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Writing Workshop: Writing Our Own Stories

Adults & Teens 13+

Everyone has a story to tell. You’ll be given tips, resources, and helpful prompts to kick-start your personal writing journey during this three-part writing workshop

Everyone has a story to tell. Have you ever thought about writing down the facts of your own life story? Commit your stories to paper and keep those memories alive for generations to come! In this three-part writing workshop, you’ll be given tips, resources, and helpful prompts to kick-start your personal writing journey.

June 21: Getting Started

The first meeting focuses on brainstorming, recalling memories, and documenting them. We will provide worksheets and writing supplies, but feel free to bring your own notebook, journal, folder, or laptop to keep your notes and recollections organized. We also encourage you to connect with family and friends to gather their memories, which you can include in your writing by using our family history questionnaire. We will assist you with sending questions via email to your loved ones, and for those who prefer traditional mail, we will provide envelopes and stamps for U.S. Postal Service communication. You will have a chance to share their stories and responses at our next meeting!

July 19: Diving Deeper

In this meeting, we will discuss basic writing structures and help you outline your personal history. We will also guide you on how to use the library’s online resources to dive deep into your family history. Our historical newspaper databases offer much more than just birth announcements and obituaries, and you’ll be amazed by what you discover! Have your family members responded to the family history questions from Part One? Bring their answers to share and discuss how to weave their stories into yours. If you missed our first meeting, don’t worry! We’ll update you on what we’ve covered and help you begin your writing journey. We will dedicate time for free writing, after which we can share our work and provide feedback to one another. This is a supportive and pressure-free writing workshop—feedback will be constructive and friendly, and you can choose to share your stories with the group if you feel comfortable.

August 16: Editing and Revising

Attend our third and final writing workshop for tips on editing, revising, and
condensing your work. Now that your stories are written, it's time to prune and polish your narrative. Refresh your knowledge of basic grammar and punctuation rules as we go over some common mistakes and pitfalls. Consider adding headings or headlines and discover how to improve page layout and design for better readability. We'll talk about how to decide what to include and what to cut. If you wish, bounce some ideas off the group and gauge reactions. Keep in mind that most writers need at least three drafts to finish short stories, so keep reworking your story!

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