402 Make Your Memoir Read Like a Novel (ENGLISH)

The memoirs that get published (and read) are the ones that read like novels, with a dramatic arc, clear stakes, fully fleshed-out characters, and scenes that build on each other. In this workshop, we’ll look at all the components that go into making a memoir read like a novel, and try out a few generative prompts designed to help memoir writers turn the often random events of their lives into a story with a compelling narrative through line. We will also spend some time looking at examples from published works to see how the experts do it. A few of the memoirs we’ll look at include CRYING IN H MART, BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS, and WAVE.

Instructor

Janis Cooke Newman