Newsletter – February 2008
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Today is the day when bold kites fly, When cumulus clouds roar across the sky. Today is the day when daffodils bloom, Today is the day when grasses green,
Capturing the Magic of Stories It is not quite spring, but here and there in California the sun begins to warm the earth, inviting crocuses and daffodils to bloom. The mockingbirds, that I love, have returned to singing madly on top of the telephone poles and trees outside my house, and even my roses began to bloom again during that warm spell last month. This is a glorious time of year, when winter still rules, but spring makes her promises. New growth is everywhere. This kind of weather feeds our creativity. The inner seeds we have planted come into flower. It’s good time to enter our stories. Stories seem to have a life of their own, bursting into new bloom even when we think the story is dead or tired. Many writers harvest seedlings from old stories and breathe new life into them. Lives intensely lived provide us with a bottomless well from which to draw. Stories are like magic, they come to us on a fleeting image or a brief remembered scent. The writers I teach tell me they start with a hint of a feeling, a tiny image or a smell, and from that cue, begin to write. The story seems to take over from that point, creating pathways and memories that the writer was not aware of until sitting down to listen to the small hints arising from the deep. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to take the time to attune ourselves to these tiny clues.
Everyone wants to know how to manage the tough, darker stories and they want to have choice about what they write about. You know how it is—you put your hand to the paper and flowing from your pen comes some surprises! Yet, you would like to heal the past and hope that getting the stories out of you that have been hidden in the dark for so long might help. You can write any kind of story and still find healing. Even the research backs this up: positive, light stories were found to be as healing as dark stories. As memoirists, we often find ourselves needing to make choices about what path we will enter, whether to go with the light or the dark stories. The more painful stories can just bring us down too much. Tips:
All writing is healing.
Dr. James Pennebaker in his “traumatic writing” studies asked people to write about another person’s trauma, a made-up story about someone else. These fictionalized stories were found to be healing too. Self-expression through writing has been found to be more helpful in healing trauma than other forms of art, even dance or painting. Perhaps the particular memory being expressed needed the integrative power of words to put it to rest, or certain people in the study responded to using words more than others. It is Spring, and a writer’s fancy turns to: Writing! And to all creation. Enjoy marching into Spring! Being in the space you create has helped me a LOT. I find that I’m getting braver and braver. Sometimes I think: what the hell, might as well say it, what’s there to hide or protect? No matter how difficult it seems, after I write it / read it / share it, I discover that the telling of it blows it wide open. There’s no going back to the closed-in, closed-up feeling of “nursing” the wound in my own little corner. - Lily Endlich International Women’s Day is March 8
In honor of women, women’s rights, and personal stories about half the population, we turn our attention to the stories and moments that shaped women’s lives. If you are a man, write about your wife, mother, or daughter using these prompts.
Write for 5-20 minutes on each idea. Save the vignettes to assemble later. |
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Upcoming Classes and Workshops Thursday Night Women’s Circle New Group Starts in April! Saturday Spiritual Autobiography and Memoir Circle Berkeley, California Being witnessed to by all the group as I read my stories is one of the most powerful writing methods I’ve ever known. Linda knows how to provide a writing atmosphere that nurtures each one in the group. Non-competitive, only support and non-judgmental acceptance flows. - Allene Hickox Memoir Writing Retreat with Linda Joy Myers April 4-6, 2008 Calistoga, California (in the Napa Valley) Our annual Body and Soul spring writing retreat in Napa Valley is in the wine country with its beautiful views, world famous wine, and mud baths. The weekend retreat gives you an opportunity to relax in a lovely place, and to join other writers for a weekend of story writing, sharing wisdom, and learning new tools to take away with you.
