. A memoir is more than a journal, a memoir wants to reach out and touch the world.
These sessions come with a PDF workbook that will help you plan out your memoir, and find your way to success. All this in three sessions!
Cost:
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Full Course Outline
Session One: June 21st at 2:00 PM PDT/5:00 PM EDT
Who, what, and where?—How to begin. Who is your audience, what is the destination of your book or story? Turning points, timing, themes—what is your message? Plotting and other devices.
In session one, we begin with the start of your memoir journey. It starts with basic questions: who, what, when, and where. Who is your audience? Who are you writing for—your grandchildren, your family, or a larger audience composed of whom—who is your target market, for instance.
This leads to the question: What is your theme? For instance, it might be traveling and what you learned, being a hippie and what it was like to live in a commune, your journey into cooking, or recovering from challenging situations such as illness or abuse. It might be a spiritual journey.
Where is your story located, what part of the world? Even if it’s a small town where you were born, or where your grandmother lived, specific details and colorful descriptions are the secret to writing a memorable memoir instead of a listing of this happened and then that happened.
Scenes are the clue to writing a memoir that others will want to read. We will cover all this in session one.
Session Two: June 22nd 3:00 PDT/6:00 EDT
Secrets, lies, scandals, and truth—making your way through the dark forest. Writing the dark and lighter stories, finding your voice. Family conflicts, memories—whose are they?
In session two, we examine the arc of story, plot, and the necessity for conflict and resolution in a story. In each life, and in each story, there is a reason that readers are drawn into the story. There is a point to the story, a message that you are delivering. What is that message?
Each story, and each person, has conflicts or roadblocks to getting to the destination—so we will look at the possible complications in your personal story. Everyone has had challenges that they’ve had to resolve—this is the heart of a memoir. People want to know what your challenges were, even if it’s as simple as how to get Bobby to fall in love with you, or it could be more serious—getting lost in the Amazon, or recovering from abusive parents to find your soul in the world of love and harmony. Writing the truth and finding your memories will be covered in this session as well.
Session Three: June 23rd 4:00 PDT/7:00 EDT
Arrival at your destination–broadcasting your message—forms of publishing, contests. A memoir is more than a journal, a memoir wants to reach out and touch the world.
In session three, we will talk about how to reach the destination that you want for your memoir, getting your work published and born in the world. Whether it’s through self-publishing through a vendor, creating your own company—easier than you think—or finding online publishing or eBook publishing, you can find the right way that works for you. Contests listed in journal welcome new writers as well as experienced ones. There is an audience for your book!
If you have any questions about this course, please let us know. If you are already a member of NAMW, thank you. And if you are considering membership and have questions, please contact us at info@namw.org or you can reach Staci in our Member Benefits Department via telephone at 1-(877) e-memoir. Either way you choose to contact us, we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have.
Remember, be brave. Write your stories!
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