Senior adults can turn their vast experiences into fascinating memoirs, fiction, poetry, children's storybooks, and more using these step-by-step instructions. Practical tips are included for getting started, generating ideas, working with a first draft, revising, editing, and sharing one's writing with others. The writing novice who has just retired and now wants to put pen to paper will find the book an invaluable tool, while more experienced writers will discover creative activities and exercises to help expand and improve their writing. Seniors wanting to write memorable stories for their grandchildren, capture significant events of their lives as a legacy for their family and friends, or simply try their hand at fiction or poetry will find this encouraging and easy to use.
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Editorial Reviews
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"An uncluttered, demystified, straightforward approach to prose and poetry which will encourage even the most timid to write." -- Dave Bianco, co-founder of Elderhostel
"This book's a life saver, a life celebrator, and more--a splendid slice of life itself. . . . Write On!" -- Studs Terkel, author of Will the Circle Be Unbroken, The Good War, and Working
"This book's a life saver, a life celebrator, and more--a splendid slice of life itself. . . . Write On!" -- Studs Terkel, author of Will the Circle Be Unbroken, The Good War, and Working
About the Author
Francis E. Kazemek is professor of education at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, and is the author of Enriching Our Lives: Poetry Lessons for Adult Literacy Teachers and Tutors. He lives in Buffalo, Minnesota.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Practical guidance for writing your story...,
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This review is from: Exploring Our Lives: A Writing Handbook for Senior Adults (Paperback)
In the classes that we have taught on life review, the single biggest question that we have heard is, "How do I write my story so that it will be interesting?" Indeed, most life stories are, well, a drag. They are a series of vignettes with no coordinated point or direction. In this little volume Francis Kazemak helps the reader avoid the trap of poor writing. He holds your hand through the process of learning to write your story well, in a number of different formats (poetry, as well as prose). As far as English teachers go, he is engaging and not pedantic (in my experience, no small miracle!). He provides good examples and clear instructions. This is a solid roadmap in the designated journey of writing your life story.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Writing as a Way Through Life,
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This review is from: Exploring Our Lives: A Writing Handbook for Senior Adults (Paperback)
Poetry, fiction,blending photographs and writing, children's picture books, diaries and dream journals, your life story--whatever you want to write, you'll find help here. Billed as "a writing handbook for senior adults" I think it is useful for any age. . . it's just that seniors have more life experiences to review
Francis Kazemek tells us how to honor memory, how to begin, how to see ourselves as writers (someone who WRITES!), how to receive support through writing groups, and how to appreciate the gifts writing brings to our life ("Living with Grace, Force, and Fascination.") His writing style is clear, graceful, and easy to follow as he leads us along this path. This is a good compilation of accepted contemporary writing advice (good advice and examples on revising), sparked with brilliant new ideas like the children's picture book using your family photographs. Definitely worth a place on your writing table. --Janet Riehl, author Sightlines: A Poet's Diary
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Help for Memoir, Journal and Poetry Writers,
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This review is from: Exploring Our Lives: A Writing Handbook for Senior Adults (Paperback)
I really liked the variety of writing styles suggested in this book. The list poem is one I'd never seen before and I can think of a number of ways to use it for my personal memories.
For prose writing, it gives you structure for writing about a memorable person, writing inspired by old photographs, and even dabbles in writing a children's book. It will get you thinking and hopefully, writing about your life experiences. I recently reread this book (Feb. 2010). Having just self-published my mother's memories of growing up in the Kansas Flint Hills, I focused more on the writing examples the author gives. He very clearly shows the difference in writing about someone and writing the same information using the first person voice. I particularly liked how he diagrams a visual map with information gleaned from a vintage family photo. He then tells how to convert that into a written memory. I plan to use some of his examples with a family memory writing class this spring.
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