online
online

Writing True Stories Online

w/ Sophie Cunningham and guests

This intensive course is for writers wishing to concentrate on crafting personal essay, memoir or biography. A practical craft-based course, featuring readings, discussion and exercises, Writing True Stories offers the opportunity to develop several chapters, while working towards a full manuscript, under expert guidance.

Fridays 10am – 12pm, 21 Feb –  4 July 2025.

$2880/ $2448 (alumni)


This course will help emerging writers develop skills and explore the richness of the life writing genre. Over four months, you will investigate how to access memory, how to create the lived texture of experience on the page, how to find a narrating position, where to find a voice, how to structure your story, how to avoid self-indulgence, how much research to include, how far to go in the borderlands between memoir and fiction—indeed all the myriad arts and skills of writing true stories.

In addition, each person will also have two 30-minute individual sessions with Sophie Cunningham to discuss their own particular writing issues. During the course, participants will write two chapters and have them workshopped in detail with two additional sessions providing ample time to discuss structural issues under Sophie Cunningham’s expert guidance. In addition, there will be the invaluable opportunity to intimately discuss the challenges of writing with inspiring authors and experts in the publishing world. Guest writers will share the benefit of their experience. Participants will also learn how to pitch their work and the opportunity to talk to a publisher and/or agent will be offered near the end of the course.

During this course, you will be provided with:

  • Feedback on two chapters of your work-in-progress, delivered through whole-class workshops.
  • Two personalised individual 30 minute one-on-one consultations with Sophie Cunningham.
  • Regular classes covering everything from research and narrative structure to style and tone.
  • The ability to connect with fellow committed novelists, building a close-knit community of trusted readers.
  • The chance to establish valuable industry connections with key insiders from the Australian publishing industry. There is no better way to get on the road to publication than to meet the people who know how to make that happen.
  • A complimentary copy of Writing True Stories, by Patti Miller.

Writing True Stories is a practical and inspiring course for writers who are ready to commit to the process of producing a full-length work of memoir or biography. Apart from the writing classes and writing exercises, students will be expected to dedicate as much time as possible to writing during the week. The course is best suited to the intermediate writer. Graduates will have the opportunity to move into the longer Writing a Creative Nonfiction Book program which runs from July 2025 – May 2026.


Writers you'll be working with:

Sophie Cunningham

Sophie Cunningham has worked as an editor and publisher at McPhee Gribble, Penguin Books, Allen & Unwin, Lonely Planet and Meanjin. She established the Faber Writing Academy’s Melbourne chapter in 2011 and most recently taught in the WAN stream with Emily Bitto and Miles Allinson.  She has written nine books and edited one. The most…

Course outline

This course consists of 18 x Friday sessions (10am – 12pm) held online. Set Text: Writing True Stories, Patti Miller, A&U 2017. A copy of this book will be sent to your postal address.

Session 1: Friday 21 February
Mapping the Territory + Beginnings: Overview of the course. What is memoir? And narrative non-fiction? What do you want to write? Leaping the hurdles before you start – facing the difficulties. Beginnings – desire and curiosity.

Session 2: Friday 28 February
Memory, Research, Interview: How to access memories. Introduction to research and interview.

Session 3: Friday 7 March
Going to the Well – Observation: Being Awake. Knowing what you noticed, detail. Making a Scene: The 3D world of writing. Dialogue, action, scene.

Session 4: Friday 14 March
The Narrator: Narrating position/voice/point of view. Distance / time of telling.

Session 5: Friday 21 March
Opening Out the Genre: Biography, integrating research.

Session 6: Friday 28 March
Opening Out the Genre: Travel and nature writing.

Session 7: Friday 4 April
Opening Out the Genre: The personal essay.

Session 8: Friday 11 April
How Do They Do It? Inspiration – guest writer.

TWO WEEKS BREAK

Session 9: Friday 2 May
Structure at Last: What’s it for? Organic structure, ways to structure.

Session 10: Friday 9 May
Narrative Structure: What is narrative? Desire and curiosity – how to create narrative pull.

Session 11: Friday 16 May
Intro to Pitching: How to write a winning pitch.

Session 12: Friday 23 May
The Difficulties and Ethics of Truth Telling: How to write nonfiction and survive your family and friends. Whose story is it?

Session 13: Friday 30 May
True Stories – or Lies? The borderlands between memoir and fiction. How far do you go?

Session 14: Friday 6 June
Publication – Agents: Guest Agents. What does an agent do? What are they looking for?

Session 15: Friday 13 June
Publication – Publishers and Editors: Guest publisher. What is a publisher looking for? What does an editor do?

Session 16: Friday 20 June
Avoiding Self-indulgence. What is self-indulgence in memoir?

Session 17: Friday 27 June
Structural Trouble-shooting: What is wrong with it and how to fix it.

Session 18: Friday 4 July
Continuing On: How to keep going. Writing timetable, finishing a draft. Celebration!

The content listed above is comprehensive but is still a guide only. The exact course content could be adjusted according to the experience and concerns of the group and availability of guest writers. The detail of the course is at the discretion of the course director and Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin.

How to Book

Purchase Includes 10% tax