 Coming soon! NAMW – The National Association of Memoir Writers
Have you been thinking of writing your memoir, but don’t know where to begin? Are you confused about where to start, worried whether your family will get angry at you, and how much truth to tell? Do you need more support, inspiration, and information about how to write a memoir? The National Association of Memoir Writers can help you on your writing journey. There is a growing national and international memoir community where writers need support in solving the difficult questions about how to write a memoir, how to have a successful writing life and habits, and finding the path to successful publication. This new membership organization will be launching in May, 2008 but there is a pre-launch special program that you will hear about soon—as soon as the website is up and launched. If you join at the special pre-launch price, you can participate right away in some of the benefits that will be offered only to the members of NAMW. Contests and Publications Entering contests is a good way to push your writing skills and hone your work. There are literally hundreds of venues where you can enter your work. Use Google to surf the web for sites that are looking for publications and lists of contests. Other resources for upcoming contests are in Poets and Writers and Writers Digest
Journal 2008 The Power of Writing Conference June 18-22, 2008 Denver, Colorado
Another mentor on my path of learning about the healing power of writing has been Kathleen Adams, founder of Journal Therapy and the author of several books focusing on the therapeutic power of writing. Kay teaches classes, retreats, and workshops for therapists and for writers nationally, and my interview with her about the healing power of writing is on my website for audio download. In June, 2008, Kathleen is hosting the first ever conference on writing as healing—Journal Conference 2008—The Power of Writing. This conference brings together the important people in the therapeutic, memoir, spiritual autobiography world such as Dr. James Pennebaker, Christina Baldwin, Tristine Rainier, and Kathleen Adams—four of the leading thinkers and theorists in the field of therapeutic writing headline a faculty of 40. Six mix-and-match tracks (Writing, Therapy, Healing/Wellness, Memoir/Life Story, Spirituality, and Writing in Community) allow a fully customizable conference experience. Special guest appearances by award-winning poet Michael Blumenthal and creative arts therapies troupe MUSE. Continuing education hours are available! Questions? Call (888) 421-2298 (in Colorado or from cell phone: (303) 986-6460) East of Eden Writing Conference September 5-7, 2008 East of Eden Memoir workshop Linda Joy Myers and Phyllis Mattson Write Your Memoir and Still Be Invited Home for the Holidays: Handling Secrets, Lies and Scandals
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NAWW: Develop a powerful support system for women writers only. The National Association of Women Writers is a forum where you can network with women writers from all over the world. Get our free eReport, 101 Best Resources for Writers for free! Get our free report “10 Mindsets Web Entrepreneurs Must Have To Succeed.” Are you ready to really learn what it takes to build a six-figure online business? Let the AWE teach you how!
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Newsletter – January 2008
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“The trees down the boulevard stand naked in thought,
- D. H. Lawrence, Winter in the Boulevard, 1916
Most of us think of the New Year as a time of new beginnings. We have been hibernating against long cold nights, or days of wind, snow, and rain. Even in California, our winter, though mild, invites contemplation. The stark emptiness of landscapes without leaves is striking. We can learn from this paring away of excess, a revelation of the bare structure of trees and shrubs. As D. H. Lawrence expresses in the above quote, we confront our own deepest nature and questioning as we look at the naked trees. In the simplicity of a bare tree, we find assurance that even our simplest ideas will burst forth into bloom in the spring. As writers, we find ourselves searching for a central idea, kernel of wisdom or transformation, the revelation residing at the heart of our stories. We write ourselves into the core of the story, exploring the branches of our ideas, characters, and settings. This kind of wandering and exploration is necessary as we traverse our mental landscapes. Editing is like pruning, as we take away the unnecessary ideas and words, but at the beginning of our writing, we need to have the freedom of writing everything down before we know what needs to be pruned. We need permission to wander, to muse, contemplate. I hope the darker days and long nights are a fertile time for your creativity. This is a good time to make your Writer’s New Year’s Resolutions: • I will be brave with my writing. • I will write for 10 minutes a day.
• I will read good literature to stimulate my creativity.
• I will focus on the positive aspects of my writing and not listen to that pesky inner critic.
• I will join a community of writers and creative people to feed my writing soul. Musings by Linda—The Journey of Memoir Writing During the last year, I have marveled at how much power there is in memoir writing. In my workshops and coaching, I observe amazing and breathtaking changes, often quite surprising to the writers. Many come to writing saying, “I’m not really a writer,” or “I don’t plan to write much, I just want to try a few things,” but find themselves drawn to giving free rein to thoughts, memories, and feelings not shared or even known before. The writing turns into a surprising set of discoveries, as if following a path made of silver stones to see where they lead. The writing is like magic, coming from nowhere, and takes off in directions the writer couldn’t predict. Many writers put pen on paper with an idea or intention only to find ourselves writing something else. Writing can seem slightly scary, like a semi-wild animal on the page, ready to rush into trouble, dark forests or dangerous caves without warning. That’s the pleasure of writing—you discover nothing bad will happen to you, and you begin your writing journey with a frisson of excitement.
I hope your New Year is full of many rich and creative journeys.
Write for 5-20 minutes on each idea. Save the vignettes to assemble later. 1. What spiritual ritual do you have for this time of year?
3. Describe the town you grew up in during winter. What did it look like, smell like, feel like? Any special events or happenings that you remember? 4. Write five New Year’s goals or resolutions that will help you focus your life for the future. 5. Write a story about who you were, what your favorite objects, toys, and people when you were ten years old.
