Writing Alone and with Others
About the book:
For more than a quarter of a century, Pat Schneider has helped writers find and liberate their true voices. The first part of the book guides the reader through the perils of the solitary writing life: fear, writer's block, and the bad habits of the internal critic. In the second section, Schneider describes the Amherst Writers and Artists workshop method, widely used across the U.S. and abroad. Chapters on fiction and poetry address matters of technique and point to further resources, while more than a hundred writing exercises offer specific ways to jumpstart the blocked and stretch the rut-stuck. Schneider's innovative teaching method will refresh the experienced writer and encourage the beginner.
This book was a staple for me, when I was first learning how to write creative prompts and how to facilitate writing groups. It has a wealth of creative writing exercises that can easily be adapted to writing about family and community histories. If your family/community responds better to writing prompts than an oral history interview, this book is an excellent resource to jog memories.