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Memoir Writing Group and Life Story Workshops

By Carol McLeod

Published St Marys Journal Argus, February 2004.

On January 26^th, there will be a new writing group starting in St Marys. It is the “Memoir Writers Group” for people who have started to write their life story and would like to meet in a group setting once a month to share stories and get feedback. The Memoir Group has grown out of the workshops I teach at the Friendship Centre. I find that people, myself included, need to have that contact in order to stay motivated and finish the stories that were started in the workshop. The Memoir Writers Group is ideal for you if you have taken my workshops at the Friendship Centre and need a way to stay motivated once the class is over or if you have already started writing your story and would like the company of like-minded individuals.

Last January I held my first workshop at the Friendship Centre. At first I thought I wouldn’t have enough material to keep us busy for the three weeks. I soon found out that the opposite happened – we ran out of time. I wasn’t prepared either for the magic that occurred. Being able to sit back and watch as one woman related her story, and then another would pipe up with a similar recollection that up until now had lain dormant in the deep recesses of her memory. I watched their eyes light up, being transported back in time. My only response was “Quick, write it down!” as I know all too well the feeling you get when you remember something of importance and then quickly lose it again.

A lot of people have approached me with their concerns about writing their story. Some are intimidated by their lack of writing skills. The most important step to make is to put pen to paper and get started. Three generations from now your great-grandchildren won’t care about your grammar skills or your bad handwriting. Imagine how you would feel if one day you found a journal or letter written by your great grandparent. Whether you write one letter or a whole saga of your family, rest assured that you have made a difference; you have left something so that others will know your story.

At the first meeting we will be discussing our earliest memories and will do some ‘memory-priming’ exercises. Each meeting we will set goals for ourselves so that by next year we will have a polished collection of chapters in our story. Ultimately, what I hope to offer participants is a way of preserving their personal stories and voices, and a way to stay on track. We all have a story to tell, so open the doors to your memory and be prepared for an interesting journey!