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Memories and Memoirs

Toll free: 1-877-ememoir
1-877-363-6647

New E-book Available

My new ebook Memoir Writing as a Healing Journey is available for instant download. Find out more about writing to heal, the value of writing stories and going beyond journaling, and follow the writing invitations to begin your memoir today.

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New spring classes
start in April

"Lord, it is time. The summer was very big. Lay thy shadow on the sundials, and on the meadows let the winds go loose. Command the last fruits that they shall be full; give them another two more southerly days, press them on to fulfillment and drive the last sweetness into the heavenly wine." - Rainer Maria Rilke

You are a part of an enormous moment of history that swept the country this week. Last month it was the tightening of credit. At this moment we are part of living history, as were the generations before us. Many of you want to write about the times your grandparents or parents lived, and having heard stories around the kitchen table of those times, or perhaps you have found yellowed newsprint in scrapbooks that brought those times to life for you. "History" as taught in schools was often a dry affair, but stories harness our imagination and helps to launch us back into another place and time.

This week you are part of the flow of history. Whatever your persuasion, you participated in something unique and historical. One day my grandchildren will learn about this time in school or see something saved in a scrapbook. Write your own history now of this time. Keep your journal up to date. Take pictures and put vignettes beside them to create a record of these historical times, in the now!

Go with the flow of history this week, and write your own!

• Write about the first president you remember. How old were you? What do you remember about him?
• What role did politics play in the life of your family? Was politics important or never discussed?
• When did you make up your mind which party you identified with, and why? Has this changed over the years?
• What was your favorite president? Write about how you felt and what happened that made a significant impression upon you.
• Is there a special moment in history that you think defines your political self? Write about that moment in scene, showing the era and the events that shaped you.

Harvesting Your Wisdom Writing Retreat

Linda Joy Myers, Retreat Leader
Dr. Wilkinson’s Hideaway Cottages
November 7-9, 2008
$370 | Click here to register right away
Credit cards accepted; Scholarship slots available
CEU credits for therapists
writeforlife@comcast.net | 510-524-3898
www.memoriesandmemoirs.com

Autumn: the earth releases its fruits into harvest
turning toward silence and reflection.
Take the time to hear your inner, wise voice,
Find a place to write from the center of yourself.
Writing your stories allows you to weave your past,
present, and future selves into who you are now
Listen to the small, certain voice within
Listen to your stories as they emerge from your wise self

Immerse yourself in your memories. Explore your life and the meaning of your history. Our retreat gives you time to focus on your deepest being and capture the stories that have shaped you. 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.

During the retreat there will be time for mud baths and walks, individual writing time, and consultation with Linda about your work. Wineries and wine tasting are minutes away. Contact Linda for more about the weekend schedule, food, housing, and enrollment details.

My deepest appreciation to you for helping me unlock my subconscious....and get it down on paper....it has helped me so much. A. McGrath

It's been quite a journey. The writing and the space you create has had a profound effect on my life and my healing. Lily Endlich

ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Quick courses to get you started. Begin any time. Just sign up. Therapists can take these courses for CEU units, and they are available for anyone who wants to get started writing their memoir and exploring their life through story.

Jumpstart Your Story: 3 Units $79 | Add to cart
How to begin your stories. Beginning is often the most challenging, but with Linda’s guidance you will find yourself starting the stories you have always meant to write. Writing invitations stimulate your creativity and take you into the heart of your life.

Childhood Stories: 4 Units $95 | Add to cart
Writing about the childhood memories that shaped you. Guided exercises help you to explore your roots, and find a deeper understanding of yourself and your family.

Writing Your Spiritual Journey 6 units $235 | Add to cart
Writing the soul’s journey through guided exercises and questions.

Online course through email and phone sessions.

Writing your stories is a great opportunity to explore your own path and as a tool for self-development. In addition, writing your own stories will give you a foundation for using story writing as a healing tool with clients. The articles and handouts about writing and healing teach you about the powerful healing process presented in Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story and in the CD “Write a Healing Memoir.” Explore legacies, family rules and patterns through writing your stories of early childhood and family.

I am a certified CEU provider # 1918
Contact me if you want to create your own CEU course.

Are You Ready to Start Your Memoir?

510-524-3898 | writeforlife@comcast.net

… your work emphasizes writing as healing but I also want to say that there is another side to it for those who maybe do not need healing as much. Your class could be called “Writing as Cherishing.” I really feel that for me, the dual process of going back and reliving moments in my life and trying to paint a picture of those moments with words to tell my story to the group is making me cherish my life in a way that I never did before. I find that this kind of writing to be spiritual and grounding. There is a kind of magic that happens in memoir writing. By going into the past, I feel more rooted, content, and awake in the present. --Laura Singh

New Products at NAMW.org to help you with your memoir writing!

Click here to view the NAMW store!

There is a growing national and international memoir community where writers need support solving the difficult questions about how to write a memoir, how to have a successful writing life, and keys to the path of successful publication.

Memoir writers have other needs too: encouragement to listen to the stories that whisper in their ears, guidance about taming the inner critic, and coaching for the ways that memoir is a healing path toward self-realization and freedom of expression.

Visit www.namw.org to see the long list of membership benefits and learn more about us.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and receive a download of your free e-book: Begin Your Memoir Today!

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

Current Events

Ongoing Groups in Berkeley, CA

Summer classes have begun, and fall classes in the local San Francisco Bay Area will be listed soon. Check here for more.

Thursday Women’s Memoir Circle
January 15 - March 12 | $380
Register here.

Each week women of all ages meet to write and talk about stages in women’s lives—childhood memories, careers, love and family, and spiritual quests. The writers use 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 the 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 every age learn from each other's experiences; everyone inspires each other to keep writing insightful and thoughtful true stories.

You will learn how to choose your scenes, how to use fictional tools, and ways to keep the inner critic at bay. We write during class, and share our work in a supportive atmosphere.

Saturday Spiritual Autobiography and Memoir Circle
September 13 to December 6 | $380
Register here.
Read more here: http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com/classes.html

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