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Upcoming Classes and Workshops Winter is a good time to reflect and write your memoir stories. My new series of classes has just begun, and there are openings in the Women’s Memoir Circle Thursday nights in the Berkeley, CA area. Thursday Night Women’s Circle Learn more…. January 17 – April 3 Each week women of all ages and backgrounds meet to write and talk about motherhood, single dating, careers, romance, memories of family, and their spiritual quests. The writers use both poetry and prose to capture memories and to explore the richness of their lives. We write about important turning points–the lighter, humorous moments along with dark nights of the soul. There is laughter and a few tears, and most of all the witnessing of our stories, an important component of healing and moving into the future. Saturday Spiritual Autobiography and Memoir Circle January 12 – March 29 Have you ever said, “I need to write my story”? If not now, when? Memories and Memoirs offers a choice of memoir writing classes, workshops, and retreats to help you get started and keep going. Memories carry deep personal meaning in our lives and for our sense of self. Through exploring them we discover our own unique stories to craft as memoir or fiction. Join our supportive classes to help zap your inner critic. We offer writing tools and exercises each week in class and encouraging, positive feedback. Write the stories you have been meaning to write, whether for your own development and healing or to leave as a legacy for others.
Memoir Writing Retreat with Linda Joy Myers April 4-6, 2008 Learn more…. Calistoga, California (in the Napa Valley) This evocative and meditative memoir writing workshop in the heart of the Napa Valley is an opportunity for you to come away with 8-10 new stories for your memoir in a safe, relaxing environment. Experienced retreat leader, therapist, and prize-winning author Linda Joy Myers is your guide through writing exercises and discussions about the things that all memoir writers ask: how do I write the truth and avoid the anger of my family? Is my story interesting? How do I begin and can I ever finish it? How do I tell the stories that have been secreted in my heart? You will be received with full presence and unconditional acceptance. Visualizations, memory exercises, drawing, and group sharing open up the well of stories for you to draw from. You will leave with several new stories, a timeline, and future writing plans. The retreat is inspirational and provides a safe place for you to explore.
The National Association of Memoir Writers
In February, you will hear more about this new vibrant organization geared to the needs of memoir writers! iii The Story Circle Network presents Stories from the Heart IV February 1-3, 2008 Learn more…. Women from all over the country gather to celebrate story telling and creativity. I attended several of these terrific conferences, and found wonderful connections, new friends, and a whole lot of inspiration. And the weather is pretty good there in February! Austin has a very developed community of artists and authentic Texas charm. And the women at Story Circle have such heart—the conference is well named. You will come back with a bunch of new stories and a lot of writing friends who care about the same things you do—stories, memoir writing, and the value of capturing memories for our own development or for a legacy for our family. Contests and Publications Entering contests is a good way to push your writing skills and hone your work. There are literally hundreds of venues where you can enter your work. Use Google to surf the web for sites that are looking for publications and lists of contests. Other resources for upcoming contests are in Poets and Writers and Writers Digest
San Francisco Writers Conference contest The SFWC Writing Contest—sponsored by the San Francisco Writers Conference. Go to www.sfwriters.org for contest and conference info. You do not have to attend the conference to enter the contest. Journal 2008 The Power of Writing Conference June 18-22, 2008 Denver, Colorado
Another mentor on my path of learning about the healing power of writing has been Kathleen Adams, founder of Journal Therapy and the author of several books focusing on the therapeutic power of writing. Kay teaches classes, retreats, and workshops for therapists and for writers nationally, and my interview with her about the healing power of writing is on my website for audio download. In June, 2008, Kathleen is hosting the first ever conference on writing as healing—Journal Conference 2008—The Power of Writing. This conference brings together the important people in the therapeutic, memoir, spiritual autobiography world such as Dr. James Pennebaker, Christina Baldwin, Tristine Rainier, and Kathleen Adams—four of the leading thinkers and theorists in the field of therapeutic writing headline a faculty of 40. Six mix-and-match tracks (Writing, Therapy, Healing/Wellness, Memoir/Life Story, Spirituality, and Writing in Community) allow a fully customizable conference experience. Special guest appearances by award-winning poet Michael Blumenthal and creative arts therapies troupe MUSE. Continuing education hours are available! Questions? Call 888-421-2298 (in Colorado or from cell phone: 303-986-6460) |
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NAWW: Develop a powerful support system for women writers only. The National Association of Women Writers is a forum where you can network with women writers from all over the world. Get our free eReport, 101 Best Resources for Writers for free! Get our free report “10 Mindsets Web Entrepreneurs Must Have To Succeed.” Are you ready to really learn what it takes to build a six-figure online business? Let the AWE teach you how!
