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Memoir Writing Advanced

Get your memoir polished and ready to publish

Course is closed.
Memoir Writing Advanced

WHEN 10 weeks, June 16 - August 25
Online chats Mondays, 9-10 pm EST

WHERE Online. Click here for info.

LEVEL Advanced

PRICE
$599 ($575 for )
more info

Course Details

You have a great first-hand story. You have a pretty good idea of the structure, plot, theme, and characters. You lived the life and learned the lessons. You even put some of it on paper. Now you have a partly ?- or even mostly -? finished book or essay, with no idea what to do next. Can this manuscript be saved?

Consider this class CPR for your writing. Whether you have a jumble of chapters that need surgical attachment or a personal essay lethargic from anemia, this class is for writers who need help putting life, zest, and polish in their work before sending it to agents and publishers. Through lectures, feedback, and assignments designed to free your creativity and create workarounds for trouble areas, this class will help you revive your manuscript for publication. This course is tailored to creative first-person non-fiction of any length, but the techniques are applicable to any style or genre.

In this class you will:

  • Diagnose what's ailing your writing
  • Learn to love your narrator
  • Tone and firm structure and style
  • Say it without saying it through narrative techniques
  • Learn the secrets of good dialogue
  • Learn grammar and self-editing skills
  • Overcome your fear of success that's keeping you from being finished
  • Write better beginnings and extraordinary endings

By the end of class, you will have:
A perfectly polished chunk of memoir (or two polished essays) with a clear set of steps to finish your manuscript and submit it for publication

Admission Requirements:
Please send a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and a writing sample (less than 2000 words).

The online classroom has several interactive components:
  • Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
  • Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
  • Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.
  • Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

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Instructor Bio

Jami Bernard's Courses

Memoir Writing Advanced – (Class starts October 6)
Overcome Writer's Block – (Class starts September 8)

Jami Bernard
Jami Bernard is a nationally known film critic, award-winning columnist, and an editor and media consultant. Her seven published books include two memoirs, The Incredible Shrinking Critic: My Excellent Adventure in Weight Loss and Breast Cancer: There & Back. She also published a Lois Lane comic for DC Comics.

Jami has been interviewed by Oprah, Katie Couric, and Charles Gibson, and has appeared on CNN, BBC-TV, NY1, E!, Bravo, IFC, A&E, Oxygen, VH1, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and Court TV. She has written for Glamour, TV Guide, Self, Entertainment Weekly, Allure, Seventeen, Spin, Shape, Fangoria, and Premiere, and is a frequent lecturer and keynote speaker. Further details are available at her website, www.jamibernard.com.

Testimonials


Jami Bernard helped me recognize the self-sabotage that was standing in the way of my productivity. Through wit, practical assignments and well-researched lectures, she helped me become a more effective, efficient writer. I am most grateful for her gentle critique and enthusiastic encouragement. --Nancy Boomer

Jami Bernard is absolutely the best writing instructor I have ever had, I've learned more in one class than I had in whole semesters of college. Her comments are thoughtful, thorough, and extremely useful. It is obvious that she spends a lot of time with each student's work, often times doing additional research. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone. --Vanessa DeBello


"Jami Bernard is an amazing teacher. She helped bring out my theme, and kept me going even when I thought I had nothing in me. She is great!" -- Liza Deyrmenjian

"Taking Jami Bernard's Memoir class was not just educational, it was life altering. Writing a memoir had been a wish of mine for a long time; it became a reality in the course of this class. Everything I needed to learn and explore about writing in this format was covered in a safe and encouraging envoirnment. Jami has an great sense of committment to her students which will be obvious if you take the class." --Cara Coslow, co-producer, Dante's Cove

"Jami Bernard was committed to the success of the class and helped each one of us find OUR story and how to tell it. Her humour, experience and accessibility were apparent from the first day. I live in France with a six hour time difference which made the chats very late for me (2 - 3am). I didn't miss one chat which says a lot about the quality of instruction and class involvement. Merci et Bravo!" --Kathryn Kemp-Griffin, owner, www.soyelle.com

"Jami Bernard is a born teacher - smart, funny, and dedicated to making you be the very best writer you can be. With Jami's knowledge, experience, and enthusiastic support you will absolutely write more, and better, than you thought possible! The memoir-writing class was a revelation in how much you can accomplish in 12 weeks! Media Bistro attracts the best caliber teachers AND students...I was mesmerized by the talent and stories of my instructor and classmates. You will be spurred on to do your absolute best to keep up!" --Melissa Spiers

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