“ …with writing you start where you are…You just do it--you do it afraid. And something happens.”
-- Anne Lamott

 January - March 2009

Writer Advice presents

You Want Me to Do What?
Journaling for Caregivers

 

Why journal with a group of caregivers?

  1. You’ll begin to process your feelings.
  2. You will build relationships with other caregivers.
  3. You will get supportive feedback.
  4. The obsessive thoughts will quiet down.
  5. Feelings of hopeless and isolation will fade.

Who’s qualified?

  1.  Primary caregivers.
  2. Long distance caregivers.
  3. Current caregivers
  4. Former caregivers
  5. Those caring for a parent.
  6. Those caring for a spouse.
  7. Those caring for a special needs child.
  8. Those caring for someone in recovery from substance abuse.
  9. Those caring for themselves.
  10. You!

Not sure? Send me an e-mail and tell me why you are afraid you do not qualify.

To learn more or enroll e-mail Lgood67334@comcast.net

Recent Endorsements:

“Journaling helps; this sharing with others has helped even more.”

Paul
Caregiver
Lafayette, California

If you're a caregiver, you'll be amazed at how others manage to say what you've been thinking -- even when you are in very different caregiving situations.  If you're a writer, it's a great opportunity to practice in a friendly environment, with others who like to write.  I would have to add that the facilitator is a gifted writer whose kindhearted approach/feedback adds a therapeutic element to the writing assignments!

Diane P.
Former social worker and full-time caregiver
Santa Rosa, California

“Connecting with others by sharing and reading others' material is also incredibly therapeutic.”

Marion S. Wise
Social Worker
New York City

Want to give it a try?

Click on the “Book” button in the left-hand column and scroll down to the offer under Want to Give Journaling a Try?

e-mail workshops:

October 14 through November 18, 2008

January 13 through February 17, 2009

April 14 through May 19, 2009

July 14 through August 18, 2009

October 13 through November 17, 2009

Additional workshops of varying lengths are available by arrangement. E-mail me and tell me your needs.

To learn more or enroll e-mail Lgood67334@comcast.net

Face-to-face workshops :

Interested in a two-hour face-to-face workshop for your group? Please ask. In a two-hour workshop, I introduce journaling. Then we try it. We share with a partner, who only says what resonates. When we reconvene as a group, people are invited to share one thing they liked in their partners writing. Then people have a chance to share with the group. Because we only say what we love in the writing, journalers begin to trust their voices and feel less isolated in the caregiving world.

If you live within 60 miles of the San Francisco Bay Area, there is no charge. There is a small mileage fee if I travel further.

Upcoming workshops:

Face to face workshops are open to professionals, group leaders, and volunteers as well as current, former, and long-distance caregivers of spouses, parents, and special needs children. They are also open to those who are interested in journaling as a tool for personal growth.

Please e-mail Lgood67334@comcast.com for times and exact locations.

January 7, 2009 Danville Recreation & Parks--Journaling Workshop – free
January 17, 2009 The Stratford at Countrywood, Lafayette, CA – free
January 29 & February 2, 2009 Pleasant Hill Parks & Rec Journaling Workshop (2 mtgs)

February 6 Danville Recreation & Parks--Journaling Workshop – free

February 23-- Book Club meeting at www.caregiver.com featuring You Want
Me to Do What? --Journaling for Caregivers
http://www.caregiving.com/support_detail.php?id=11

March 10 Danville Recreation & Parks--Journaling Workshop – free
March 21 Pleasant Hill Parks & Rec Journaling Workshop

Manuscript Coaching:

Want to turn their journaling into personal essays or memoirs? I can help you expand ideas and fine-tune your writing. E-mail me and tell me about your project. We can work either by e-mail or in person.

How E-mail Groups Works :

  1. Every Tuesday I will e-mail you three topics and a bit of inspiration to help you with the writing process.
  2. Pick a topic.
  3. Write as much or as little as you want. We can easily read 15 to 1500 words.
  4. Run spell check to help your readers out.
  5. Send your response by the following Monday (see calendar below). I cannot guarantee that late responses will be read.
  6. Cut and paste your writing into the body of an e-mail.
  7. Send your e-mail to everyone in the group. If you don’t know how to make an e-mail group, ask me for help.
  8. I will also send information about giving positive, non-judgmental feedback about other’s writing. The process is simpler than ever, fun, and affirming for both the responder and the writer.
  9. If you have a friend who would like to join, ask them to e-mail me immediately. We still have space.
  10. If you don’t write one week, there will always be an option to send a paragraph telling what you would have written about if you had the time. Consider it a check in to reassure us that you have not fallen off the face of the earth. 

Questions? Please e-mail me at Lgood67334@comcast.net.

Events:

Workshops are listed above.

Radio interview with writer Lillian Brummet, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AuthorsRead, Fall 2008
Listen to the archived broadcast at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ConsciousDiscussions/2008/09/18/Writer-Advice

Radio interview with Denise Brown of www.caregiving.com, Fall, 2008

Writing Your Caregiving-Journey http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Caregiving/2008/10/04/Writing-Your-Caregiving-Journey

January 15, 2009 Teleseminar for the National Association of Memoir Writers, www.namw.org I invite you to listen in. Please e-mail me for the call in number.

January 22, 2009 Virtual book tour on HerMentor.com. Visit www.HerMentor.com on this date.

Radio interview with Linda Joy Myers, National Memoir Writers Association, January 2009

February 7, 2009 Author’s Read – Blog Talk Radio

Radio interview with Jacqueline Marcell, Winter, 2009

Journaling workshop for current, former, and long distance caregivers of spouses, parents, and special needs children at The Stratford at Countrywood, Lafayette, CA (925) 932-9910, Winter 2009.

Journaling workshop for current, former, and long distance caregivers of spouses, parents, and special needs children through Pleasant Hill Recreation and Parks District, Pleasant Hill, CA (925) 676-5200, Winter 2009.