Courses

This interactive workshop is offered in two formats:

• 1-day introduction experience
• 6-week in-depth experience

What’s covered:

• The Four Creative Myths That May Be Holding You Back.
• The Five Laws of Lightning (the Creative Force) and What They Mean to You.
• How to Uncover Your Creative Flow Style.
• How to Navigate Creative Blocks.
• How to Connect to Your Creative Guides.
• How to Continuously Spark the Unstoppable Force Inside You.

Marni Freedman Workshops Presents:

Writing About Family Taught by International Memoir Writers Association President Tracy J. Jones

A step-by-step creative process to unlock memories to share and inspire the next generation.

Six Tuesdays (May 14-June 18) on Zoom 10-12 p.m. PT

What you and your family gain from writing a memoir or family history:

• Writing and recalling memories help create new brain paths, causing neurons to fire
• The more you write, the more memories come back that you’d forgotten
• What it means to your family to have a list of life events, a few pivotal memories, and even one-line answers about your life from childhood to now
• The connection and community you will find sharing your memories in a supportive and nurturing environment with Tracy.
• Reflecting on and writing about pivotal moments offers insights into your life that you might not have found if you had not sat down and recorded these memories.
• It’s an uplifting and moving experience that your family will cherish.
• Wouldn’t you love having your grandparents or great-grandparents’ memories and life events organized and written down?
  Memoir writing or answering questions about your life is a gift to yourself and your family.

Class Structure:

Week One: The Quick Answer Questions
Week Two: Drop-in Technique to Recall Memories
Week Three: Writing to Photos
Week Four: Writing to Music
Week Five: Deeper Reflections on Your Life’s Story (Part 1)
Week Six: Deeper Reflections on Your Life’s Story (Part 2) & Putting It All Together)

The class textbook is For You When I Am Gone: Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story by Steve Leder.

Are you ready to write your memoir in a nurturing, dynamic, inspirational environment?

Since 2016, Marni and Tracy, in partnership with San Diego Writers, Ink, have offered this highly rated program. Not only do people earn their certificates, but many have gone on to publish their memoirs! You can take one class or earn your certificate by taking the following series of workshops. Classes can be taken out of order. (All workshops are only offered once a year and must be completed within three years to earn the certificate.)
Jump in Anytime! All sessions are live online via Zoom (and are recorded in case you miss a class).

Memoir III: Structure for Memoir and Character Arc

In this workshop, students will expand upon what they have learned in Memoir I and II about the basics of memoir writing and character, dialogue, and scene. The focus on this workshop will be on creating a strong character arc and creating a bullet proof structure that will fulfill the potential of the hook. Utilizing either the 6 Journey Writing Plot Spots or the 15 Plot Spots as our structural guides, we will delve deeper into creating parameters, honing your core idea (deciding how to pick and choose what parts of your life to include in your memoir) and perfecting tone and theme.