As boomers ease towards retirement and find that they have time on their hands, they may be interested in tackling a longer-term project that will create a legacy for their children and grandchildren. Boomers have lived through amazing changes and times and a chronicle of their lives and experiences would be fascinating - either for publication or just for the benefit of their families.
Topics
Relating your life to world events
Developing a chronicle of events
Deciding what's important to keep and what can be tossed
Speakers
Local freelance writers, journalists, creative writing teachers or professors.
Basics
Length - One three-hour session.
Auditorium-style seating.
Preparation time - 2 hours.
Learn More About It
The Soleil Lifestory Network provides lots of information on their Web site about writing memoirs both for people who are writing their own memoirs and for people who are teaching people to write their memoirs. http://www.turningmemories.com/
Turning Memories into Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing Lifestories by Dennis Ledoux. Soleil Press
The Lifewriter's Memory Binder, 85+ pages, exercise instructions and forms, pockets and photo holders.
Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art by Judith Barrington, Eighth Mountain Press, 1996.
Make It Special
Highlight aspects of your collection that may include books and/or guides about memoir writing and certain autobiographies.
Develop a resource list for attendees of books and Web sites that will be helpful to them.
Market It
Distribute flyers in bookstores, grocery stores, downtown stores, and places of employment.
