2024 WRITER IN RESIDENCE: Chopping Off the Head of The Family: Using Literary Genealogy to Craft Narrative Structure
SATURDAY | OCTOBER 5, 2024 | 10AM - 3PM MST
ONLINE WORKSHOP
AWCS Members: $75
Non-Members: $100
Chopping Off the Head of The Family: Using Literary Genealogy to Craft Narrative Structure
Memoir, especially long-form structure, is arduous, complex, and dare I say, a pain in the ass. Not only are you “betraying” those that you claim you love, but now you must figure out the most effective way of telling their/your story. This is why many memoirists spend sleepless nights folding socks, especially when real-life events seem too chaotic or random to put on a linear timeline. Unlike fiction writers, memoirists do not have the option of “invention” and are stuck crafting a compelling story from the facts.
In this workshop, we will examine how one’s narrative life writing relates and speaks to other published works, and why we are inspired by these specific memoirs in our own storytelling. Through mini-lectures, exercises, and lively discussion, participants will learn narrative tips and techniques that can be applied to structuring a book-length memoir.
After the workshop, participants will leave with a plan for revising/re-structuring their own memoir project. Participants will be invited to share their work out loud with the group. All levels of writers are welcome.
