Deborah Shepard Books
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Writing on a Theme

An enjoyable and fruitful way to help people discover their life story
In my teaching I have found that one of the most enjoyable and fruitful ways to help people discover their life story is to set writing exercises on a theme. My courses are structured around topics that progress chronologically: I was Born, A Childhood Memory, The Moment When I Grew Up, Riding the Teenage Years, Finding My Way in the World, My Working Life, Someone I have Loved, In the Present Moment: A Self-portrait. At the conclusion of each course I help writers establish their own writing groups. There are now a number of them flourishing in hubs through Auckland city. Some have been writing together for nine years now and over that period they have accumulated hundreds of short pieces writing on a theme that the group dreams up. The possibilities are endless.

Recently I visited a writing group that formed following my summer life writing school at the University of Auckland Creative Week on Campus. For this meeting they had written on the topic, ‘A Window.’ Listening to their stories it occurred to me that I could devise a further setting on the Your Story page of this website to feature collections of group writing on a theme.

Read a range of stories on a theme:
  • A Window
  • Surviving a Crisis
Writing Memoir
Defining Memoir
The Participatory Model
Tips on Writing and Posting a Story
​From Writing Course to Book Publication
Your Writing Space
​Writing on a Theme
Reviews of Memoir
Writers Stories
​
Events
​About
Testimonials
What People Say

Media
​Contact
Copyright © 2017 Deborah Shepard
  • Home
  • Books
    • The Writing Life >
      • Reviews & Interviews
    • Giving Yourself to Life
    • Her Life's Work
    • Translucence
    • Between The Lives
    • Reframing Women
    • Tributes
    • Personal Writings >
      • Lockdown Journal
      • Travel Journal
      • Elegy for a friend
      • Christchurch - Post Quakes
      • On a residency
      • Deborah’s Love Letter to the Women’s Bookshop
      • Deborah's Q & A With Unity Books
  • Writing Memoir
    • Defining Memoir
    • The Participatory Model
    • Tips on Writing and Posting a Story
    • The Value of a Writing Class
    • From writing course to book publication
    • Your Writing Space
    • Writing on a Theme >
      • Window
      • Surviving a Crisis
    • Reviews of Memoir
  • Writers' stories
    • Covid-19 Stories
    • Writing Guidelines
  • Events
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • Media
  • What People Say
  • Contact