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Personal Essay Boot Camp

Course is closed.
Personal Essay Boot Camp

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m.
June 13-Aug. 8

LEVEL
This class is taught at an Intermediate level.

LOCATION
Union Square
San Francisco, Calif.

MORE INFO
Email learnwest@mediabistro.com, or call (310) 659-5668.

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Whether you're experiencing the absurdity of adulthood acne or the thrill of trying out for the Wheel of Fortune, life takes on new meaning when your obsessions become material for personal essays. In this class, you'll learn how to translate compelling personal experiences into saleable pieces. From O magazine to The Sun, the work of personal essayists is increasingly filling the pages of newspapers and magazines, offering readers a tantalizing glimpse of inner worlds, and, in the process, casting a light on the larger world around them. But what separates a great personal essay from mere navel-gazing? How do you decide which ideas will strike a chord with readers?

This class will explore the basics of writing and selling first-person narratives, starting with short (2- to 4-page) pieces and moving on to longer pieces written in the first-person. We will use writing prompts and other exercises to jumpstart your creativity. We'll also read and discuss student work in class and prepare it for pitching.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

  • How to decide which stories to tell
  • How to shape your story so that it makes a universal point
  • How to find the resonance in everyday events
  • How to tell someone else's story
  • How to know what to leave in and what to leave out
  • How to interest editors

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
At least two complete, polished personal essays with feedback from classmates and the instructor

Admission Requirements:
To apply, you must submit a letter of interest, which includes a brief work history, and a writing sample of 2,000 words or less.

Instructor Bio

Sasha Cagen's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Sasha Cagen
Sasha Cagen's essays have appeared in the Village Voice, Men's Health, Utne, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, 7 x 7, and others.

Her book, Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics (Harper San Francisco 2004), started as a personal essay. The piece generated thousands of emails and letters in response, as well as a few mix tapes and marriage proposals, and led to the publication of her book, a collection of personal essays, lists, and interviews that has been featured in USA Today, Time, The New York Times, and on CNN and MSNBC.

In addition to being a writer, Sasha published and edited To-Do List, a print magazine that primarily published personal essays. Among other major recognition, To-Do List was named Best New Magazine of 2000 in Utne's Alternative Press Awards, Reader's Choice. She's taught workshops on creative nonfiction and the quirkyalone perspective on being single at Omega, the nation's largest holistic retreat center, in Rhinebeck, New York, and at Hollyhock, a holistic retreat center north of Vancouver.

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