Story Endings
“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another. ”
— Toni Morrison.
Free Your Story- Find the Endings
What's your story?
What about your personal journey is unique?
What hidden gems do you hold inside that need to sparkle?
Are you ready to continue your life-changing adventure?
Your story is a gift, a legacy, and a precious tool for inner transformation. Everyone has a story to tell. And yet, in sharing our stories, we often overlook what is particularly extraordinary about our lives. More likely, we need permission to get personal. It is through the intensely personal that we start tapping into what's universal.
Let us help you bring your story into written form with the Guided Autobiography method, a highly researched and structured program that guides and empowers you to write your personal life story with ease, clarity, and support. This course is for anyone who has completed our first two courses: Story Catcher and Story Builder which are prerequisites for this class. Our Free Your Story class continues the motivational and accountability aspect of writing weekly and exploring the details of a life well-lived. Through a writing prompt, and sharing your story in a safe environment of other GAB participants, you'll refine the uniqueness of your personal journey. The small group environment creates a safe, dynamic space, allowing for group interaction as well as individual guidance and feedback.
Maybe you want to leave a legacy. Maybe you want to turn a writing hobby into something more. Or simply come willing to explore. All levels welcome.
Read the stories of GAB writers who have participated in our workshop.
Questions you may be asking…
Who is this workshop for?
Story Endings is the right workshop for students who completed earlier workshops and wish to continue writing in a safe community of fellow writers. Story Endings- Guided Autobiography Level 3, allows students to be creative and yet held to account, something many new writers struggle with. Students like having a writing deadline each week, to really build the content level of their memoir or Life Story. The Story Endings is a creative writing space is for anyone who is interested in continuing to explore their life experiences and memories. There is a prerequisite of Story Builder- Guided Autobiography Level 2 to attend this class.
What are the outcomes of the class?
Upon completion you will have another 7 stories for a total of 21 different heart felt themes of your life journey. You will have completed by course end, another 14 pages or more, for a combined total of over nearly 50 pages of life recollections. Story Endings will focus on new and different themes from Story Catcher and Story Builder, both earlier prerequisite workshops, and also allow flexibility for writers who wish to strictly pursue narratives that build on a memoir for publication. Story Endings- helps writers find the common threads to pull their stories into a cohesive collection, and to recognize common life issues the students have written that will have universal appeal. While the focus of this class is content we will also build writing skills, creative elements, and story structure options. You will find Increased energy and vigor as you review where you’ve been, where you are, and where you wis your writing to be! The writing community here is especially strong, as all participants have been through two previous Guided Autobiography workshops, and have bonded in many ways through the power of story.
What can Story Endings provide that earlier workshops have not? Story Endings help do just that! Writers often struggle with the task of pulling the different stories into a readable exciting compilation either for their own enjoyment, for future generations or for publication. Story Endings help wrap up the narratives into a cohesive package that will be enjoyed by future generations or for self publishing or traditional publishing through an agent and a book deal.
What is the format of the workshop?
The proven Guided Autobiography framework for Story Endings includes a weekly theme that is presented and considered. Each session lasts 1-1.5 hours. The course will typically run for 6 weeks. During the first 30 minutes, we will have several writing prompts and share our answers. The variety of themes in Story Endings allows individuals to dig deeper into their branching points, decisions and opportunities and write on that reflection. We also encourage those writers who are focusing on publication, to revisit those stories they will be including, for publication consideration and give them another edit, another occasion to improve, and another opportunity to read them in the group to receive feedback.
In the final portion of the class, we will share our observations and our stories. Participants will come to each class with a written story or narrative based on the individual themes or a work of their choice. These stories can be as long as each participant wishes, however, only the first two pages (approx. 850 words) will be shared and read to the class.
What if I want to write a full-length memoir and get published?
Many writers will have written their full-length Life Story in the 3 consecutive workshops -- not in any one 6-week session, but rather over time. By attending Story Endings students will have the opportunity to share excerpts and receive feedback. That being said, it's important to understand that often writers seeking publication in the form of a traditional publishing house may benefit from one-on-one tutoring and editing. We can provide those services.
Is this workshop autobiography or memoir? Can we write in other genres?
The Guided Autobiography method is about writing personal essays. It is not a chronological story of your life and is, therefore, more of memoir of important slices of your life.
What are the technical requirements?
In order for you to see and hear the instructors and other students, and for them to be able to see and hear you, you will need a few tools.
Internet Access: You’ll need a computer with Internet access.
Computer: With a built-in microphone.
Webcam: Finally, you’ll need a webcam, built-in or external.
Do you provide technical support?
We have some support that can be provided for those who have not used zoom before.
Upcoming Story Endings Workshops
FEE: $99.Hosted via Zoom.
Interested in a Private Group Workshop?
Our small groups are limited to 12 participants. If you have a group of 6 to 12 and would like to have a private group workshop, contact us for a discounted fee and to schedule at our mutual convenience. We have had several private groups do this and it has been a deeper bonding experience.
Kind Words….
“The facilitators were terrific. While we felt like we were in a class situation they were very easy going and open which made it easy for the participants to relax and settle in. Everything was well presented and the class outline encouraged us to write better and share more. The comments we received after our share were motivating”
— Karen Collins. British Columbia, Canada
“If you ever wondered how or where to start writing your own life story, try GAB. It will jump start the process and you will not want to stop..”
—Robert L. Orlando, Florida, USA
“This was an opportunity to explore my life experience, put into words a compelling narrative and share with others. It was healing for me. Deeply listening to other’s experience is enriching as we commonly experience being human in so many ways. .”
— Betty Jean W. Michigan, USA
“From listening to other stories, I became very clear about mood, gesture, intention and visual, sensual aspects of writing”
— Lynne G. British Columbia, Canada