Reading · Write at the Edge

I’m wrapping up a family vacation in Massachusetts, so I didn’t have as much time as I normally would to write a craft-related post for this week’s newsletter. Instead, I want to share a training opportunity with you.

This Fall, I’ll be teaching a five-week workshop on memoir writing and the path to publication. The workshop, titled “Mining for Memoir,” is being organized by The Poynter Institute, where I started my career and worked for many years before becoming a professor.

I’m excited about this online workshop, which will dive deep into the memoir-writing process through a mix of instruction, writing exercises, and interactive discussions. I’ll share practical tips and best practices, drawing from my own experiences as a published memoirist and from the work of others. I’m designing the materials in a way that will make this workshop relevant to writers at all stages, whether you’re just beginning your memoir or well into the process.

The workshop, which costs $499, will take place on Wednesday afternoons from October 7 through November 4. In this video, I explain what we’ll cover each week:

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Identify different types of memoirs and gain a better understanding of where your story fits. This will include discussions about memoir+ — an increasingly popular approach that blends personal narrative, reporting and research to broaden a book’s scope and reach
Crystallize a memoir’s focus and identify the plotlines that make it distinct
Identify primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences to help envision who your book would reach and where it would sit on bookstore shelves

Learn reporting and writing techniques to help you vividly capture memories in your own voice, while keeping your audience in mind
Use narrative nonfiction techniques, including scene-setting and character development, to strengthen your writing
Use source materials (photographs, journal entries, medical records, etc.) to inform the writing process and enrich the narrative

Learn strategies for deciding which family members to write about and why they belong in the book
Develop techniques for interviewing family members about hard truths from the past or present
Determine how to ethically address conflicting memories and/or pushback from family members

Learn about various tools that will help you to effectively and efficiently organize your research, reading materials and source materials
Develop different techniques for planning your memoir’s structure
Determine how to skillfully weave together personal narrative, reportage, and research, whether writing a straight memoir or a memoir+ project.

Learn about different types of presses available for memoirists
Deepen your understanding of how to write and structure book proposals
Navigate the book publishing industry, with a focus on how to find a literary agent and how to work toward securing a book deal

I know that paid workshops aren’t accessible for everyone, but if this workshop is within your means and you’re interested in it, I hope you’ll consider signing up. You can find more details on Poynter.org and can email me with questions (or share them in the comments).

Join me for a memoir writing workshop this Fall

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