Discussions of craft often focus on the intellectual aspects of writing—structure, character development, voice, style, and revision—while overlooking fundamentals that can profoundly influence the writing itself: presence, focus, attention, energy, and inspiration. Craft tells us what to do. Wellness practices help us do it more effectively. In this session, writer and coach Matthew Félix explores how approaches that get writers out of their heads and into their bodies—including breathwork, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation—enrich the creative process. Participants will discover practical techniques for sharpening attention, cultivating inspiration, and creating the mental and physical conditions in which creativity can flourish and your best writing can emerge.

Saturday, September 12, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Where 

Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists
1625 Salvador Ave., Napa 

Open to the Public 

NVW Members: $10
Guests: $15
Students: Free with ID 

Matthew Félix is the author of four books, a certified life coach, a speaker, and an interviewer. Publishers Weekly called his debut novel, A Voice Beyond Reason, “(a) highly crafted gem.” His work has been recognized with a Solas Awards Grand Prize for Story of the Year and Gold for Memoir in the Northern California Publishers & Authors Awards, and he ghost-writes, edits, publishes, and markets books for other authors. Matthew has certifications in personal resilience, nervous system fitness, and intuition medicine, as well as immersive breathwork training through Esalen. His twelve-week program Have Fun Falling is for people ready for change, and he co-founded the daylong wellness and writing retreat The Body & the Pen. Matthew regularly interviews leading thinkers and authors, including two recent sold-out conversations with Isabel Allende.

Writing a memoir is an act of courage, asking writers to share parts of their lives with others. Writers must choose what to reveal and how to bring those experiences to the page so they resonate with others. In this presentation, acclaimed memoirist and longtime educator Louise Nayer explores how writers can transform memory into vivid, compelling stories through sensory detail, scene, and character development.

Drawing from her own journey as a writer and teacher, Louise will discuss how sensory detail can unlock memory and bring the past to life. How does the wooden chair feel on your back? How does the smell of a bakery bring back a childhood memory of eating a chocolate éclair? She’ll share how to write scenes that draw readers into a particular moment rather than simply recount what happened, and how to navigate shifts in time while creating the real people in our lives as full, complicated characters on the page. She will also explore one of memoir's most essential questions: What is the story that keeps returning to you and asking to be told?

Louise will offer practical guidance for developing a writing practice, read a short excerpt from her work, and reflect on the power and magic of language. Whether you're already writing memoir or wondering how to begin, this presentation will offer tools for discovering and crafting the unique story only you can tell. 

Saturday, October 10th, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Where 

Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists
1625 Salvador Ave, Napa 

Open to the Public 

NVW Members: $10
Guests: $15
Students: Free with ID 

Louise Nayer is the author of six books, including two memoirs, two books of poetry, and one about the emotional journey of retirement. Burned: A Memoir was named an Oprah Great Read, and her latest memoir, Narrow Escapes, chronicles her journeys as a young woman. She is currently working on a novel. An educator for more than 50 years and the recipient of six California Arts Council grants, Louise is a member of The Writers Grotto in San Francisco.

http://www.louisenayer.com