#2021-1“What’s Your Story?”: Writing Memoir and Autobiography Part 2, Session 1

“What’s Your Story?”: Writing Memoir and Autobiography (Part 2, Session 1)

Every life tells a story. In this self-paced, interactive writing workshop, we will explore several strategies for telling our stories as memoir or autobiography. We will then write our stories and share some highlights with our group.

NOTE: This course is a continuation of Part 1 (Sessions 1-3), but new students are welcome. Please contact the instructor for more information before registering.

The workshop consists of three sessions:

Wed, July 1 (1-3 p.m.). Part 1 Review; “Sharing Our Stories” (Take 2).

“The Significance of Trivial Things”; Crafting Sentences; Literary Models and Writing Mentors; Exploring Style and Structure. Homework: Writing About Objects of Personal Significance (200-250 words).

Wed, July 15 (1-3 p.m.): “Objects of Personal Significance.” Staying Motivated: Using Writing Prompts; Defining Key Terms and Concepts; “This I Believe”; Conquering Writer’s Block. Homework: “This I Believe” (200-250 words).

Wed, July 29 (1-3 p.m.): Sharing Our Stories: Please share your “This I Believe” essay OR select an excerpt from your work-in-progress (200-250 words) to share with our group. Homework: Keep writing!

Durthy Washington, MA in English from San Jose State University. She is the founder of LitUnlocked, dedicated to the culturally responsive reading and study of literature. Durthy is the author of numerous articles and critical essays on the works of James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Ernest Gaines, Junot Diaz, and Toni Morrison.