Stories of Your Days Memoir Writing Retreat

You arrive on Friday evening after a hectic week. But here you are in the mountains for the weekend.

It’s late spring and the first thing you notice is the scent of evergreen trees in the cool air.

You take a deep breath… and let go of the week.

​You’re about to dive into one of your favorite things — telling stories about your family tree.

You begin to notice rustic buildings, a magnificent stone fireplace under a vaulting wood canopy, green foliage all around.

You start to recall the days long ago when you ran through woods like these, filled with the joy and exuberance of youth.

Where are you? Why, the Laurel Highland mountains in western Pennsylvania.

What’s this weekend about?

Is this retreat for me?

This retreat is a great fit for you if:

• You’ve dreamed about writing a memoir but haven’t yet
• You’ve started to write your memoirs, but you’re stuck
• You can’t figure out what stories to include
• You don’t know what form your stories should take
• You don’t even know where to begin

Jay Speyerer will help you find the right path.

What if I’ve never written anything before?

That’s okay. You can do it, and you won’t have to do it on your own. Jay Speyerer will be there to help you.

Consider how important it is to preserve your stories.

What would you give to know the thoughts and feelings of your great-grandparents?

• Who were they?
• What was a typical day in their life?
• What were their hopes, their feelings, their accomplishments?

Do you want your children to know who you were as a person – not just as “mom” or “dad”?

What stories can you tell to influence and benefit the generations who come after you?

Yes! Jay Speyerer will lead the classes — but don’t worry. They’ll be fun, with interactive exercises to get the juices flowing.

​​Come prepared to write. Bring your laptop computer. Bring your tablet or iPad. Bring a couple of pens and your journal or notebook. ​ Bring whatever tools you use to write.

We begin class on Friday evening at 7:00 pm. We’ll meet for classes all day Saturday and on Sunday morning. The retreat ends on Sunday at noon, so you’ll have plenty of time to drive home or stay awhile and enjoy the mountains. You might even want to visit nearby Fallingwater, Frank ​Lloyd Wright’s iconic house.

Venue

The retreat will be at the Ligonier Camp & Conference Center, 188 Macartney Lane in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania just outside Ligonier.

​We will be staying in the Lamont Lodge, the camp’s main conference facility which provides a comfortable, cozy atmosphere.

The lodge has two stone fireplaces, a dining room, meeting rooms and an outdoor fire ring.

Where will we sleep?

On Friday and Saturday nights, you’ll share a charming lodge room with other memoir writers (who might become your friends) and a modern en suite bathroom.

We’ll match you with same gender roommates, unless you request to room with a specific person. Some rooms have bunk beds, so let us know if you cannot climb into an upper bunk.

We’ll provide breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. You’ll enjoy hearty, satisfying meals, such as pancakes, scrambled eggs, fajitas, lasagna and desserts like strawberry shortcake and pie a la mode.

​There will be plenty of coffee and tea. And we’ll make s’mores Friday night!

Ligonier Camp is able to accommodate your food concerns and allergies including gluten free, dairy, wheat, nuts, melon, etc.
Please let us know prior to the retreat.

What’s Included

• Memoir writing program with Jay Speyerer
• Jay’s book The Stories of Our Days
• Shared accommodations in the Lamont Lodge on Friday and Saturday nights
• ​DIY S’mores Friday night
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday
• Breakfast on Sunday

What’s Not Included

• Flights and other transportation to Ligonier Camp & Conference Center
• Tips, souvenirs, and other items not listed in the inclusions above

Facilitators

Jay Speyerer

Known as “Pittsburgh’s Mark Twain,” Jay Speyerer has been a writer, a humorist, a speaker, a trainer and an educator for more than 30 years, successfully helping people achieve their goals in memoir writing. As owner of Legacy Road Communications, Jay ghost-writes people’s biographies because he believes we are all defined by our stories. He was on the faculty of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for 25 years, teaching photography, communication, and script writing.

Jay is the author of four books, including The Stories of Our Days. You’ll get a copy of his book at the retreat! Jay will help you uncover the key moments of your life (so far) and teach you how to get them on the page for yourself, your loved ones and future generations.

Diana Osberg

Diana Osberg is the owner and founder of Mia Terra Retreats. She produces extraordinary retreats to inspire writers, artists and creative souls. Diana is a screenwriter and has worked in the entertainment industry for over 30 years in production, creative development and administration. She is a world-traveler, or as she likes to put it, a “world citizen,” and loves to go on unusual adventures.

Diana has helmed a 165 meter barque off anchor and into the Strait of Gibraltar under the command of the ship’s captain. She has sailed as crew on tall ships in New Zealand, Spain and the Canary Islands, participated in an English immersion program with Spanish business people in Spain, and tracked Mustangs in the wilds of the Nevada mountains on horseback. She has kissed the Blarney Stone, but did not get the gift of the gab. She’ll have to kiss it again, I guess.