From ‘Benalla Writers’ to ‘Writing Workshop’ to ‘As Time Goes By’
Considerations
- An overview of the course structure and use of topics
- Developing our own voice – encouraging and supporting others
- Editing suggestions – our very gentle approach to editing suggestions
- Word Limits – aiming towards the target
- Considering confidentiality issues and personal well being
- Handling gender in our stories
- Publishing stories on the web site ‘As Time Goes By’ on our Website – Introducing/group page/’Our Stories’/using the U3A website search engine
- A word about Poetry as Memoir... from Paula Alice Lee to Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel...-Paula Lee, Betty Milligan, Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel
Holiday topics
February:
'Something in my life I'm really proud of' .....
Interesting example: Young muslim woman engineer who worked on mining sites in the Pilbara... 'On the Rigs'... note the way Jasmine writes dialogue into her memoir...
'Auntie, Uncle or cousin.... '
Interesting examples: Isabelle Allende.... noting the colour/dimension of her descriptions of her aunts/ uncles
Upcoming Topics - from Life Matters '500 words' projects
March: Making Waves
Is there a time in your life when you've been accused of making waves?
It could be in your personal life, the workplace, socially...even politically.
So, what have you done that's caught people's attention, and changed the usual way of doing things?
It can be funny, sad, poignant, illuminating— it just needs to be a captivating!
April: 'Taking a risk and winging it'.... 'Winging It' or 'Taking the Plunge' -
Do you have a story about taking a risk and winging it? You can find some stories contributed to Life Matters on this topic at ...
May: 'Turning Point' .... an example from 500 words
.... https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/features/turning-point/life-in-500-words:-marjan-mckeough/10585802
Substitute Topics
Don't forget to keep an 'Ideas Piggy Bank' also a little book of 'triggers'.... If a set topic doesn't appeal to or 'work' for you, choose two elements from either of these sources and write a story of about, each of 250 words or so on each.
Other wonderful substitute topics - 'The year that made me'; 'New in Town'; and 'Someone who Shaped me".
Carmel Bird 'Writing the Story of Your Life - the Ultimate Guide' by Carmel Bird.