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**Please register at https://bit.ly/FPLMemoirs**We ALL have childhood memories. When I started writing my memoirs about 10 years ago, I began with my earliest memories as a young child. Once I began to write, I discovered that once I began writing about a certain period in my life, other memories and the people there and then came to mind, or became a little clearer. After writing about going to see the Harlem Globetrotters when I was 12, I remembered other places and events in my hometown. The same is likely to happen with you. Research has shown that writing is good for memory and recall, and problem-solving. Writing about our past helps to solidify memories in our brains. But where do we start? We have many ways to think of the past. I will be bringing various writing resources for you to discuss.
We remember our earliest crushes.
We remember certain music.
We remember our early sports experiences like gym class and little league.
We remember our heart being broken.
We remember our marriages – and our divorces.
We remember our connections between people.
We remember our ancestors and their roles in our lives.
We remember places.
And, much more.
In this workshop, every week you will have a chance to write about certain events in your life that you have selected. After we write short episodes about our past, we will ask our colleagues in the workshop for their suggestions. Everyone else will be asked to give you feedback or feedforward about what you wrote. We will ALL learn from one another. I invite all participants to be supportive of one another. You can bring your laptop, or a simple note pad to write, available at the Dollar Store for about $1.25, or something else. When approaching writing, start with small chunks or paragraphs that describe a memory. For me, I found ways to add significant detail to the memory, such as descriptions of people, distances, or colors to make it more interesting for my kids and grandkids to read. I added humor here and there, such as jokes I have heard, or a funny event at a gathering.
Some may wish to read their paragraphs or stories. This is helpful to you in that it immediately gives a sense of the “flow” of your writing—how it sounds. This is helpful for all participants (you are not students). Alternatively, you could wait until you have had a chance to read and do a re-write before printing and handing out your story. If you would prefer NOT to read you excerpt, you may also ask someone else to read it for you. We will begin with 1-hour sessions, once-a- week, and if needed, we can discuss if we would like to expand to 1.5 hours.
About the presenter:
Thomas Charles Belanger (named for both grandfathers) is the author of 10 books, about 25 training manuals, over 100 articles in various publications, since 1980. He has facilitated many workshops throughout the USA and parts of Canada on Business Writing, Program Management, Project Management, and other topics, training nearly 20,000 participants over a 40+ year career. He delivered his last workshop for Boston University in 2018, after many years and many workshops. He also facilitated workshops for the clients of Northeastern University since the 1990s.
Tom began writing about his memories in 2014. He currently has nearly 200 pages in 2025. He has written stories about many of his childhood, teen, adult, and senior experiences, including military service, international travel, cross-country travel.
**Please register at https://bit.ly/FPLMemoirs**
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