WRIT42898 - Advanced Memoir Writing

Course Description

This class is designed for writers who have already explored the basics of memoir and are ready to tackle the challenges of longer essays and excerpts of full-length manuscripts. You may deepen or expand a work-in-progress or begin a new piece of writing.

We will explore the importance of Truth in memoir. When is it okay to fill in gaps, cut or combine characters, or speed up narrative to write an engaging scene? We will deepen our study of the retrospective voice, expanding your memoir beyond the the personal, and practice incorporating the world surrounding your story using scene, research, and reflection.

Class will consist of discussion of both essay and book-length memoirs by experts in the field, as well as critical and craft oriented texts. We will partake in writing exercises aimed at helping you break new ground in your writing. Student work will be critiqued by both students and the instructor.