Writing Your Family History -- 6 week workshop #6 with Nick Barlay

This is the sixth online workshop created specifically for Members of the Second Generation Network. This course will be a practical exploration of writing a family history and the issues raised for writers of the Second and Third Generations. The course will combine examples, discussion and brief writing exercises to enable participants to discover a form most appropriate to their unique and individual stories. The emotionally and psychologically challenging territory will raise difficult questions about what is known, how it is passed on, and how to represent the living and the dead. Participants will have opportunities throughout to share ideas, raise questions and to receive constructive feedback for their projects.

The workshop is limited to ten people with places given in priority to paid up Network Members. If more than ten people are interested, we will see if there are enough people on the Waitlist to create another workshop. If registration is full, please email events@secondgeneration.org.uk to be placed on the Waiting list.

There are six sessions which will take place between October 7 to November 11, 2021, dates below. The cost of the workshop will be £60 for the six sessions. This must be paid in advance directly to Nick Barlay and is non-refundable unless the workshop is cancelled.

Each session of the workshop will be two hours. The content proposed is as follows.

1. The Story

What is the overview of the family story and who are your readers?

2. Narrative voice and openings

Types of openings and approaches to narrative voice. Who is telling the story?

3. The people of the story

Character, characterisation and representation. How to write about people.

4. The world of the story

Setting, description, descriptive devices and language. How to write about places.

5. Verification to vivification

Creating scenes, using dialogue, and turning research into narrative

6. Meanings, truth, veracity

Finding a structure or organisation that works for you.

The course will take place via Zoom from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on the following dates:

• Thursday, 7 October 2021
• Thursday, 14 October 2021
• Thursday, 21 October 2021
• Thursday, 28 October 2021
• Thursday, 4 November 2021
• Thursday, 11 November 2021

After registration you will be given instructions on how to pay for the course.