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Newsletter – December 2007
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“We are nearer to Spring - Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing
It seems impossible that 2007 is drawing to a close! Does time speed up, or is it the pace of our lives? We are entering a season of celebration, gatherings of loved ones and friends, and the time of year that we appreciate the blessings of the old year while looking forward to the new. As I adjust to lengthened shadows and early darkness, I enjoy curling up with a good book or musing about ideas for a story. In the darkness germinate the seeds for growth and new creative ideas. The solstice tips the world on its edge, turning us anew toward the coming light. During this season we are drawn to remember the special times that warm our hearts. As a child, I’d eagerly await Christmas, excited about what presents I might get, the aroma of pine needles, and the splash of bright colors. I was lucky to spend several Christmases with my great-grandmother Blanche, the matriarch of a family of seven children, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Iowa. An Iowa winter is perfect, with soft billowing snow and crisp cold. Always there were the delightful smells of home cooking—pies, cakes, fried chicken, roasts, homemade gravy, cookies, and fluffy rolls. The sound of laughter and the buzz of voices rolled around the two story house where my Aunt Grace hosted us, where chattered the old stories harkening to the 19th century—horses with bells, men hunting on the frozen Mississippi, the first horseless carriage. The stories we share with our family affirms who we are as a tribe and as individuals. I wish you the best of celebrations with your family and friends, and best wishes for a wonderful New Year!
The holidays can be very emotional events—everyone is supposed to be happy but the old conflicts have a chance to be aired. Most families have rituals that carry them through. Holidays are gathering points for our memories, our hopes and dreams. Reflect upon these moments, notice if you find a deeper meaning for you now.
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A spider gifted me this web at my door.
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Upcoming Classes and Workshops Winter is a good time to reflect and write your memoir stories. My new series of classes is beginning in January, and there are openings in the Women’s Memoir Circle Thursday nights in the Berkeley, CA area. We are also adding a dynamic new online class. Let me know if you have any questions about the classes. linda@memoriesandmemoirs.com Thursday Night Women’s Circle January 17 – April 3 To Register Each week women of all ages and backgrounds meet to write and talk about motherhood, single dating, careers, romance, memories of family, and their spiritual quests. The writers use both poetry and prose to capture memories and to explore the richness of their lives. We write about important turning points–the lighter, humorous moments along with dark nights of the soul. There is laughter and a few tears, and most of all the witnessing of our stories, an important component of healing and moving into the future. Women of any age are invited to participate in these workshops. You do not have to be “old” to have a great deal of wisdom to share in writing the story of your life. Women of every age learn from each other’s experiences in our groups; everyone inspires each other to keep writing more insightful and thoughtful true stories. Saturday Spiritual Autobiography and Memoir Circle (Limited to 7 participants) Have you ever said, “I need to write my story”? If not now, when? Memories and Memoirs offers a choice of memoir writing classes, workshops, and retreats to help you get started and keep going. Memories carry deep personal meaning in our lives and for our sense of self. Through exploring them we discover our own unique stories to craft as memoir or fiction. Join our supportive classes to help zap your inner critic. We offer writing tools and exercises each week in class and encouraging, positive feedback. Write the stories you have been meaning to write, whether for your own development and healing or to leave as a legacy for others. Read more here: http://memoriesandmemoirs.net/category/memoir-writing-classes/ Special Online Class Your story is unique, and you are the only one to tell it. It’s an important legacy for your family and a way to have the last word in your family story! All family stories have joys and sorrow, coming together and moving apart, birth and death, and so many memories. Your past history is a treasury of historical times, places, and customs—towns, buildings, headlines, clothing, holidays, grandparents, cars, and school days. Falling in love, marriage, births of children, and new family traditions are all stories everyone wants to know more about. Write Your Family Memoir Special Discounted Holiday Price until January 1: $267 Includes extra bonuses and phone coaching Sign up online and get started right away In this course you will learn:
Read more here: http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com/webstore.html#online Contests and Publications Entering contests is a good way to push your writing skills and hone your work. There are literally hundreds of venues where you can enter your work. Use Google to surf the web for sites that are looking for publications and lists of contests. Other resources for upcoming contests are in Poets and Writers www.poetsandwriters.com and Writers Digest www.writersdigest.com San Francisco Writers Conference contest The SFWC Writing Contest—sponsored by the San Francisco Writers Conference. Go to www.sfwriters.org for contest and conference info. You do not have to attend the conference to enter the contest.
