Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop
Posted by Lynne W on April 15, 2021, 10:50 pm
Is anyone else starting to get a little bored? If you want to have some fun next week, please consider attending my Memoir Writing Workshop on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. upstairs at Bahia Azul. The workshop is intended for novice writers who want to explore a single facet of their lives for any one of many reasons: to recall and cement the memory of a certain time in your life; to leave behind an important story or lesson for your family; to document your travels; to open up about something painful or difficult; or just to tell a powerful story that will resonate with others. You need not plan to publish your work; just enjoy the experiment. I’ve worked with words my entire adult life as a journalist, international reporter, feature writer, published author, small press owner, proofreader, and editor (line, copy, developmental). Although I now specialize in editing translations from other languages to English and documents written by non-native English speakers, over the past few years nearly 10 memoirs have fallen into my lap. I think this is a sign that it’s time for me to write my own, and facilitating a workshop on this topic should inspire me to do that. The class size should range from five to nine people. The cost for the entire workshop is $600 pesos, payable on the first day. Handouts will be provided; all you need to bring is a notebook or laptop for taking notes and writing in-class assignments. Please contact me directly at lfwedit@gmail.com if you would like to reserve a spot, no later than 8:00 p.m. this coming Saturday, April 17, so that there is time to cancel if not enough people sign up. (Sorry, I don’t have WhatsApp.) It’s likely that I’ll respond to emails in the evening.
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Posted by Cruz at cruzio13@gmail.com on April 16, 2021, 1:55 pm, in reply to "Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop"
Hola, Lynne. I'm not exactly sure what memoir means in this case. It reminds me of boudoir, being kind of antique like. Is it like memories, or a special memory. Can you round this out a little for me? Now that I think about it, I think you did try to explain or describe it to me once but I forget, lol. Old age and retention speaking. Cruz | -----------------------Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop
Posted by Lynne W on April 16, 2021, 4:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop"
What is a Memoir? A True Life Story, Minus the Boring Parts A memoir is a narrative written from the author's perspective about a particular facet of her or his own life. As a type of nonfiction, memoirs are generally understood to be factual accounts, but there’s a significant amount of wiggle room. For example, there’s no obligation for the author to provide an objectively balanced account of the past—a memoir is merely a version of events as the author remembers them. In fact, the term comes from the French word “mémoire,” which means “memory,” or “reminiscence.” You can think of memoirs as nonfiction by name and fiction by nature, with an emphasis on storytelling. A memoir should not be confused with an autobiography. While both are accounts of the writer's experiences, autobiographies tend to span her or his entire life, providing the who-what-where-when-why of each stage in chronological order. A memoir, on the other hand, is more selective with its timeline. Authors can intimately explore a pivotal moment or a particular facet of her or his life, allowing thoughts and feelings to take control of the narrative. If I were to write a memoir, for example, it would be titled either "The Accidental Immigrant"—the story of how I came to Mexico more than 19 years ago on a 180-day tourist visa and never returned to the States—or "I’m an Andrews Girl, So Pity Me"—an account of six years of escapades at a private girls’ school in the 1960s. (This title is the name of a ditty that my classmates and I composed in seventh grade.) Aside from celebrity memoirs, there are several popular subgenres, which sometimes overlap: One is Nostalgia, which transports the reader to another time and place. Another is Inspirational—books that depict a challenging time in the author’s life to show triumph over adversity. These memoirs almost always include the theme of redemption, with the writing of the book itself often serving as the final redemptive chapter in her or his story. The Confessional memoir is unapologetically bold. Often the author shares a painful or difficult secret—perhaps a grapple with addiction or a struggle with sexual identity—or lays her or his past bare, maybe shining a light on the dynamics of a broken family. The Experience memoir focuses on a specific experience that the author has undergone, typically involving a sort of struggle, such as a bitter divorce, illness, or perhaps a clash with addiction. Regardless of the situation, the writer overcomes it to share lessons learned from the ordeal. The Event memoir centers on a single significant event in the author’s life, zeroing in on a clearly defined period of time—for instance, a two-month walk in the woods, or a three-week mountain climb. When you look back on your own timeline, is there a strong theme that defines your life or ties it all together? That’s the premise on which a Themed memoir is based. In such a memoir, the author provides a retrospective of her or his past through the lens of one topic. Finally, in a Travel memoir, the author isn’t the star of the show: the place is. Beyond that, there really are no rules — this final subgenre opens up a world of possibilities for writers who have caught the travel bug. That's my best explanation, Cruzie. Since both words in your head are derived from French, you might want to write a memoir about the boudoir. ;-)
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Posted by Cruz G on April 16, 2021, 5:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop"
Be careful what you ask for comes to mind because I got a whole lot more than I bargained for, goodness, lol. But thank you, thank you, Lynne, as your completeness jiggled something in my past experience that I might try to write about. I like the idea of freedom to meander between fiction and non-fiction. That's novel. I'm a bit intimidated/fearfull of attempting to write as I'm already feeling writer's desert/paralysis (I can't remember the familiar expression}. Do you address this in your class because I get it a lot? I'm interested in participating in your class if you do deal with this problem. Cruz | -----------------------Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop
Posted by Lynne W on April 16, 2021, 10:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop"
I think you mean to say "writer's block." As I said in my original post, the workshop is designed to be fun, with lots of exercises and prompts that you can ignore if they cause any kind of discomfort. And if all you accomplish is writing a list of characters (pseudonyms allowed) and a basic outline, that's fine with me. Also, you can turn your nemoir into a novel simply by changing pronouns and verbs. That's how I got one client to publish her book...by taking herself out of it. Alas, no one else has expressed any interest, so maybe we can plan a trip to the acupuncturist next week? (From now on, we can talk on the phone.) | -----------------------Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop
Posted by Yantara on April 17, 2021, 6:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop"
Interested in joining your memoir writing group Lynne. Please do email me; you have my information I know. | -----------------------Re: Intro to Memoir Writing Workshop CANCELLED
Posted by Lynne W on April 17, 2021, 8:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Introduction to Memoir Writing Workshop"
I'm sorry, Cruz and Yantara, but only the two of you showed any interest in the workshop by the registration deadline, so I have to cancel it. It takes at least five people to make the workshop fun, take off any pressure, bounce ideas off each other, and make it worth your time, my time, and the restaurant's space. There are still hundreds of English speakers in town, so I was fairly certain that at least five of them would be eager to write about a slice of their lives. Apparently not. I have all of the materials together, so I'll just find a place to keep them and try again earlier next season. I appreciate your interest and am sorry to disappoint you. | -----------------------Re: Intro to Memoir Writing Workshop POSTPONED
Posted by Lynne W on April 18, 2021, 4:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Intro to Memoir Writing Workshop CANCELLED"
Several friends (all full-timers) told me today that they would sign up for the workshop if it were held once a week for three-four weeks rather than condensed into a single week. This is a much better idea, but we are currently in a "holding pattern" until we know when the second vaccine dose will be available. In fact, I could hold several workshops a year whenever a minimum of five people express interest. So please continue to use my lfwedit@gmail.com account to let me know when you're in town and what day(s) of the week are best for you. I'll keep your info on file and let you know when a workshop is scheduled. Thanks. I'm not so disappointed now! | -----------------------
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