For years I have
taught memoir writing classes in Southern California. It
is pure pleasure--because of my students.
- In one session a man
read aloud his memoir about buying his first home back in
the '60s and helping to pay for his mortgage by being a
"secret diner" at a new restaurant called Jack in
the Box.
- From one woman came the
amazing story of how she--at age 9--single-handedly rescued
her parents and sisters in the Philippines during the Second
World War.
- And in yet another session
the class and I laughed at one woman's hilarious tale of the boys she dated in high school while looking for
"The One".
None of these people would
call themselves "a writer." Today they all live
seemingly ordinary lives.
But, following the specific
techniques I recommend, these people and hundreds more have
unlocked memories of their pasts and actually wrote fascinating mini-memoirs during the class. No
homework involved.
These people have been
thrilled to see what they can accomplish in each two hour
session whether they have experienced lives of adventure and
drama or simply lived a seemingly everyday American life.
At the end of the 3 sessions
each of them walks out of the class with a mini-memoir in
hand--plus the knowledge and skills to write an even longer
memoir if they choose. And each of them has become the
person their descendants will never forget!
"Where do I
start? Should I begin with my earliest
memories?"
Those are the questions I am
asked most frequently. The answer about early memories is "No." The
reason why is simple: Your earliest memories are probably
fragments. To write a real memoir you want more than fragments,
you want a narrative that tells your story and answers questions
about how you made decisions in your life.
You will be telling your true
life story, revealing what is and was important to you as your
life unfolded.
In my class
you will receive clear step-by-step instructions and
examples to make writing your memoir almost effortless.
You will learn:
-
The best way
to start your memoir. My proven technique
overcomes any doubts or hesitations about how and where to
begin.
-
The
importance of your life-decisions and turning points.
-
How to
capture the "spirit of the times" during the years
when you were young.
-
Guidelines for
writing about your family and friends as they were then.
-
Which details
are important--and which you should handle with kid gloves.
-
How to write
about unpleasant episodes, such as divorce.
-
How to avoid
writing a boring memoir.
-
Who you
should tell about your memoir and who you definitely should
not.
-
How long a
real memoir should be.
-
What to
include in a travel memoir.
-
What you
should add to your memoir in this digital age.
-
How a memoir
differs from an autobiography.
To see an
example, the experimental memoir I am writing as a blog, click
here. (Because it is a blog it is best read from the
oldest to the most recent post and even then it is somewhat out
of sequence.)
In my class
you will also learn how to self-publish your memoir
Once you have
completed your memoir, you can simply take your finished
manuscript, stick it in an envelope with your name on the
outside and consider that "published".
But why settle
for an envelope stuffed with sheets of paper when you can have a
hard-cover book of your life memories. A book that could
last for hundreds of years. A book that will make you the
most remembered ancestor in your family.
You will be
astonished to learn about the inexpensive resources available
now to create a beautiful, full color memoir to pass along to
your family.
Better yet, you
will learn how to officially copyright your memoir for free.
Do not leave
your descendants asking questions about you, wondering who you
were--or forgetting about you altogether.
Now is the time
for you to write a memoir that will tell your grandchildren and
their grandchildren about you, your life experiences and answer
questions they, no doubt, will have about how you lived and what
life choices you made.
Your memoir will
be like a personal private letter to the future directly from
you. A letter to people whose parents are not even
born yet--but they will be related to you and curious about you.
You will become
the Very Important Ancestor, the one they remember and talk
about--even a hundred or two hundred years from
now.
If all this
sounds interesting, contact me by email
today. I can arrange to teach memoir writing to your
group of 8 or more.
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