CW overview and tips

The best part about writing memoir is that you have the gift of hindsight. You get to write knowing how that story ends and you're more mature and wiser after having gone through it, had other experiences, and had time to process what it meant. You get to make meaning.

Remember that memoir is creative nonfiction. You're telling a story! And because memory is involved, sometimes you will have to fill in the gaps with the truth more than what is literally factual. Read that last line again, you're telling the truth more than you're telling what you know is factually 100% true.

You are the authority on this topic. You control not only the story and how it's told but also the emotion (i.e. mood) and its bias. What will you leave out? What will you focus on? How will you characterize yourself and others?

Normally you'll have these assigned on Wednesday and it will be checked the following Wednesday.

Then, as we progress, you'll join a cohort for feedback in small groups. Eventually, you should expect to provide some of your work for a gallery walk. You'll continue to write and eventually pick the one you think is the strongest to develop it further. We'll workshop it as a class. You can revise further and then we'll submit to our class anthology.

This is about the process not the product. You won't love every piece you write.

(Hemingway once said "the first draft of anything is always shit" meaning, I think, that good writing takes a lot of time, editing, and trial and error).

Some things we'll focus on:

1. How to grab reader with hook and title

2. Imagery and description (including setting)

3. "Show don't tell"

4. Characterization

5. Dialogue (including internal)

6. Structure, style, and voice

7. Word choice (i.e. diction) - "the right words in the right order" and how this impacts tone and mood

8. Conclusion and revision

Want some added support? Check these out!

Memoir genre overview and tips

Writing 9 tips