Finding the Unique Writing Workshops

My Year of Plagues and Pestilences - Upcoming Writing Workshop Finding the Unique in Memoir: Telling Your Story, Your Way. Saturday and Sunday, February 8 and 9, 2020.... When Caterina Edwards and I teach memoir writing workshops, we stress the difference between autobiography and memoir autobiography is the story of an entire life, whereas memoir is the story of a particular part, or aspect, of your life. My friend Jerry Haigh has written several memoirs of his life as a veterinarian in Kenya, Lucy Greeley wrote an entire memoir about the cancer that ate up her jawbone, Carolyn Abraham’s memoir told the stories discovered through DNA research. I could write an entire memoir of my health experiences in 2019 I likely won’t do that, by the way, but there s certainly enough material to fill at least one entire volume. Stories of mis-diagnosis, treatment in the ER of we who are female and of a ‘certain age’, then the joy of being treated by a physician who told me that we know our patients will tell us what’s wrong if we just listen to them. What a refreshing philosophy. My story continues from there (that was just January’s tale!) on through renal colic, adverse drug reactions, specialists whose view is restricted to their own ‘silo’; finally referrals to those most precious practitioners, a rheumatologist and an internist, and lo! analysis, diagnosis, and treatment. Life is moving toward good once again. A writer could take any one of several viewpoints on this situation: - anger or dismay at the impact of incorrect or seemingly inappropriate patient care - health care costs resulting from those errors, and the significantly lower cost that would have resulted had the physicians ordered up one simple indicator blood test - the temporary destruction of an individual’s lifestyle or - what could have been permanent destruction of a life (the original condition has ended the lives of many individuals) fascination with the variety and depth of knowledge among our medical practitioners - interest in the capability of a drug to heal some individuals’ ailments while initiating horribly adverse reactions in other patients - a patient’s search for answers, a tale of seeking that one practitioner who is capable of listening, testing, analyzing, and diagnosing - the joy of experiencing a return to health, replenished energy, reduced pain and the very simple but utterly intense joy of being alive The choice is yours in recounting your tales the events you’ve experienced, the relationships you’ve built (or not), and the lessons you’ve learned are yours to choose. Caterina and I will coach you in creating a memoir that expresses the perspective you wish to share. Register online at www.FindingtheUnique.com. The writing workshop will be held in Edmonton; fee is $295.00 for two days: location, pre-workshop assignment, and workshop details will be provided following registration.

Finding the Unique Writing Workshops: Characters and Dialogue Spend a weekend developing or honing your mastery of these vital elements of both fiction and life writing. We (Jean Crozier and Caterina Edwards) view ourselves as writing coaches. We specialize in individual attention and keep our class enrollment limited. There are only TWO spaces left for the weekend session, which will include Finding the Unique in Characters: Building 3 D personalities and Finding the Unique ...in Dialogue: Giving Voice to your Characters. Date and Time: Saturday, September 28, 2019 and Sunday, September 29, 2019 from 9:30 to 4:30. For more information on specific workshops check out our website www.findingtheunique.ca . For this pair of workshops only, you must register directly with either Jean at [email protected] or Caterina at [email protected] See more