Tracy Lee Karner

Share Your Story

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This week I led a workshop sponsored by our local library, called “Share Your Story.” When asked whether I would teach an ongoing course, I regretfully declined. But the class’s 26 participants have inspired me to re-invent my blog.
I have a passion for helping other people write and publish their stories, because I believe it’s important. I’m talking to YOU.
Teaching this workshop has made my passion even stronger–because the people who attended are so incredibly fascinating and wonderful. Their stories need to be written and published. And so, I’m making it a goal to blog, twice monthly, about hints and help for writing YOUR story (YOU–I’m talking to YOU.)
This is for everyone–the person who has written in the past, as well as the person who has only dreamed of writing. If you can read, if you can jot a note, you can write your story.
Writing a story is like building anything; a story is constructed in stages. You don’t have to build a mansion (a huge book!); you can build and furnish a small, but uniquely valuable shadow box (a short collection of anecdotes). I’ll show you how.
What you need is a little direction about how to follow blueprints, and some tools. I’ll help you understand the construction of stories, and I’ll help you stock your tool box (because that’s what my teachers and mentors did for me). There will be inspiration and motivation, exercises to warm you up and get the words flowing, tips for editing and revising, and talk about the ins-outs-ups-and–downs of getting your personal stories into print.
You might give your stories to family, you might put them away in a trunk or a drawer or a bank box to preserve the historical record. Perhaps you’ll sell them (the advent of Print-on-Demand technology has made it easy for anyone to publish a book).
Don’t you love it when people energize you? I am sending a huge “Thank you” to the “batteries” who charged me, all the fabulous people who showed up on Tuesday–I really appreciate your inspiration, your motivation, and I can’t wait to read your stories! The personal response and the emails I got from class participants have given me a new direction for blogging, and I’m really excited.
So you’ll see a restructuring of my blog in the next few weeks. I’ll still post recipes and updates about my life, but I’ll be focussed on posting help for those people who are committed to sharing their own stories. YOU!
Just in case you were wondering why you ought to share your story–here are a few reminders:
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What have you been waiting for?  Isn’t it time to share your story–or your grandmother’s or your father’s? Because you’re the only one who knows and can tell YOUR story; and stories build bridges of compassion and understanding.  Sign in and make a public commitment–or just tell yourself you’ll do it! But please, share your story. 

6 thoughts on “Share Your Story”

  1. Good for you! I’ve actually spent all afternoon writing a post in which I also re-invent my blog (planning to put it up between Christmas and January 1, 2013)! Maybe it’s the turning of the year that makes us re-evaulate what we’re doing? Your topic is a fascinating one and it sounds like you have lots of resources stored up. I’m sure it will be popular!

    1. Thanks for the encouragement, Violet. You’ve been an inspiration to me.
      I do think it has something to do with the time of year. It also has everything to do with the amazing people who showed up for my workshop. They totally motivated me, because they were so wonderful, I wished I could accept their request to teach on on-going class.
      I just shouldn’t commit right now, to being physically available to teach a class at a regularly scheduled time, for weeks or months at a time.
      But there’s always a way to make good things happen. And it occurred to me, an online workshop! I can do that!
      I’m really jazzed!

  2. I’d like help sharing my story! I’m not great at blogs but will try and maybe you will do a workshop in RI and I could go. Congratulations on publishing you book! I ordered 2 on Amazon this morning. Can’t wait to read it!

    1. No kidding–I didn’t realize it was available yet! I’ll have to do get my head out of the clouds and let people know!
      Yes–I’ll do a workshop in RI–you can help me figure out when and where (that way, we’ll make sure it fits in your schedule)
      I’ll be calling your shortly!!! I’m so excited I’m flitting around, living up to my old nickname “Busy-Busy-Buzz-Buzz.”

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