Talk Moorabool: Telling your own story, memoir writing workshop with Dr Sian Prior

There’s no such thing as an ordinary person. We all have intense inner lives, we all burn with ferocious passions, we’ve all lived through memorable experiences of one kind or another.’ Paul Auster We all have interesting stories to tell about our lives - but how do we choose which ones are worth writing down? Workshop facilitator Dr Sian Prior is the author of 'Shy: a memoir' and 'Childless: a story of freedom and longing' and a former ABC radio host. Sian has a doctorate in memoir studies, and has been running writing workshops for over two decades, both online and in person, for universities, libraries and community groups. In this workshop she will introduce you to some of the key skills and decisions involved in crafting an engaging memoir, and encourage you to develop regular life-writing practices. No previous writing experience is required. Topics: - Which writing 'voice' (or voices) should you use to tell your story? - What are the ‘stories’ behind the ‘situations’ you might want to describe? - How do you retrieve faded memories? - What to avoid when writing about yourself, and what to aim for.