Ruth Crocker at the Eiger in Switzerland with her memoir about Capt. David R. Crocker, Jr.

Ruth is available for presentations about the writing process as well as full-day, weekend and week-long writing workshops, book signings and book discussions. She enjoys teaching the memoir writing process, personal essay, life story and legacy writing. She can also provide developmental editing and memoir mentoring. Please send a message through the contact page on this site describing your interests and needs. Below are some examples of current workshop offerings.

These workshops can be expanded from a one – two hour presentation to an entire week-long event.

If You Want to Write

Ruth W. Crocker, PhD, MFA

Are you an aspiring writer who needs help to begin or continue a writing project? Sometimes we need a stimulating environment  to spark or re-light the writing flame. Exploration in writing can take the form of memoir, personal essay, autobiography, poetry, biography, journaling, plays, blogging, tweeting, keeping a writer’s notebook, fiction – even notes on scraps of paper. If you have the urge to write but don’t know how to get started – or keep going – this workshop will offer a supportive environment along with suggestions for sharing, promoting, marketing and publishing your work. Writers of all experience levels are welcome.

The Art of Memoir: Writing Your Story

The development of a memoir is a profoundly personal adventure that presents special rewards and challenges to the writer. Everyone has an important and interesting story to tell. If you are compelled to write about your life or feel drawn to explore memories on the page, this workshop will provide a stimulating and supportive environment. It will also offer a structure to help you develop and maintain a regular writing practice. Writers of all levels, working on short pieces or book-length works are welcome.

 What is Your Legacy?

Legacy writing is a way of documenting life experiences, values, and opinions that you would like to share with others – or perhaps only with yourself! Participants have described this workshop experience as inspiring and  healing.  Many methods of expression will be explored including memoir, poetry, prose, drawing, doodling, and the use of writing prompts. Ruth will introduce creative writing activities that enable us to discover, or re-discover, important life stories and bring them to the page. Bring pen and paper.

Writing True

Writing is a multi-layered process. We grab an idea, bring it to the page and then revise. It is usually in the revision process that we find our soul, our story and our deepest truths. This workshop will help writers harness their creative powers to go more deeply into the work. We will use a range of techniques from dream analysis to Buddhist walking meditation to facilitate the journey. Whether you are writing primarily fiction or nonfiction, you will enjoy the trip and take home valuable tools to continue your work.