Creating a record of your life for loved ones is a wonderful goal. Being published is fun and occasionally profitable, but writing memoir for yourself may be the best reason to write.
Researchers have found that writing about your life and sharing it with others isn’t just enjoyable, it can improve your health.
Dr. James W. Pennebaker, a professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin,found that participants in his focused writing study had lower blood pressure, went to the doctor less frequently and had fewer absences from work. College students earned better grades and senior professionals who had been laid off got new jobs more quickly after writing. [1]
“People who are given the opportunity to write about emotional upheavals have changes in immune function,” Pennebaker says.
Writing about turbulent, exciting, or sentimental times gives the writer a 
chance to explore old thoughts and feelings from a new perspective. Finding meaning in those experiences transforms them into wisdom. Having those stories heard by a supportive listener (or listeners, or just yourself) reminds the reader that his or her life history matters.
Many people want to write but don’t know how to start. They worry about finessing spelling and punctuation before they’ve had a chance to explore their stories. Or, they allow doubts and fears to stop them before they start. My writing workshops and classes are designed to overcome these obstacles. Using creative writing exercises and positive feedback, I coax my student’s timid creative selves out to play.
I’ll be teaching a Workshop at Vintage House in Sonoma on Tuesday, May 28th, from 1-3:30pm, in room 113.
I also teach tuition-free classes in Santa Rosa on Wednesday afternoons, and Friday mornings, through Santa Rosa Junior College’s Older Adult program.
[1] Pennebaker, J. W. and Chung, C. K., Expressive Writing, Emotional Upheavals, and Health. (2007). In H. Friedman and R. Silver (Eds.), Handbook of health psychology(pp. 263-284). New York: Oxford University Press.
Instructor’s Bio: Instructor Stacey Dennick is a digital storyteller who has written stories for KRCB North Bay Public Media. Her humorous memoir pieces have been published online and in anthologies. She holds an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco, and teaches writing courses through Santa Rosa Junior College’s Older Adult Program. See clips: sdennick.com
Stacey Dennick, writer, editor & instructor 