Craft Essentials for Memoir/Personal Essay Writers: Providence

Class Description

What elements make up a successful narrative personal essay or memoir? How do you focus your ideas, memories, and experiences into a coherent form and make sure you’re telling a gripping and moving story? Via weekly readings, in-class and take-home exercises, and on-the-spot workshopping, this intermediate workshop will give students a chance to practice such skills as writing scenes and passages of reflection; creating characters; using time and pacing; finding focus and theme; introducing a dilemma, conflict, or change; and playing with voice. We'll look for models and inspiration from book-length memoirs and essays by authors such as Cheryl Strayed, Lee Martin, Brian Doyle, Dinty Moore, Meredith Maran, and others. Towards the end, students ge feedback from the class on any essay or memoir excerpt in progress (up to 5,000 words). For writers looking to improve their craft of memoir or personal essays.

NOTE: Class does meet April 15th.

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.