The Story Circle Network presents Stories from the Heart IV. February 1-3,2008 From the conference website: “Through writing, reading, listening, and sharing, we will discover how personal narrative is a healing art, how we can gather our memories, how we can tell our stories.” This is a great conference! Women from all over the country gather to celebrate story telling and creativity. I attended several of these terrific conferences, and found wonderful connections, new friends, and a whole lot of inspiration. And the weather is pretty good there in February! Austin has a very developed community of artists and authentic Texas charm. And the women at Story Circle have such heart—the conference is well named. You will come back with a bunch of new stories and a lot of writing friends who care about the same things you do—stories, memoir writing, and the value of capturing memories for our own development or for a legacy for our family.
“Stories,” according to Dr. James Pennebaker, author of Opening Up and Writing to Heal “are a form of knowledge.” His research about how writing helps to heal inspired me to explore the world of story in my workshops and to write my first book Becoming Whole. Every week that I work with students writing memoir, I discover all over again the power of the stories that emerge to surprise and enlighten us all. In a world that too often devalues truth, personal experience, and the individual’s path of healing, each story is like the clear tone of a bell calling us to pay attention, to learn from the moment of the story. Each story rings with truth and substance and the honest portrayal of a unique life. Know that your story is unique and unlike any other. Don’t let the inner critic stop you from starting your own story today. Write your Truth. Write your path to yourself. The Story Circle Network presents Stories from the Heart IV. From the conference website: “Through writing, reading, listening, and sharing, we will discover how personal narrative is a healing art, how we can gather our memories, how we can tell our stories.” This is a great conference! Women from all over the country gather to celebrate story telling and creativity. I attended several of these terrific conferences, and found wonderful connections, new friends, and a whole lot of inspiration. And the weather is pretty good there in February! Austin has a very developed community of artists and authentic Texas charm. And the women at Story Circle have such heart—the conference is well named. You will come back with a bunch of new stories and a lot of writing friends who care about the same things you do—stories, memoir writing, and the value of capturing memories for our own development or for a legacy for our family.
Denver June 18-22, 2008 Another mentor on my path of learning about the healing power of writing has been Kathleen Adams, founder of Journal Therapy (www.journaltherapy.com) and the author of several books focusing on the therapeutic power of writing. Kay teaches classes, retreats, and workshops for therapists and for writers nationally, and my interview with her about the healing power of writing is on my website for audio download.. In June, 2008, she is hosting the first ever conference on writing as healing—Journal Conference 2008—The Power of Writing. This conference brings together the important people in the therapeutic, memoir, spiritual autobiography world such as Dr. James Pennebaker, Christina Baldwin, Tristine Rainier, and Kathleen Adams—four of the leading thinkers and theorists in the field of therapeutic writing Six mix-and-match tracks (Writing, Therapy, Healing/Wellness, Memoir/Life Story, Spirituality, and Writing in Community) allow a fully customizable conference experience. Special guest appearances by award-winning poet Michael Blumenthal and creative arts therapies troupe MUSE. Continuing education hours are available! When you register AND reserve your hotel room at the Sheraton Denver West by December 10, you will be entered in a drawing for your choice of an iPod Nano or a year of Netflix — delivered in time for Christmas! Don’t miss out on the best pricing — register today! Questions? Call 888-421-2298 (in Colorado or from cell phone: 303-986-6460) I am pleased to be offering a workshop on writing the truth called How to Write Your Memoir and Still be Invited for the Holidays. June is a glorious time to visit the Rocky Mountains. At the conference you will meet colleagues and fellow seekers who are passionate about therapeutic writing, creativity, and the spiritual path of writing. So I promised some of the family pics each time, and truly there are so many! Thank goodness for digital cameras. Maybe my children won’t have hugs boxes of photos stuck in closets like I do. But think of the opportunities to create family stories when going through all those photos—another way to write your memoir. The Santa photos are last Christmas when Seth and Zoe were not yet one, and Miles was three. At Thanksgiving the littlest cousins did not have to be urged very much to plant sweet kisses on each other! What fun watching them grow and then having a good night’s sleep afterward! Miles giggling with a pile of babies—Seth and Zoe!
Zoe wearing Mommy’s glasses
Kissing cousins-Seth and Zoe
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NAWW: Develop a powerful support system for women writers only. The National Association of Women Writers is a forum where you can network with women writers from all over the world. Get our free eReport, 101 Best Resources for Writers for free! Find out more here: http://www.profcs.com/app/?Clk=1994278 Get our free report “10 Mindsets Web Entrepreneurs Must Have To Succeed” at http://www.aweconnect.com. Are you ready to really learn what it takes to build a six-figure online business? Let the AWE teach you how! Find out more here: http://www.profcs.com/app/?Clk=2100054 |
