LIB389
Write Your Life Stories - Two Pages at a Time
What's your story? How is your personal journey unique? What do you want future generations to know about you? Have you tried to write your memoir but never finished? The guided autobiography method allows you to document your life journey, two pages at a time. This highly structured technique focuses on stimulating exercises to spark creativity and trigger memories on themes such as turning points in life, family influences, health and work. Guided autobiography will empower you to write your personal life story with ease, clarity and support.
Note: This online course involves weekly writing exercises and small group work. Prior writing experience is not necessary.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
This course will be offered online on Wednesdays, Jan 15–Feb 19, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
Overview
Location: Online
Format: Self-paced with weekly virtual class
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Wed, Jan 15, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Wed, Jan 22, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Wed, Jan 29, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Wed, Feb 5, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Wed, Feb 12, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Wed, Feb 19, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
Course outline
- Week 1: Branching points
What have been the major branching points in your life? Branching points are the directions our lives take and are shaped by people, places, circumstances and choices. Our life journey takes many turns and we begin to document these events. - Week 2: The role of family
Who do you consider to be your family? Family may include parents, spouses, grandchildren and others from your heritage or lineage. Family may also include your chosen “family.” We explore who you consider as family and their influence on you. - Week 3: The role of money
What role does money play in your life? Money can influence us profoundly. Family life, self-esteem and choices we make can reflect our relationship with money. We’ll focus on our relationship with money. - Week 4: Health and body
Health is an important influence in shaping our life story. Illnesses or accidents can lead to major changes in the way we live. Our views of our body influence many aspects, including our physical characteristics and our feelings about them. - Week 5: Death and dying
Life experiences shape our perception of death. What rituals and ceremonies mark the end of life for you? What are your earliest memories of death? Do you fear death, or do you view it as the beginning of something new? - Week 6: Spirituality
Our spiritual histories include experiences with people, nature and religion. We’ll explore our quests for values, truth and meaning in life. What people, experiences, readings and inspirations have guided you in your spiritual journey?
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Gain insights on your life journey
- Build your legacy stories through remembering, reflecting, writing and sharing
- Create a compendium of life stories and be inspired to keep writing
How you will learn
- Participation in weekly Zoom meetings and small-group breakout rooms
- Participation in creative writing exercises using guided autobiography prompts
- Weekly writing assignments of 800-1,000 words
- Participation in sharing personal narratives
- Giving and receiving feedback on personal writing
- Instructor feedback on suggested writing techniques and style
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
For online courses, you will need a computer with audio and microphone that is connected to the internet. Canvas is the online system that will be used for the course. For more information and online support, visit Online Learning.