GREAT EXPERIENCE AT WRITING CLASS

GREAT EXPERIENCE AT WRITING CLASS

I read in the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center Senior Newsletter about a writing class. It started in August, 2016, but I was not available to attend. I called the teacher to see if I could start later. She assured me that it would work.

I had started writing some of the happenings in my life earlier, but could not finish. When I arrived at the class, and met our teacher, Ariele Huff, and the other people, I felt I could probably do this. We started writing short articles about various topics. Then, we wrote a portrait book about someone that meant a lot to us. I wrote about my Grandma Maria Fischer, my paternal grandmother.

It was so much fun to learn about my classmates and their lives through these stories. While my writing was different from theirs in lots of ways, I learned from them.

We wrote Christmas stories that were published in a little book. This included stories from other classes at other Senior Centers. We attended a meeting at the Greenwood Senior Center, which broadened my horizons. I met some of the people who had their books published. This meeting gave me encouragement to publish my Memories of Life for my family and a few friends. I was able to do this with the encouragement and assistance of Ariele Huff. The books have arrived, and I am enjoying sharing them.

Now I am working on my original book, which is more about family and my life growing up in North Dakota. I feel so fortunate to have had so much enjoyment from attending the class and am hoping to end with an accomplishment of a goal I’ve had for many years.

Joan Minnis

Joan Minnis, long time Mountlake Terrace resident, continues to work as an accountant. She attends the Wednesday 10am to noon group at Mountlake Terrace Senior Center. Call 425-672-2407 for more information.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" in the search function above.