SPRING DISCOUNT: Use code SPRING16 at registration checkout to get 10% off tuition for this course.

One of the hardest practical challenges writers face when beginning a memoir is where to start. It might seem obvious–just start at the beginning–but a cursory read of published memoirs will reveal many different approaches. Some start with family history. Others start with an image, a character sketch, or a moment in time. In a first draft, it’s not important to begin at the perfect moment; it’s much more important to actually get started. With that in mind, this one-week intensive workshop will explore various methods to help participants get their personal stories onto the page. We’ll real brief openings from published works as examples, and do daily writing exercises experimenting with different approaches. Participants will receive feedback from their peers as well as from me. This class is suitable for generating new material, or for revising the beginning of an existing work. Class discussions will assume a fundamental understanding of writing craft–scene, narrative summary, detail and description, and so on–but no prior workshop experience is necessary.