Workshop
[In lifewriting] the gift
you give to others will
repay you many times
over and could become
the gateway to a wider
vision of your life.
Linda Spence
legacy
Our heads...are as full of
memories as the sky
may sometimes be full
of swarming bees,
thousands and
thousands of memories,
of smells, of places,
of little things that
happened to us and
which come back,
unexpectedly, to remind
us who we are...
Alexander McCall Smith
The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency
When you write it,
you get to be the star.
Mary Higgins Clark
Kitchen Privileges
Spinning Your Life Story
Location: Fincastle Community Center, Fincastle, Virginia
Workshop Fee: $235, for five weeks of classes which include cost of instruction and
the Loose Threads Life Story Starter Kit with a personalized cover at the end of the
course, as well as a Certificate of Completion. You'll receive guidance for
developing your project, a 'handful' of writing tips, handouts for completing your
project, and an annotated bibliography. Paper and pens are also provided.
Pre-registration with a $25 deposit is required to reserve your space.
Please call (540-473-3998) or email me to pre-register.
Discounts: Receive a $25 discount if paid in full with your registration.
Previous coupons will be honored but may not be combined with any other offer.
Full payment (cash or check) is due at the first class.
Introduction to lifewriting and a description of course goals. We'll also explore the
reasons you have to write your life story and discuss your personal goals for this course.
We'll review writing guidelines and encourage constructive group support for enhancing
the telling and writing of our stories. We will brainstorm story ideas to give you a
"crash-course" in memory jogs, and take time to become familiar with the Loose Threads
Life Story Starter Kit and how it may be used and expanded. There will be ample time for
writing and sharing.
Week 2 Turning Points
We'll begin with a re-cap of the week and allow time to share project plans with each
other as well as working titles. There will be time for sharing questions and insights into
our week's work. Using Fulton's proven methodology of "List/Share/Write/Share," we'll
spend time writing about the Turning Points in our lives. As time allows, we'll play with
more L/S/W/S exercises to include in our Life Story binders. This technique will become a
cornerstone of our classes.
Week 3 Key Relationships
The remaining classes of the workshop follow the previous week's format, focusing
on Key Relationships this week. We'll again review and share, encourage and
problem-solve. Listening carefully to each other's stories, we'll provide suggestions for
clarifying each other's goals for a particular story.
Week 4 More Than Blueprints
Our class this week focuses on the houses you have lived in and the stories which
were lived in each room. We'll work on annotated floor plans and prompt each other with
our own memories. We'll play with large art paper and a list of prompts to loosen the
memories.
Week 5 Photographic Memories
Telling the story behind the photo is sometimes much more interesting than the
"Kodak moment" actually captured on film. You need to bring several photos with you to
this class. Snapshots, rather than formal, posed studio portraits, are best for this exercise.
The more "stuff" in the photo, the better. There will be handouts for genealogy research,
and publishing/printing options.
writing instrument. Please do not bring any laptop computers. Some writers are distracted by
the clacking of keyboards.
~ Dress comfortably and casually. Bring a light cover if you tend to become too cool in the
autumn evening air.
~ Feel free to bring your own drinks and snacks. We will have a variety of hot teas available.
~ Please don't wear any perfumes. Some people are allergic and the workshop will be
conducted in an enclosed space. Thank you.
