Write Your Life Story Two Pages at a Time Facilitator Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.

My Goals To offer an alternative to my current publishing coaching that doesn’t have to lead to publication To provide a safe environment for students to write and share life themes To help participants see that their stories are unique, precious and worth treasuring To build self-esteem as they get encouragement and support from fellow attendees To assist students in leaving a legacy for their family and/or friends To build a sense of community full of fun and enrichment To help students who are insecure about their writing skills to feel safe

My Target Audience year olds who are in transition such as divorce, reentering school or new empty-nesters Residents of retirement or 55+ communities Guests on cruises seeking personal enrichment activities Geneaology enthusiasts who want to add stories and photos New members of a church or organization Recent retirees Students enrolled in active adult and older senior activities Residents of women’s shelters who have successfully completed basic program of the shelter

My proposed venues and locations Churches that support lifelong learning --New Hope Presbyterian Church, Orange, CA Medical Facilities --Cancer Treatment Center of America --Coventry Court Health Center Short-Term Care Libraries where I’ve appeared --Tustin --Cerritos Private home of participants in exchange for fee being waived Restaurants/coffee shops/stores with adequate meeting space --Starbucks --Mimi’s Café --Panera Bread --Ink and Bean Wordshop, Anaheim --The Lab/Anti-Mall, Costa Mesa

Securing locations Call/ current contacts at --MUZEO, Anaheim—Carol Latham Community in Menifee--Rose Ask for referrals from contacts --Mayra --Lynette Submit proposals to existing programs --Santiago Community College Community Services --School of Continuing Education North Orange County Community College District

Publicizing My Courses Send press releases Contact specific reporters and columnists Send article/blog post to my subscribers Write guest blog posts on relevant blogs Post announcement on social media—Facebook events Schedule tweets via Hootsuite.com Write article for LinkedIn publishing platform Post fliers in local places such as community bulletin boards at Starbucks, Panera Bread Give presentations where I’m currently a member --Home Business Alliance --Publishers and Writers of Orange County --California Writers Club of Orange County/Long Beach

My Plan of Action Sent out survey to gauge interest of potential students —Contacted selected programs Based on survey results schedule a pilot program for Tuesdays, through week program --2-hour sessions --Fee is $99 (depending on venue) --Participants will be asked to give extensive feedback on content and structure to help shape the program for future release —Create flier, . and announcements —Begin promoting online and offline

More Preparation for Classes During through —Finish reading Telling the Stories of Life through Guided Autobiography Groups by James E. Birren and Kathryn N. Cochran Writing Your Legacy by Richard Campbell and Cheryl Svensson --Revisit the materials and recordings from our class --Decide on ice breakers and activities to introduce themes --Gather any additional materials that will trigger memories and stimulate students to write their stories

Thank you for your attention.