Memoir Writing Class...How This Started.

Well, here it is, the first post on my memoirs blog. This started with the writing on my Woolworks blog and wanting to write better as I enjoy it.

My friend Georgia and I took a class yesterday at our local (Kingston) Seniors Centre(we may be over 55 but we're fabulous in mind body and spirit!) on writing memoirs. Our instructor Marilyn Kendall of Wordwise was wonderful and patient as she had so much to impart to us in just one day as opposed to an 8 week course.

Our indiviual memories revealed over two exercises and chat, were wonderfully descriptive and poignant and I found myself getting a lump in my throat at the feelings that they brought up in me. Edwina spoke about immigrating to Canada in 1946 on a boat and arriving at the custom sheds in 1946, I caught my breath and smiled as I recalled sitting there too twenty years later in July 1966 with my family.

The day went on like this and seemed at the same time personal, funny and informative and I sometimes found myself tearing up as a story took me back to my youth or childhood. We learn that we are not alone in these life steps, we all have them and though they might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things they are vitally important as breathing.

I learned that when I wrote about an fond memory of my youth I had not put in desctiptions and feelings around that occasion as in the writing I was there myself...but I need to lead my reader there to and show how the small details were so important.

Well, I will rewrite it and perhaps post it as my first attemt at writing a memoir entry.