Thriving Through Midlife - How To Write Your Story

About the event

Writing your story in later life can be a powerful and transformative experience. It's not just about recording the events of your life for posterity, but about reflecting on your experiences, gaining new insights, and sharing your wisdom with others.

In this one-hour conversation three authors in midlife and beyond share their experiences, strengths and hopes, and tools to write your story.

Benefits of writing your story:

1. Self-Reflection: Writing your story allows you to reflect on your life experiences. It allows you to revisit your past, understand your present, and envision your future. This process of self-reflection can lead to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

2. Healing: Writing can be therapeutic. It can help you to process difficult experiences, express your emotions, and find healing. It can also help you to find meaning and purpose in your experiences, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

3. Legacy: Writing your story allows you to leave a legacy for future generations. It's a way of preserving your memories, sharing your wisdom, and passing on your values. It's a gift that can inspire and guide your loved ones long after you're gone.

4. Connection: Sharing your story can help you to connect with others. It can foster understanding, empathy, and connection, bridging the gap between generations and cultures. It can also help you to feel heard, valued, and understood.

5. Empowerment: Writing your story can be empowering. It's a way of reclaiming your voice, asserting your identity, and taking control of your narrative. It's a way of saying, "This is who I am, this is what I've experienced, and this is what I've learned."

6. Creativity: Writing your story can be a creative outlet. It can stimulate your imagination, boost your creativity, and bring you joy and fulfillment.

Writing your story in later life is not just about recording the past, but about shaping the future. It's about understanding yourself, healing from your past, connecting with others, and leaving a legacy for the future. It's a gift that benefits not only you but also those around you.

Speakers:

Joanne Fedler - Author of Unbecoming - There are secrets in the wild country called midlife. 2018, 2020 Redefining Ageing speaker.

Joanne Fedler is the internationally bestselling author of 15 books which have sold over 750,000 copies worldwide. She is a writing mentor and writing retreat facilitator, specializing in helping aspiring women authors find their voice. She has a master’s degree in law from Yale and worked as a women’s rights advocate to end violence against women in South Africa before immigrating to Australia in 2001. She is an open-water ocean swimmer. Her new book The Whale’s Last Song will be published by Harper Collins in late 2024, and her book Things Without A Name has been optioned for a TV miniseries.

www.joannefedler.com

Carolyn Tate - Brave Women Write - On facing grief, finding hope, and freeing the writer within.

Carolyn Tate is a six-time author, river swimmer and a recent tree-changer now living between Clifton Hill and Red Hill (Between Two Hills) in Victoria. Her latest book, Brave Women Write, offers 33 practices to help women find their voice and free their inner writers to write their stories. She believes women’s stories matter now more than ever if we’re going to put a dent in the man-made universe, particularly the stories of older women. Carolyn has been journaling daily for more than 10 years and is currently writing a novel based on her grandmother Elsie’s life. Her next Brave Women Writers’ Circle begins Friday 24 May. It’s a 12-week program designed to unlock women’s stories in a safe and brave space. More about Carolyn and Brave Women Write here: LINK HERE

Rowena Robinson - Writing coach and 2022 Redefining Ageing speaker.

Rowena immigrated to Australia from The US with her Australian husband in 1972.  Both trained teachers, together they raised their 3 children on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.  Rowena taught PD.H.PE for over 30 years, retrained as a Herbalist, and represented the highly successful NSW State Indoor Volleyball team for over 10 years.  

It occurred to her that writing her story would be the best possible way to help her half-white adult children and the 7 grandchildren she cherishes and adores, to understand and hopefully take advantage of the wealth of experience she has gained from simply walking her path as much dignity and grace as she could muster, in a society that was not ready for people like her when she got here.