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Objective: This course is designed to show
participants how to create a precious heirloom memoir of their life,
their family or anything they deem may be valuable in generations to
come.
Pre-Registration is required: Class is limited to 12 participants. Please register as soon as possible.
Prerequisite: None.
Wordshop Duration: 4 weeks
2008 Wordshop Dates: March 5th- 26th Wed. 6:30- 8:30 pm
Tuition: $25.00
Materials/Text Fee: Included
Required Materials: Journal; Leaving a Trace by Alexandra Johnson (text)
About the Facilitators: James & Kara teach Creative Writing, Poetry and Journaling at Amicus Books Literary Arts Center in Marysville.
Class Outline:
Week 1: Choosing a Story
Using a variety of exercises, we will begin the process of choosing
where to start. We will also discuss how to keep a journal and
the best practices for successful record keeping.
Week 2: Getting Clear
One of the challenges we face when writing our story is how to best
tell it in a short space. In this wordshop we will practice
writing our story using a variety of exercises meant to easily develop
the process of conveying the story in as few words as possible.
Participants in former wordshops have said that the exercises in this
class were the most valuable to helping them develop their story.
Week 3: Moving Past the Censor
As we are growing up, our family dynamics, educational environments
and a cacophony or other influences determine what we feel free to
write. These "voices" are called censors and it is they who keep our
creativity from flowing.
In this wordshop we will participate in exercises that help identify
the censoring voices. By recognizing these external influences we can
focus on removing them as obstacles we can begin to
release our perfect potential. We will explore letter writing as
a form of release.
Week 4: Moving a Journal Into Creative Work
Even when writing non-fiction we must pay careful attention to
character development. In order to grab the reader's interest,
there must be a feeling of connection to the characters. One of
the ways to develop the story is to intimately connect with the main
subject. In this
wordshop we will practice the art of "listening" to the past through a
series of exercises developed to create an "up-close" experience with
our subject.
Week 5: Sharing Our Stories
The act of reading aloud enhances
the story for both the reader and the listener. It also allows for an
experience of the true cadence of the author's voice and helps to
identify editing errors.
In this final wordshop we will be reading our completed stories.
Participants are encouraged to point out strong and weak points of the
story if the writer wants feedback.
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