Story Circle Network Conference

If you write memoir or have ever thought of writing about your life or family, then you probably know about Story Circle Network. If not, let me introduce you.

The Story Circle Network is a national not-for-profit membership organization made up of women who want to document their lives and explore their personal stories through journaling, memoir, autobiography, personal essays, poetry, drama, and mixed-media.

SCN’s headquarters are in Austin, Texas, but they also have an Internet chapter, Story Circles in local communities, online classes, book review website, e-letters and a mentorship program. Plus they have a national conference every other year. Story Circle Network was started by author Susan Wittig Albert in 1997 and has been growing ever since then.

In February of 2010, they’ll be holding their fifth Stories from the Heart Memoir Conference. It’ll take place at the Wyndham Hotel in Austin. The Keynote Speakers will be Heather Summerhayes Cariou and Mary Gordon Spence. If you come to the conference, find me and say “hello” or come to the panel discussion I’ll be moderating. “My” panel is called Getting Published. Panelists include: Matilda Butler from California, Kendra Bonnett from Maine, Susan Tweit from Colorado, Linda Wisniewski from Pennsylvania, and Laurie Buyer from Texas. The conference has four different tracks. Getting Published is part of the Nuts & Bolts track. The panelists, with all their knowledge on getting published, are the bolts that make the panel strong. I am the nut.

Don’t think, though, that this is your usual conference where you come, sit and listen. Almost every talk or panel is interactive and presentations are more like workshops. You can also sign up for Open Mike night on Saturday to share a story, poem, art, dance or whatever you want to do to present your story.

So, if you write memoir or have thought about it, check out the schedule and register.