Memoir class enrolling now!

A 10-week writing class online for memoirists who want to deepen their narratives and find community

I’m excited to share that my 10-week online course Memoir Writing: Finding Your Story through the University of Washington's Continuum Program is now open for enrollment!

In my workshops and on Let’s Talk Memoir we often talk about memoir being not just about what happened, but what we make of what happened, and why it still gnaws at us now. Many people have similar experiences of loss or trauma, but how we react and what we come to understand about those experiences is what makes our stories ours.

Memoir writing is about excavating the story not just the situation, and gaining clarity about our patterns, what is still unsolved in us, and our own part in what has occurred. I love guiding memoirists in discovering and strengthening these elements in their work. You can read more about me here and some testimonials here.

Over the course of these 10 weeks we will workshop, do generative writing in class, discuss and analyze excerpts from acclaimed memoirs, look closely at both the narrator-I and the character-I, explore diverse memoir structures and forms, learn about plot in memoir and ways to add tension to our work, tap into generosity and complexity in our portrayal of ourselves and others to make our stories more resonant, learn about the publishing landscape, and more!

One of my favorite parts of teaching this course is how together we foster a collaborative class community where students are able to build strong relationships that continue after the class is over.

Here are some FAQs for your reference:

Can you just easily sign up through continuing education? It doesn’t require formal admissions, right?

Yes, you can sign up using this link and the course does not require formal admission.

How long is each session?

Each session is 3 hours long with a short break and will include a lesson, generative writing, workshop, and discussion.

When does the class meet?

Each Wednesday night from 6 PM to 9 PM Pacific time from March 12, 2025 to May 14, 2025.

Do you provide ‘homework’ assignments? And if so, how much time do you think that requires each week?

There will be 3 official assignments, two of which are your writing pieces for workshop. There will be other optional assignments for those who want to do them. There will be short excerpts from published memoirs to read each week, the time you need for your own writing or revising of 1,000 word-pieces for your workshops over the course of the ten weeks, and reading some of your classmate’s work for workshop.

Who is this class for?

Writers who have written a bit of memoir in short or long form and want to: strengthen their plot, better differentiate and balance their character-I and narrator-I, tighten up their narratives, experiment with structure, uncover what is still unsolved in them, add depth to their portrayal of themselves and others, find support during the writing process, deepen the meaning and resonance in their work, write with complexity and generosity, take care of themselves while working on difficult material, revise their work, learn about the publishing landscape and decide whether or not they want to share their work with loved ones before publishing.

Do I need to have a whole manuscript completed?

Not at all. This course is suitable for writers who have written a handful of essays or a few thousand words toward a manuscript as well as those who have completed a first or second memoir draft.

Will we generate new material?

Yes, you will have opportunities to work with prompts in class and also outside of class, and use tools we learn to approach your writing in new ways.

Will we workshop?

Yes, we will be workshopping each student twice over the 10 weeks so you will have ample time to hone your editing and reading skills as well as receive feedback on your own work.

Will there be time for discussion?

Yes, we will have plenty of time for discussion during each class. This is one of the best ways classes learn, get to know each other, and build community.

Will we talk about structure?

Yes, we will talk about and explore creative nonfiction including memoir-in-essays, essay collections, traditional memoirs, nonlinear memoirs, lyric memoirs, and discuss the many approaches available to us.

For more information you can visit the UW Continuing Education page here or you can message me directly. As always, I’d love to hear from you!

All my best,

Ronit