Story Circle Online Classes

SCN's Online Program

Since 1997, the Story Circle Network has been the only lifewriting program designed exclusively for women. We offer learning opportunities in memoir, reminiscence, journaling, poetry, family stories, kitchen table stories, writing-as-healing, writing for personal growth and spiritual development, poetry, blogging, and others. We teach general writing skills, organization, and critical editing, as well as technical skills in book design and development, online marketing, blogging, and other Internet-related activities. For full class listings, faculty bios, enrollment, and more, visit our website.

Coming This Spring, to a Computer Near You

Our next term begins April 13 and ends June 8. Online enrollment is easy and fast, but you'd better hurry. Class sizes are strictly limited. If the class you want is already filled, try another, or check back with us in a few weeks, when we'll be listing our May-July classes. •"The Craft of Memoir Writing: Using the Five Senses to Bring Your Story to Life." Taught by Matilda Butler & Kendra Bonnett, co-authors of the award-winning Rosie's Daughters: The "First-Woman-to" Generation Tells Its Story. The best stories pull the readers into the scenes, immerse them in details. This three-week mini-course is designed to expand your awareness and use of the five senses in telling your life story. In our virtual classroom, you'll learn how to incorporate sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch into your writing and heighten your sensitivity to the depth and range of texture within each sense... more •"Painless Grammar for People Who Skipped it in High School." Taught by Robin Reger, journalist, editor, and writing teacher. Serious writing requires polished grammar skills. Do you ever wonder when to "dash"? Would a parenthetical clause be more appropriate? Do you know when to use the ellipsis? Do you remember how to punctuate a sentence that contains quotation marks? How about a quotation within a quotation? Be honest now; do your participles ever dangle?. And then there are commas. Are they simply decorative or do they actually serve a purpose? Perhaps you've heard the joke about the panda who "eats, shoots, and leaves" or "eats shoots and leaves." Punctuation can change everything. Good grammar creates better writing. If you'd like to improve your prose and become more confident that your story is coming across exactly as you want it to, you'll enjoy this class... more •"Journaling a Path Through the Chakras: A Unique Approach to Journaling for Self-Discovery and Personal Growth." Taught by Amber Starfire, publisher and editor of The Writer's Eye Magazine, freelance editor, writer, and photographer. Through journaling, we wend our way through the seven metaphorical chakras of our lives, beginning with the root chakra (related to instinct, security, survival, and human potential) and ending with the crown chakra (related to consciousness and connection with the divine), revealing the various ways we experience our lives. Journaling to reflect on these different aspects of our inner selves, and how we express or experience them, can be both enlightening and healing. Note: While using the classic Hindu chakras as a guideline, this course does not require or endorse any particular religious belief... more •"Begin Blogging." Taught by Katherine Misegades, a website designer, graphic artist, and experienced blogger. Blogs are websites that allow you to add and manage content without needing to know how to write code. Among their many uses, blogs can be used for journaling, and can be kept private by using a password. A blog can be set up and customized within an hour or two. This course offers technical information to help you set up a blog and get comfortable with managing it... more •"Freeing Your Creative Voice." Taught by Annette Erickson, writing instructor, journaling teacher, professional counselor. Most of us have words that were never spoken, things that were never said for one reason or another. We worried about rejection, we couldn't find the words, it didn't seem important at the time, no one was there to listen, we felt ashamed, we feared beginning and not finding an end, we thought we were to blame, others might not love us if they knew, we didn't think anybody cared to hear, the reasons are many. Often these "untold" pieces of our lives end up smothering our voices... more •"Journaling from the Soul: Finding New Aspects in Each of Us." Taught by Jennifer Culver, writing instructor, memoir teacher, teacher/district mentor for the National Writing Project. When we take our first breath, our soul joins our bodies for a lifetime commitment to an incredible and unique journey. The language of the spirit is a language of myth, where the journey of the spirit contains explorations and trials fit for any epic. In this course we will explore ways to use journalling to connect with our spiritual lives in new ways, opening ourselves to new insights and new writing, writing that comes from the depths of who we are... more •"Write Your Travel Memoirs." Taught by Sarah White, freelance writer, memoir teacher. Relive the joys and challenges of your travels as you bring home the lessons learned by writing down the stories. Writing about travel allows us to explore many aspects of the writing craft, and also to discover new perspectives on our selves and our lives... more •"Nighttime Illuminations." Taught by Donna Remmert, dream coach and writing teacher. This is a course in remembering, recording, and interpreting dreams... more

Looking for Personal Help with Your Writing?

If you are looking for professional help with a specific writing project, or searching for guidance and direction to improve your work, you'll want to check out SCN's Writing Mentorship Program. Professional writers are able to help you direct your energies, focus your talents, and produce your best work.

Interested in teaching an online class for SCN?

We are looking for women teachers/writers who want to share their passion for lifewriting by working with women (SCN members and non-members) in classes carried out on the Internet and via email. If you are a skilled writer with experience in teaching memoir, journaling, life-based fiction, and other lifewriting forms and are interested in joining our faculty, we'd like to hear from you.

Who We Are & How to Join Us

You don't have to be a member of Story Circle to enroll in our online classes, but we'd love to count you as one of our members. And there's a big plus! You'll save almost the cost of a membership by joining SCN and becoming eligible for a lower tuition. Our mission: The Story Circle Network is dedicated to helping women share the stories of their lives and to raising public awareness of the importance of women's personal histories. We carry out our mission through publications, a web site, classes, workshops, writing and reading circles, and woman-focused programs. Our activities empower women to tell their stories, discover their identities through their stories, and choose to be the authors of their own lives. Learn more about how SCN can help you tell your story. We offer our quarterly print Journal, a newsletter with features on women's lifewriting opportunities to publish your work workshops, classes, online courses writing circles an Internet Chapter Speaker's Bureau much more Membership categories: Member: $35; Canada & Mexico: $45; International $50 Supporter: $70 Sponsor: $125 Patron: $200 Benefactor: $400+ Internet Chapter membership: $18 (To join the Internet chapter you must also be a member of the national organization; chapter dues are in addition to the national dues.) To join, see our online membership form, or go to our web site & click on "Join SCN" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame. You can pay online, or send a check to Story Circle Network, P.O. Box 500127, Austin TX 78750-0127

E-Letters

We publish four monthly e-Letters: This e-Letter brings you information about our upcoming online classes and workshops. The National e-Letter brings you writing tips, quotes, and book reviews. The Story Circle Book Reviews e-Letter brings you information about book reviews and features. The Internet Chapter e-Letter is sent only to members of the Internet Chapter; it features chapter news and events. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Story Circle Network. Please forward this e-Letter to anyone interested in lifewriting—family and friends, students, clients, members of your writing group. If a friend has forwarded this to you, add your e-address and click below to get your own subscription. To join any of our Story Circle Network e-Letter mailing lists, type your email address below, then click the 'Go' button: To unsubscribe: see link at the very bottom of this email.