When: Running for five consecutive Saturday’s, 26th October – 23rd November
Location: Sláinte an Chláir, Clare Cancer Support Centre, Tir Mhuire, Leckaun East, Kilnamona, Ennis, Co Clare, V95 RF4W
Main goal of the workshops: For family members/ carers, to develop a journaling habit and get comfortable writing on paper. This is to give a safe space on paper for participants to explore their own voice and feelings.
By the end of the five-weeks: Everyone will have written a scene for a piece of memoir or fiction.
In each workshop, Saoirse will provide visualisation meditations (short guided meditations to help people relax and tap into their creativity before journaling), she will also provide unique journaling templates personalised for each workshop.
Register for this workshop by emailing info@braintumourireland.com.
Workshop Details:
Week 1: Building a journaling habit and explaining the different forms of journaling
Introduction: explain who I am, my story and why I am facilitating the workshops. Ask everyone to introduce themselves and to share their experience of writing (if any).
Discuss how writing can help us cope with emotions and include some writing prompt activities e.g. Display simple everyday objects and ask participants which they are drawn to and to write down what it reminds them of.
Complete a visualisation meditation where we tap into our senses to notice what brings joy and comfort into our lives. Give space for everyone to reflect and write about this.
Provide a one sentence a day journaling activity for everyone to complete throughout the following week: the purpose is to help them develop a habit of journaling even if what they write is imperfect/ messy.
Week 2: Writing for worriers
Reflect on the process of daily journaling from the week before.
Set a five-minute timer and ask everyone to vent their worries/concerns onto paper. Write whatever is on their mind onto the page and they can rip it up afterwards.
I will provide journaling templates to release worries as well as strategies to question them. I will include activities like tossing worries into a bucket, drawing our emotions as characters, and visualising shredding them. But we will also explore how difficult emotions can help us as they are trying to protect us and they show we are human!
Provide a daily challenge for the following week: Explain the purpose of ‘morning pages’. Ask everyone to set a two-minute timer in the morning and write down whatever is on their mind regardless of whether it sounds good or makes sense, without trying to make it look good.
Week 3: Writing creative non-fiction VS fiction VS journaling
Differentiate writing styles through reading samples. Distinguish writing to release emotions VS writing to build a story.
Discuss: What makes a good story? What makes your story unique? Provide handouts explaining.
Distinguish allowing yourself to be imperfect on the page during the creative process VS fixing when editing later on i.e. following the heart of the story and figuring the rest out later. Encouraging curiosity instead of criticism!
Visualisation meditation to help brainstorm story ideas: What makes your story and your voice unique? What is the story you would like to tell?
Give a writing template for everyone to brainstorm life events and/or topics that feel important for them to write about.
Daily writing challenge for the following week: provide a ‘character template’. Imagine you are a character and write about your day from another person’s point of view (or focus on someone else /create your own fictional character).
Week 4: Writing a scene
Reflect on the process of writing about ourselves as characters or creating a character. Discuss what makes characters interesting.
Differentiate 1st person writing VS third person writing by reading scene samples.
Discuss being aware of how writing about triggering events could bring up uncomfortable emotions. A reminder to be patient and caring with yourself in the process. If it feels ‘too much’ then don’t force it.
Explain ‘showing vs telling’ concept when writing scenes and the importance of tapping into our senses.
Provide a list of titles to help participants brainstorm a story idea (if they haven’t already). Then as part of homework, ask them to write a scene for the following week, either a scene for a piece of fiction or a piece of memoir.
Week 5: Sharing our story/making it feel authentic and true to us
If comfortable, share some of your scene with the group (either online in a google drive folder or read during the session). We will discuss similarities and differences in all of the stories but also what makes each of our stories unique and personal, and how can we continue to discover our authentic voice in storytelling.
Understand what makes an effective introduction and conclusion in a piece of creative non-fiction or in a short story. Questions to discuss: what makes a gripping introduction? What leaves the reader wanting to read more? How much should be left said/unsaid?
Celebrate the end of the five weeks and share feedback on being involved in a creative group. Discuss why writing is therapeutic without needing to be published.
Share a worksheet that gives tips for editing writing. Provide tools for validating and encouraging your own writing.
