Course Details

It's been said that everyone has at least one book in them and since every one of us has a past, perhaps that first (and perhaps, only) book should be a memoir. Memoir is your life—or a slice of it—filtered onto the page through your own memory, and as such, it is extremely subjective. This class will teach you how to keep your personal story personal while also making it universally engaging and relevant.

• How to resurrect recent and ancient memories
• The differences between giving a highly subjective voice to your memories and stretching the truth a little too far
• How to find and nurture your narrative voice
• How to pinpoint the theme of your book
• How to construct a memoir proposal
• How to develop the real-life characters in your book  

We will also study different genres of memoirs within the memoir genre and figure out where your book fits in among them -- although it's possible that your memoir could spawn a sub-genre of its own!

Through weekly writing assignments which will be read and critiqued in a supportive atmosphere, students will explore various life experiences. The class will also explore possible markets for publishable work and the currently flourishing memoir market. Sessions may include in-class writing exercises and discussion of excerpts from popular memoirs.

By the end of this class you can expect to have:
At least one publishable chapter or essay, as well as an understanding of how to focus an individual memoir.

Instructor Bio

Rita Williams's Courses

Rita Williams is the author of If the Creek Don't Rise: My Life Out West with the Last Black Widow of the Civil War, a memoir. Her short fiction has been published in O, the Oprah Magazine, leading to bidding war among six publishers for the memoir. Harcourt won.

Testimonials

Rita is reliable, professional, and, most importantly, she's an incredible talent. She is extremely intuitive and gave spot on feedback for each member of the class. -- Nicole Balin

"Anyone who is lucky enough to sign up for Rita's class will know they are blessed. She has a way of bringing out the best in all her students in a safe environment. If more teachers were like her, the world would be a better place." -- Susan Hartzler

"The class is safe and supportive, and by the end you only want it to keep going. Rita draws so much out of you and your work. You leave the class more confident, your skills are sharper, and you're ready for the next round." -- Frank Maciel

"Rita's class was both a motivational experience as well as a safe and inspiring place to gather each week. Rita is not only a gifted writer, but has a unique balance of perceptive guidance counselor and firm supporter." -- James Holmes

"Rita's class was wonderful. She made it a safe place where we could reach the heights and depths of our stories. She was enthusiastic and encouraging without condescension. And she guided us and the class with a gentle hand. Every week I arrived with eagerness and left with inspiration." -- Steve Carney

"Rita is an amazing instructor. She got me thinking about my memoir in a new way, which has inspired me to continue writing. If you're in a rut, this class will help ease you out of it. I always looked forward to every class with her and my fellow students. It was truly a source of creative inspiration. -- Yalonda Dekle