Class Description
Writing the first draft of your memoir can be daunting. Determining its scope, narrative voice, and--perhaps the most challenging of all--figuring out how to handle time are no easy tasks. Guidance in a group of peers facing similar quandaries can help. This class will tackle these big-picture issues and pay close attention to the minutiae of good writing.
Rather than a traditional workshop-structured class (where manuscripts are read and critiqued outside of the classroom for discussion the following week), this class allows students to take turns sharing 5-page excerpts, which we will workshop in class "on the fly." In the remaining time, we will participate in some in-class exercises, and we'll discuss craft issues such as writing scenes vs. exposition, integrating research, avoiding clichés, developing character, and finding "truth" and memory in order to recover and recreate the past. We will also examine some exemplary memoirs and personal essays, including work by such authors as:
- Joan Didion
- James Baldwin
- Eula Biss
- Gregory Orr
- Danielle Trussoni
There is no work outside of class other than continuing to write (the goal of each student being to write 5 new pages or revise 10 pages each week and develop a solid outline of the memoir in progress). On the last day of class, writers may hand in 20 pages of their work to receive a critique from the instructor with suggested strategies for finishing the manuscripts. Designed for writers with some knowledge of the craft of memoir writing who have either: (a) begun at least three chapters of a full-length memoir or (b) begun at least three essays of a connected series of personal essays. Please come to the first class with a copy of "an elevator pitch" for your potential or existing memoir (a compelling title and 150-word blurb that summarizes and encapsulates your work), a list of three to five memoirs that are similar to yours, and the first two pages (double-spaced) of your memoir/essay collection.
Please note: this class is not group therapy; our focus will be on the craft of the work, not the identity of the author.
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.