“A memoir captures a meaningful slice of life -
a memory, a lesson, or an experience that stands out"
a memory, a lesson, or an experience that stands out"
Theme - 'Things Fall Apart'
Topics - 'Failure', 'Heartbreak', or 'The Toughest Year of My Life'
Inspiration - Your story doesn't have to be all gloom & doom! See for example, ‘Failure’ – ‘my anti-dementia superpower’, a story by Richard Glover recommended by Anne
‘Failure’ Write about a failure you’ve experienced – from the commonplace to the catastrophic - in 500 words. We have guidelines for May’s topic 'Failure' to support new class members - Resource: 'Failure' (ABC Open)
(Or ‘Success!’ Feel the need to be positive? Turn the guidelines for approaching the Failure story on their head by writing about a treasured success you’ve experienced – from the commonplace to the (almost…) world shattering, in your world at least!)
‘Heartbreak’
Tell us about your experience of a broken heart. It could be a light-hearted story of a fling or blind date gone wrong, or a deeper story of love. It could relate to a special project, a job you loved, something dear to and valued by you. What were you hoping for, and what went wrong? Was there a positive side to the experience? What did you learn about yourself?
(We have some guidelines for approaching May’s ‘Heartbreak’ to draw on if needed)
‘The toughest year of my life’
Were you ever warned, “Life’s not all beer and skittles”?
Share your memories of the toughest year of your life and how you managed to come through the challenges it threw at you.
Queen Elizabeth described 1992 as her annus horribilis; her children’s marriages fell apart in a blaze of publicity and one of her houses went up in flames.
Describe the challenges you faced during your annus horribilis. Explain how you managed to cope with what life was throwing at you. What strategies did you use to get through the year? In the face of adversity what did you learn about yourself? You might reflect on how you view the year in hindsight.
(The guidelines for ‘Failure’ could help if you are finding it hard to know where to start)
(If the timeframe of a year isn’t quite right in terms of fit, feel free to change it…)
Anne, Bev and Graham
‘Failure’ Write about a failure you’ve experienced – from the commonplace to the catastrophic - in 500 words. We have guidelines for May’s topic 'Failure' to support new class members - Resource: 'Failure' (ABC Open)
(Or ‘Success!’ Feel the need to be positive? Turn the guidelines for approaching the Failure story on their head by writing about a treasured success you’ve experienced – from the commonplace to the (almost…) world shattering, in your world at least!)
‘Heartbreak’
Tell us about your experience of a broken heart. It could be a light-hearted story of a fling or blind date gone wrong, or a deeper story of love. It could relate to a special project, a job you loved, something dear to and valued by you. What were you hoping for, and what went wrong? Was there a positive side to the experience? What did you learn about yourself?
(We have some guidelines for approaching May’s ‘Heartbreak’ to draw on if needed)
‘The toughest year of my life’
Were you ever warned, “Life’s not all beer and skittles”?
Share your memories of the toughest year of your life and how you managed to come through the challenges it threw at you.
Queen Elizabeth described 1992 as her annus horribilis; her children’s marriages fell apart in a blaze of publicity and one of her houses went up in flames.
Describe the challenges you faced during your annus horribilis. Explain how you managed to cope with what life was throwing at you. What strategies did you use to get through the year? In the face of adversity what did you learn about yourself? You might reflect on how you view the year in hindsight.
(The guidelines for ‘Failure’ could help if you are finding it hard to know where to start)
(If the timeframe of a year isn’t quite right in terms of fit, feel free to change it…)
Anne, Bev and Graham
