Sandra Marinella
Writing Memoir and Story for Meaning—and Possibly Transformation
August 16, 2024
11 AM PDT | 12 PM MDT | 1 PM CDT | 2 PM EDT
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Can writing our memoirs or stories lead to personal meaning, connections, and perhaps to transformation? Many memoirists say their lives have been changed by writing their deep truths. Let’s explore the beauty of how writing our stories and memoirs can grow us in these powerful ways. Sandra will share inspirational stories that will show how meaning matters in our writing and in our lives.  She draws upon her own experiences teaching others, and will also share the science of how we resonate body and soul with the stories we must tell.

You will learn how to:

1. Identify why a theme with meaning should be at the heart of any memoir.

2. Discover two paths to explore personal meaning for your memoir.

3. Identify two critical factors that contribute to meaning in our lives and in our writing.

4. Review the neuroscience that demonstrates how we create our meaning with our stories.

5. Explore how hardship stories often give the gift of renewed meaning.

6. Summarize the role transformation can play in stories and memoirs infused with meaning.

Bio
Sandra Marinella, MA and MEd, is an award-winning writing teacher and author from Chandler, Arizona.  She has taught story-sharing and writing to thousands of writers, professionals, students and cancer patients.  Her articles have appeared in dozens of magazines from The English Journal to Psychology Today. When she faced breast cancer, Sandra turned to her personal narrative writing to navigate this difficult journey. The experience inspired her to teach writing at Piper Cancer Center, the Veterans Hospital, and most recently at Mayo Clinic. As she worked with those facing life-altering experiences, Sandra wrote The Story You Need to Tell–Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss–an acclaimed guide for writing to heal and grow.  Currently she speaks and teaches story sharing and writing workshops at community venues, nonprofits, and conferences nationally. She is engaged in writing about finding meaning through our stories. You can learn more at www.storyyoutell.com.

Upcoming Workshops and Conferences

Six Week IAJW Writing Workshop in Oct-Nov 2024.
The Story You Need to Tell Writing Workshop – Writing for Meaning and Resilience
Do you have a story?  Of course, we all have stories! While some of your stories may be painful, others center on your hopes, your dreams, your meaning, and the search for your best self. This class will teach you to find, safely hold, share, reframe, and write your best stories. We will explore and expand on the importance of writing stories to find meaning, joy, and personal resilience. The many writing prompts and exercises offered will guide you to write past hardships and toward positive outcomes. We will share, write, and read our work in a safe, caring, and confidential community.

Materials for the class: Please bring a pen and a journal/notebook/computer to write on. If you have it, bring The Story You Need to Tell.
Venue:  Interactive Zoom Workshop Sponsored by the International Association for Journal Writing
Dates: Six Wednesdays. October 16, 23, 30 and November 6, 13, and 20.
Time:   3-5 pm PT
Cost: $297
Details and Register:  https://iajw.org/journal-writing-products/the-story-you-need-to-tell-oct-2024/

Mayo Integrative Health Conference February 2025
Speaking on “Writing to Heal and Transform”
Mayo Integrative Medicine Conference—Renew, Rejuvenate, Inspire, and Connect 2025
Amelia Island, Florida
February 13-15, 2025
Info will be posted soon at www.storyyoutell.com

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