 Starting Monday 28 February until Monday 16 May 2022
A note: The Zoom platform works extremely well for a course of this nature. Deborah welcomes people from around Aotearoa and across the globe to this worthwhile and very nourishing course. Course Description Currently we are living through uncharted times where the familiar everyday patterns of existence have been disrupted by a global pandemic. A memoir course at this time of uncertainty offers a welcome refuge and reflective space to investigate and preserve your memories in written form. The process of gathering together the various threads of your life experience and beginning to make meaning of them is an engrossing and ultimately grounding activity. This might be the perfect time to draw on your courage and commit to writing the story of your life. This course is designed for people who yearn to write a record of their life. It is for those who have never written and for those who enjoy writing in other genres but haven’t yet tried memoir. Under Deborah’s guidance, and in a mutually supportive environment, this ten-week course offers the essential structure, method and themes to help the memoirist strengthen the writing voice and begin to realise the memoir project. Author Dr Deborah Shepard is an experienced memoir tutor, writing mentor and biographer. Her books include: The Writing Life: Twelve New Zealand Authors, Her Life’s Work, Between the Lives: Partners in Art and Reframing Women: a history of New Zealand film. Over eight sessions she will introduce you to the pleasures of writing memoir, to the history of the genre and inspiring samples of work by memoirists such as: Janet Frame, Janice Galloway, Charlotte Grimshaw, Fiona Kidman, Blake Morrison, Peter Wells, Jeanette Winterson, Tim Winton. Working on your own and as a group, sharing the writing as you go, you will complete a collection of memoir pieces and portraits that will supply the structure upon which to develop your memoir. Each participant receives an individual mentoring session with Deborah and an opportunity to publish on her ‘Writers’ Stories’ forum at https://www.deborahshepardbooks.com/writers-stories Session topics:
What people say about Deborah’s memoir courses I came away with a lot of confidence that I had something to say and that I could say it well — Terry Levenberg Over the five sessions I found my “creative writing voice” as an apprentice, in a safe and supportive environment and through a superbly designed course. As a small group of diverse writers, we were expertly guided by the wise and gentle Deborah, who is an outstanding teacher — Maria Kazmierov Recent feedback on Journalling in Extraordinary Times at the Devonport Library Through journal writing with Deborah I found my writing voice which helps me live with ease and authenticity every day. — Catherine Moorhead My appreciation of journalling as an art was deepened through Deborah's bibliography bringing together writers of different writing styles, backgrounds, countries and historical periods. — Sylvia Nagl Journals are magic portals to finding beauty and sense in the every day and Deborah showed us how to find the key. — Jicca Smith Deborah provided a safe, welcoming and skilled approach to journal writing, which enabled group members to find their voice and delight in writing. — Sally Monks When: 28 February — 16 May 2022 Number of sessions: Ten sessions Mondays 6.30pm – 8.30pm Where: on Zoom Course fee: $350 Contact Deborah: Via her Contact Page on this website  In Extremis: Journaling in Extraordinary Times at the Devonport Library When: 22 February — 12 April 2021 Number of sessions: Eight sessions Mondays 6pm – 8.30pm Where: Devonport Library Course fee: $280 Contact: d.shepard@xtra.co.nz Course Description Currently we are living through an extraordinary time in world history where all the familiar norms of our known existence have been turned upside down by a global pandemic. Yet inherent in this situation, some call it a ‘dangerous opportunity’, is the potential to deepen our experience of the present.Through writing a daily journal you can begin to make sense of what is happening. Through the art of observation, reflection and contemplation, you will find the balance you need to live more peacefully and more fully in each and every given moment. The journal genre is the ideal genre to discover and develop your writing skills. On this course, as well as establishing a writing routine, you will be creating a record of your own experience for yourself and for future generations. About the teacher: This journal workshop is presented by author Dr Deborah Shepard, an experienced memoir tutor, NZSA, writing mentor, editor and an earlier Autumn Resident and teacher of Masterclasses in Memoir at the Michael King Writer’s Centre. Her course offers a writing sanctuary where you can reconnect with your inner life and discover what is on your mind. Over eight session you will receive an introduction to the pleasures and history of the journal form including samples of work by some of the great journalers. Working on your own and as a group, sharing the writing as you go, you will receive writing techniques and triggers to stimulate a series of journal entries; an individual mentoring session with Deborah and an opportunity to publish on https://www.deborahshepardbooks.com/writers-stories Writing experience We all have the capacity to write from our personal experience on the subjects that matter to us and on Deborah’s courses you will find techniques and triggers that help strengthen and develop your writing voice. This course is suitable for all comers who have a yearning to write. Sessions topics:
What people say about Deborah’s courses: I came away with a lot of confidence that I had something to say and that I could say it well — Terry Levenberg Over the five sessions I found my “creative writing voice” as an apprentice, in a safe and supportive environment and through a superbly designed course. As a small group of diverse writers, we were expertly guided by the wise and gentle Deborah, who is an outstanding teacher — Maria Kazmierov Deborah has a beautiful, compassionate, inclusive approach to teaching — Janet Sergeant  When: 17 April — 20 May 2020
Number of sessions: Eight sessions, 4.30pm – 6pm Format: Weekend workshop starting 4.30pm Friday 17 April then weekly on Wednesdays Where: Zoom Online course in your writing room Course description Currently we are living through an extraordinary time in world history, where all the familiar norms of our known existence have been turned upside down by a global pandemic. For each of us, living through this state of lockdown, our sense of security has been shattered, our inner resilience tested. We wonder if life will ever return to normal. Yet inherent in this situation, some are calling it a ‘dangerous opportunity,’ is a potential gift. Through writing a daily journal you can begin to make sense of what is happening and through the act of reflection, observation and contemplation, create a new rhythm and sense of balance that will help you deepen your experience of the present. When lockdown is over your journal will contain a record for future generations, while the writing will be firmly established as a practice to take into the future.
