U3A Benalla and District Inc.
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April - 'What I Was Wearing'

25/4/2018

 
‘What I was wearing…’ proved quite a delight at our monthly ‘Memoirs’ based session.  Memories were shared about the choice of wedding and bridesmaid’s dresses;  being a 13 year old boy in a department store dressing room while mother and father selected a first suit for family occasions; the uniform worn as a young child on  the first day of school to the starched veil worn when graduating as a nursing sister; the vexed choice of an outfit to wear to a daughter’s wedding; the ‘wearing of grief’ and a mother’s choice of outfit for the Melbourne Cup; and a ‘what I was wearing … was covered in soot’… story following a fire in an apartment building.   Betty wrote her memories as a delightful poem, ‘The Clothes I Wore’, which began ‘When I was a little girl and lived just up the track, In a small weatherboard cottage with gum trees out the back’… The project for our next 500 Word Memoirs session on May 28 is  Someone who Shaped Me  The brief:  How did you become who you are?  Think about someone who’s influenced your life and start writing.

Bev Lee

Have you thought about entering a short story competition?

23/4/2018

 
Our secretary forwarded this email in case our members might be interested.  It was distributed through U3A Network Victoria's mailing list.
​
Birdcatcher Books' 2018 Short Story Competition is now accepting submissions. First prize is $AU250, second is $AU100 and third is $AU50. Entry fees are $AU8 for one story, $15 for two stories or $21 for three stories. The best entries will be published in an anthology (subject to there being enough entries of sufficient quality.) Subject and genre are open, with just a few restrictions. The competition will close on 31st May 2018. Details can be found at http://birdcatcherbooks.com/competitions/
-- 
Birdcatcher Books
PO Box 432
Churchill Vic 3842
Australia

http://birdcatcherbooks.com

March - 'A Friendship Tested'

7/4/2018

 
‘A Friendship Tested’, our 500 words topic for March, proved to be challenging.  It followed February’s (not always) warm and fuzzy topic ‘Grandparents’ and comes before April’s lighter topic ‘What I was wearing…’  (though one of our members suggested this could be ‘What I was wearing …. was covered in blood”…!)   

As always when we share stories on challenging topics, we are left reflecting on both the diversity of presentations and the common themes within them.  Stories were shared about tests to friendships which had been resolved and tests to friendships which didn’t survive the testing, perhaps because deeper values were challenged and ‘righteous indignation’ remains; some for which there are still remnants of deep disappointment and ongoing grief.  

The session also included the sharing of some wonderful writing on past topics including ‘Grandparents’, ‘Working Dog’ and more.  Members who attend the Creative Writing subgroup will meet next on Monday April 9 from 1 to 2.15 pm to share ‘children’s stories set in the North East’ (well, largely in the North East); followed by a catch up with others at ‘The Northo’ at 2.30 pm.  

The topic for our next regular meeting on Monday April 23 at 1.30 pm is ‘What I Was Wearing’ - ‘Some items of clothing are linked to memories, emotions and experiences; The ‘lucky job interview’ undies, the jacket you wore on your first date, or a bikini that didn't fare well in water. Tell us how an outfit played a part during a significant moment’.  New members are always welcome – a list of topics for the year is now available on the web site

​
Bev Lee 
    Our Stories
    Our Stories (Topics)

    About  'As Time Goes By' - Memoir Writing

    'As Time Goes By' provides an outlet and support for members keen to write about their lives and  tell stories their families may not get around to asking them about.   A memoir is a slice from a person’s life which focuses on a particular theme or lesson or flavor of experience, an aspect of life that is most unusual or fascinating.   Each month class members reminisce, write about and share memorable ‘slices’ from their lives in response to set ‘500 Words’ themed writing topics.  

    Please note - The course is not a writing skills class and does not cover writing a detailed, chronological autobiography.

    Convenor & Contact details

    Picture
    Beverley Lee
    0478 607 838

    Meeting Times

    3rd Monday 2 - 4 pm
    ​U3A Meeting Room

    'As Time Goes By' Topic List for 2023 pdf
    'Tips for Writing your 500 Words Story' (ABC Open)  
    'How to Write a Story in 500 words - ideas for planning - topic 'Failure' (ABC Open)
    Memoir Review - Framework for Analysis
    Master list of  500 word story topics from 2015 to end of 2020

    Links

    Australian Writers' Centre

    Victorian Writers' Centre - Writers' Victoria

    ​Wheeler Centre

    The Memoir Writing Club - On Line Courses

    Past topics 

    All
    2018 Topic List
    '23 Words'
    'A Friendship Tested' //
    'A Love Letter To Travel'
    'A Turning Point'
    Australian Writers Centre
    'Car Stories' //
    Course Description
    'Easter'
    'Experiences Of The Unexplained'
    'Fish Out Of Water'
    'For Better For Worse' //
    'Good Vibrations'
    'Grandparents' //
    'Heartbreak'
    'I Broke It'
    'Ideas Piggy Bank'
    'If Only'
    'I Quit!' //
    Life Matters 'Life In 500 Words'
    'Lost And Found' //
    Making Comments
    'Making Waves'
    'My Other Life'
    'New In Town'
    'One Moment
    'Stand Up Comedy'
    'The (Season) I ...'
    This Year'
    'What Happened In Vegas'

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We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay our respects to their elders - past, present and emerging.
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