Special Events in May and June

by | Apr 25, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Hi everyone,

I know I just emailed yesterday with an anthology update, and I hope it doesn’t feel like I’m flooding your inbox. I just wanted to make sure you’re in the loop about our upcoming meetings, especially since a few are coming up soon and one is already full.

Here’s what’s ahead:

May 1 – Social Media for Authors
This session filled up quickly! If you’re one of the lucky folks with a spot, I’m looking forward to seeing you there. If not—don’t worry. If the format works well, I’ll schedule another. You can read the event description here:
Social Media for Authors – May 1

May 4 – Nuts & Bolts of Memoir – JUST ANNOUNCED – See more below
This Saturday session will walk through some of the foundational skills of memoir writing—great if you’re newer to the genre or want a solid refresh. We’ll talk structure, scene, voice, and more:
Nuts & Bolts of Memoir – May 4

June 12 – Book Club
We’ll be discussing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou on June 12. This was the first memoir I ever read, and it’s been a gift to return to it now with fresh eyes.
Book Club – June 12

A Note About Meetup
Some of you have mentioned difficulties getting into events lately. Meetup has made it harder for free users to access, and is pushing everyone to pay to use the site. Just so you’re aware, you are still able to use Meetup for free and be aware that if you do subscribe, none of the participant fees go to organizers. I’ve already seen our own organizer fees rise sharply this year, so I am getting frustrated, but I do understand that they need a model that allows them to operate profitably and this tool has been so invaluable to me in the past that I’m reluctant to leave just yet. If you’re having trouble, please feel free to reach out to me. If you know any other platforms that work well for community event organizing, I’d love to hear about them. Just reply to this email.

Accountability Hub Update
The pilot round of our Pen Your Masterpiece accountability hub is wrapping up soon, and it’s been going really well. I’ll be meeting with the current participants in a couple of weeks to gather feedback, and that will help shape what the program might look like in the future.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

💙 Christina

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💙 Donate via PayPal → Click here

Nuts & Bolts of Memoir – May 1

Nuts & Bolts of Memoir Writing – A Special Workshop with Sylvia Clare

Whether you’re just beginning your memoir or deep in the process, this workshop will ground you in the essential elements that help transform life stories into compelling, emotionally resonant narratives.

Longtime group member and author of five memoirs, Sylvia Clare, will guide us through key questions every memoirist must ask:

  • Why are you writing your story—and who is it really for?
  • How do you craft an opening that grabs your reader?
  • What makes a character (even yourself) feel real on the page?
  • How do you handle difficult emotions, backstory, and dialogue with honesty and grace?

Sylvia blends practical advice, literary insight, and lived experience. Her talk includes:

  • Writing tools and structural tips
  • Emotional depth and voice
  • Memorable examples from memoir classics
  • Writing prompts & time for questions

This event is donation-based.

Suggested donation: €20, but all contributions are welcome—pay what you can.
(Free for paid Substack subscribers)

Come ready to write, reflect, and reconnect with why your story matters.

 

Sign up to the event here

June 12 Book Club: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

This time, we’ll be discussing:
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This was the first memoir I read and it is still as powerful and compelling on the third read as it was on the first. I highly recommend you read this one. It’s poignant, painful, and raw but told with beauty and hope.

What it’s about:

Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Her life story is told in the documentary film And Still I Rise, as seen on PBS’s American Masters.

Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.

Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.

Find our Book Club Questions here: https://memoirmentors.com/book-club-questions/

Sign up to the event here

Upcoming events

    June 2025: 

    July 2025:

    August 2025:

    Ideas? Questions? Suggestions?

    Reply to this email and let me know or reach out directly at: xtina.howell@memoirmentors.com

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