2010 Schedule

Two Six-Week Classes: Orange County, California

• Dates:  Oct. 5 and 6 thru Nov. 9 and 10
• Time:  1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
• Location:  Rm. 154, Santiago Canyon College, Orange Education Center, 1465 N. Batavia (Between Taft and Katella), Orange, CA  92867
• Registration Information:  714-628-5900

Seminars

• Feb. 5-7–Story Circle Network Fifth National Women’s Memoir Conference, Austin, Texas
• Aug. 16-20–BYU Education Week, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 377 Clyde Bldg., “How to Write a Life Story People Will WANT to Read,” 9:50 a.m.
  • Tuesday:  “Who Am I?–Revealing Yourself through Your Story”
  • Wednesday:  “Putting Your Reader in Your World–It’s All in the Details”
  • Thursday:  “Making It Real–Showing vs. Telling”
  • Friday:  “Writing Honestly about Sensitive Issues–Telling Your Emotional Truth”
• Sept. 18–Chino Hills Family History and Genealogy Seminar, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Peyton and Eucalyptus Streets, Chino Hills, CA, “How to Turn Genealogy Data into a Fascination Family History (Parts 1 and 2), 9:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m.
• Oct. 15–Personal History Conference (Presented by the Utah Assoc. of Personal Historians, an affiliate of APH), Westminster College, Gore School of Business, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City. 10:10 a.m. presentation–”Breathe Life into Your Ancestors: Turn Genealogy Data into a Fascinating Family History”; 2:30 p.m. presentation–”It’s Your Life Story: Now Put Yourself into It.” Go HERE for registration information.

A little about what I teach…

My classes have a dual focus: First to motivate students to write their life story, and, second, to show them how to make it interesting. It’s one thing to write down memories as they spring from your head; it’s quite another to shape those memories into a fascinating story, one that lets readers into your life, and shows them what it was like to walk in your shoes. I focus on SHOWING, not just TELLING. If people learn this skill, they’ll tell an interesting story.

Learning to write is like learning to play the piano: The more people practice, the better they get. It’s rewarding to watch my students grow as writers over time.  I also love when they discover that their lives have been interesting and meaningful, something they may not have realized had they not taken the time to record their stories.  It’s so satisfying to play a small part in that process.

To learn more about my classes and my teaching techniques, visit my website at www.MemoirMentor.com. You’ll find most of my curriculum in the book I co-authored with my husband and published in 2007, Breathe Life into Your Life Story:  How to Write a Story People Will WANT to Read, available through the publisher, Signature Books, and Amazon.com.

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Honors and Endorsements:

In 2008 Santiago Canyon College honored me with the Faculty Excellence Award. If you’d like to read what some nice people have said  about  my classes and seminars, click here.