How do we recreate experience on the page so that it retains its vividness – its ‘life-like’ qualities? How do we arrange our life’s events so they don’t read like a litany of everything that happened?
Join Sian Prior in this intimate 8-week course for beginners and those who may have started and need some guidance.
In Writing Memoir, you will explore the craft of life-writing – how to: start; access memory; use sensory detail; create scenes; find the right ‘voice(s)’ to tell your story; choose from possible structures; and finally, face the complex issues of writing a life.
Examples from the set text, Shy: a memoir by Sian Prior, will be unpacked and discussed. Exercises will be set every week and students will present their writing for group workshopping, gaining valuable input from each other and clear guidance from Sian. In a warm and supportive environment, you will be encouraged to step into the creative process of constructing a life on the page. The writing skills and inspiration will equally equip you to write autobiography, columns and personal essays; in fact it will start you on the journey of all creative non-fiction writing.
By the end of the course you will:
- Have begun the journey of writing your own story ;
- Gained a knowledge of the craft of writing and be able to use the skills you have learned;
- Gained confidence in your capacity to write;
- Extended your knowledge of the literary genre of memoir.
Your course includes:
- 8 weeks x 2 hour morning classes;
- A copy of the set text, Shy: a memoir by Sian Prior;
- Critique on work produced for the course;
- On completion of the course, alumni discounts on future Faber Writing Academy courses and books from the Allen & Unwin website.
