Happy almost June! You're invited to the free evening workshops I'm leading this coming week: "The Healing Power of Words" and "Finding the Poetry in Your Life" are both near and dear to my heart and I would love to share them with you!

I'm also offering a Memoir workshop Thursday morning, if you have stories about yourself/your family that you'd like to preserve.

And if you would like support, feedback, and momentum to get some writing finished, whether it's a full-length book or separate essays, stories, or poems, summer sessions of Under Construction -- both morning and evening classes -- begin this week. (No worries -- there is vacation time built into the schedule.) Here are the details:

THE HEALING POWER OF WORDS 

(Writing As a Healing Process) 

What benefits can writing provide - physically, mentally, spiritually? Are some ways of writing more healing than others? And can we create quality literary work as we heal? In this workshop that incorporates Dr. James Pennebaker's ground-breaking ideas, we'll discuss and implement ways to use writing as a transformational tool. And, if you're looking, you'll find the genesis of new poetry, creative non-fiction, and/or fiction. Warning: Laughter likely. Inspiration guaranteed. This workshop is offered FREE!

WHERE: Scaleybark Regional Library, 101 Scaleybark Road, Charlotte, NC 28209
WHEN: Tuesday, June 3, 6:00 to 7:45 pm
TO REGISTER: Call (704) 416-6400 or register online here.

FINDING THE POETRY IN YOUR LIFE 

(Poetry Knowledge, Tools and Techniques) 

Do you ever wonder what makes a poem a poem? Or wish you had a better way to put your thoughts and feelings into words? Then this poetry workshop is for you. Expect opportunities to put words onto paper in new ways, encounters with poems that run the gamut from serious to seriously playful, and tools to help you find the poetry in your own life.This workshop is offered FREE!

WHERE: Morrison Regional Library, 7015 Morrison Boulevard, 
Charlotte, NC 28211
WHEN: Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 from 6 - 7:30 pm
TO REGISTER: Register online here.

THE GIFT OF MEMOIR: WRITING PERSONAL AND FAMILY STORIES 

(Preserving Family History; Writing for and about Your Family; The Art of Memoir)

Our life stories are a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us-they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to come. It is also a gift to ourselves. As best-selling author Rachel Naomi Remen says in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, facts bring us to knowledge, but stories bring us to wisdom. If you are interested in writing family and/or personal life stories-those significant tales of adventure, transition, love, loss, and triumph, as well as lovely everyday moments from times past or the present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them.

To suit your busy schedule, the summer sessions of The Gift of Memoir may be taken individually or as a series. $97 for 3 sessions; $35 each for individual sessions.

WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204. Click here for map.

WHEN: Thursday mornings. June 5; July 24; August 14. 10 am to noon.

TO REGISTER: Click here to register online.  Or click here for a printable, mail-in form.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

(Fulfilling Writing Dreams & Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising & Polishing Your Writing)

This class is designed to fulfill your writing dreams and projects. You'll set goals and support structures and watch your writing flow! You'll also get feedback on your work (any genre) and learn revision tools. Jumpstart your pen and receive the knowledge and inspiration you need to write, whatever your preferred genre. Each week, writing prompts will generate material for new writing or further a piece in process. Through examples of accomplished writers, you'll learn techniques to aid you right where you are in the process. $229 for 7 classes.

WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead Street, 28204. Click here for map.

WHEN: Thursday evenings on the following dates: June 5 & 19; July 10, 24, & 31;  August 7 & 14, 7 to 9 pm

TO REGISTER: Click here to register online. Or click here for a printable, mail-in form.

Note: If you're interested in an Under Construction class that meets on Wednesday mornings in South Charlotte, please email Maureen here or call 704-494-9961. There are just a few spots left!

May your writing bring you (and others) peace and joy, love and light, 

Maureen

More WordPlay opportunities at
http://www.wordplaynow.com/classes-and-workshops/