Welcome to the fifth week of Pen My Path! This week will focus on Story Writing, which is a way of telling others about your life. Story Writing connects us with ourselves and others through expressing our experiences, values, and opinions. Story Writing is a way of capturing and sharing our experiences with a narrative structure that often includes a crisis or challenge, a struggle, and a transformation. Please watch the following video before beginning this week’s writing activities. As a reminder, you do not have to share the content of this week’s activities with the group, but please do share your reflection of writing. We suggest that you write for about 30 minutes this week.
Part One
Write a short story about how you navigated a challenging life experience by successfully changing something significant about your life. This is what some call a “life-course correction”. Write your story to someone who was not a witness to the event. As much as possible, recall in detail how you felt and what you thought when you recognized the crisis or challenge. You may include what others said to you about the changes you were making. Conclude your story with an afterword that explains what this says about your capacity for successfully navigating a challenging life experience, your capacity for resilience, and your transformation.
Part Two
Write about your story of living with cancer, from before diagnoses to today wherever you are in your journey. Remember what life was like before cancer, the emotions you had when you heard ‘you have cancer’, and your feelings throughout your treatment journey. You can include your story of treatment, recurrence, and remission.
Please Share Your Reflections
When you are finished writing, in the comment space below or in the Pen My Path Expressive Writing FallWorkshop group space section, share a reflection of how your writing went today.
Please be sure to take the feedback survey on this week’s writing activity, available this Sunday, November 5th on your home page.