Under Deborah’s gentle guidance you will have five blissful days to indulge your dream and begin your life writing project in a collaborative and supportive environment.
WHEN: 5 x sessions, Monday 20 - 24 January 2020, 9:30am - 1:00pm WHERE: The University of Auckland, City Campus Course outline Session One: Getting Started
Who should attend? This course is designed for: new writers, people who are interested in writing and are newcomers to the genre people who want to discover their writing voice people who want to record their stories for their family people who want to write and publish their life story people who want to explore their inner world and express their thoughts and feelings and observations and transform them into literature young and older writers people who have written in another genre such as fiction or poetry, or non-fiction and who want to explore memoir. Writing memoir involves a balance between capturing your own memories on the page and writing biographical accounts of the people, including the ancestors, who have left an imprint on your life.
WHEN: 5 X sessions, Monday 7 - Friday 11 September, 9:30am - 1pm WHERE: The University of Auckland, City Campus Course outline Writing memoir involves an intricate interplay between writing down and preserving your own memories and constructing biographical accounts of the people, including the ancestors, who have left an imprint on your life. On this course, you will receive tuition on the fundamentals of writing memoir and biography and its ethical implications along with techniques that will assist you to write with flair and originality about the key figures, both living and from the past, who have influenced and helped shape your life. It is suitable for participants who have not yet completed Life Writing 1. Session one: Arriving here – the importance of preserving my story and the family history.
About the event
At no time in history has nature writing seemed more important and pertinent than now, poised as we are in the midst of a climate crisis. Yet each day as we navigate the welter of alarming reports in the media it is easy to feel a rising sense of helplessness. What can I really do, on my own, to avert a catastrophe? On this workshop the focus will be on redirecting our anxieties into paying deep attention to the wonder of Nature, discovering what it can teach us and how we in turn can contribute to the discussion by paying tribute, through creative expression, to its majesty and power. Join author and experienced writing tutor Deborah Shepard on her writing residency at the historic Karekare Homestead, for a weekend of nature writing in a remarkable location on the margins between the Waitakere Ranges and the Tasman sea. Writing in the homestead and outdoors you will have an opportunity to develop your writing skills and sharpen your powers of observation and analysis through a range of writing exercises, group discussion, and the study of nature texts. Event includes Writing exercises on:
This workshop is suitable for all comers who feel passionate about the natural world. We all have the capacity to write from our personal experience on the subjects that matter to us. On Deborah’s courses you are introduced to techniques and triggers that help strengthen and develop your writing voice. Writing memoir involves an intricate interplay between writing down and preserving your own memories and constructing biographical accounts of the people, including the ancestors, who have left an imprint on your life.
On this course, you will receive tuition on the fundamentals of writing memoir and biography and its ethical implications along with techniques that will assist you to write with flair and originality about the key figures, both living and from the past, who have influenced and helped shape your life. It is suitable for participants who have not yet completed Life Writing 1. When: TBA - most likely the the third week of January Visit the Public Programmes website to make an enquiry: https://www.publicprogrammes.ac.nz/ Come along to The Open Book's monthly cultural extravaganza and find out some secrets. With talks and performances by: * Caren Wilton (oral historian, writer, editor and author of My Body, my business * Deborah Shepard (biographer, latest book The Writing Life) * Alex Taylor (musician) Plus Q&A, snacks and even a glass of wine. IKR! Deborah Shepard and Caren Wilton talk about their recent books based on oral history interviews, and the art of writing from life. Deborah Shepard's book The Writing Life: Twelve New Zealand authors is a series of conversations with leading New Zealand writers. Caren Wilton's My Body, My Business: New Zealand sex workers in an era of change is a collection of life stories of sex workers. Alex Taylor will play some songs. Anna Livesey, poet and corporate strategist, will be your MC. Encompass everything from the complete life to the day-in-the-life.
When: 5 x sessions, Monday 29 April - Friday 3 May, 9:30am - 1pm Where: The University of Auckland, City Campus Course outline Writing memoir involves an intricate interplay between writing down and preserving your own memories and constructing biographical accounts of the people, including the ancestors, who have left an imprint on your life. On this course, you will receive tuition on the fundamentals of writing memoir and biography and its ethical implications along with techniques that will assist you to write with flair and originality about the key figures, both living and from the past, who have influenced and helped shape your life. It is suitable for participants who have not yet completed Life Writing 1. Who should attend?
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June 2021
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