WHEN Monday, Sept. 11, 6:45-9:45 pm WHERE offices of mediabistro.com 7494 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 303 West Hollywood, Calif. MORE INFO Email learnwest@mediabistro.com, or call (310) 659-5668. PRICE $65 ($50 for ) more info

Course Details

Do you have a box of memoir material stashed away, holding you prisoner because you have not psychologically resolved all the issues with its primary characters? Are you longing to publish nonfiction, yet alarmed at losing the protective cover and creative freedom that comes with writing a novel? Are you stalled in finishing a memoir because your story is just too ordinary to be of much interest?

This seminar will revolve around confronting those kinds of questions and determining whether or not you have a story that you are ready to tell, willing to tell, and skilled enough to form into a memoir.

This three hour seminar covers:

• How to frame the memoir so that it stands out from the 175,000 books published each year
• How to avoid the pitfalls of self-aggrandizement, bitterness, and self-pity that doom the memoir
• How to construct the lead character, "me," who will settle in with the imagined reader in a relationship that's satisfying enough for the reader to shell out $23.95
• How to know if you are truly ready to write something this intimate and personal for the general public
• How to craft the work so that it is truthful, yet not destructive to people whose secrets you may inadvertently reveal
• How to deal with your fondest memories. They may not have happened. And what to do if they turn out to be false

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