The Memoir Project: Let’s Get Yours Going

THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASS is up and writing, reading and critiquing again, and as a result, I feel like all is well with the world. Strange, I know, since much is not at all well with the world, but there you have it: the power of a good thing in one’s life. I always forget how much I’ll miss that class each time we take a break. Back now, it all feels right to me, especially since I’ve made some changes in the way I teach.

I’m trying something new this fall by teaching two five-week classes instead of one 10-week series, and have divided up the first five week course into the five-w’s of life: Who, what where, when and why, taking on only one theme per week in the critiques. In this method, we looked at the who the first week, examining the voice, point of view and characterization of the writer and other people in the pieces. Last week we looked at the what, as in “What is this about?” that dreaded question that must be answered if you want anyone to relate to your work.

Want to follow along with the class? (I mean, who doesn’t like to watch others work hard?) You may, by tracking along with me the various topics covered each week. I won’t share with you what gets read. That’s confidential, a requirement of the class I’ve maintained for all the years I’ve taught it. But I will relate some of the topics we discuss, and link those topics to posts to better guide you in your own work. For future classes, see here.

Though only two weeks into the session, we’ve discussed a great many aspects of memoir how-to, and so I’d love to draw your attention here to a category on the blog by just that title. If you are new to the genre, or have been writing memoir for a quite some time, I guarantee that you will find the category rich with instruction.

Specific topics we’ve discussed within the who and what of memoir include depression, dogs, abuse, parenting. We’ve even had a side order of food memoir along the way. Interested in reading more about any of those topics and how to write about them? Just click on the hot links in this paragraph and you’ll be set to go.

Interested in writing book-length memoir? The once-a-month Master Class begins next week. I’ll let you have a peek at that, as well, once we get underway. Stay tuned.