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From Essay to Memoir

Build your memoir from a single pivotal moment

Course is closed.

WHEN 8 weeks, November 16 - January 11
Chats Mondays, 9-10 pm ET

WHERE Online. Click here for more information.

LEVEL Intermediate

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
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Course Details

Publishing a personal essay can put you on the fast track to getting an agent or even a book deal for your memoir. A series of essays often produces a theme, and this theme is often linked to a period of our lives that we'd really like to write about. But how do we get from A to Z?

In this class, you'll learn how to use a personal essay -- or a series of personal essays -- to structure a memoir with a beginning, a middle, and an end. This class will provide a stimulating, supportive environment where you can workshop your memoir-in-progress and receive invaluable feedback.

In this class, you will learn:

How to connect to the genuine emotion in your work
How to create an architecture or arc to your story
How to edit and refine your work to make it as strong as possible
How to approach literary agents with your book proposal
Why (and how) you can sell a memoir before you have finished writing it

By the end of this class, you will have:
A fully planned outline for a memoir, an annotated table of contents, a sample chapter, and the passion and confidence to approach literary agents and editors.

Admission Requirements:
Please send a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

The online classroom has several interactive components:

Your instructor's lectures are posted once a week: you can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience. Supplemental material—readings, examples, or handouts—may also be available.
Students post completed assignments on the course bulletin board, where the class gives feedback. Students ask questions, share resources, and support each other, creating a conversation that continues all week.
A regular chat time allows your class to converse as a group via instant message. Transcripts are available when you can't attend, or if you want to review the discussion.
Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Course Syllabus

From Essay to Memoir (PDF)
View a sample syllabus for this class here.

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Journalism

Instructor Bio

Abby Sher's Courses

From Essay to Memoir – (Class starts February 9)

Abby Sher is a writer and performer. Her memoir Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl who Couldn't Stop Praying will be published by Scribner in October, 2009. Her first novel, Kissing Snowflakes, was published in the fall of 2007 by Scholastic. Abby's words have appeared in Modern Love: Tales of Love and Obsession, Behind the Bedroom Door, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, Self, Jane, Elle, HeeB, and Redbook. She has written and performed for The Second City in Chicago, the Upright Citizen's Brigade, the Magnet Theater and the New York International Fringe Festival. She loves to make sand castles and drinks too much coffee.

Testimonials

With enthusiasm, humor, and generosity, Abby gave practical advice on how to improve a story's dialogue and also how to have an eye for what works and why. I learned a great deal! -- Marsha Lebedev Bernstein

"Abby is super attuned to the art of conversation. She shares her wisdom and keen insights into what your characters are really thinking in a way that will surprise you and make your story all the more compelling." -- Jami Kelmenson

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