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Students will attend NYC Memoir writing classes at their scheduled times via video chat (with or without cameras enabled) or by calling in to the live chat with your phone. Your exercises will be shared electronically, and the format of the live class will be the same as when you attend class in person, with students and teachers responding to your...

Take the plunge into the refreshing waters of memoir writing. Dip your toes, paddle in the shallows, observe the ripples on the surface, and dive into the depths. As we share and discuss short pieces, we'll explore elements of craft, tackle obstacles to creativity, and inspire one another. Whether a novice or experienced writer, you’ll enjoy the...

Nancy Slonim Aronie inspires us to reclaim our authentic voices, to write in our own rhythms, in our own language, without trying to sound like a “writer.” She creates a safe space where all who want to write can access boundless inner creativity, let go of the inner critic, and let the juices flow. In this workshop, you cannot be “wrong.” ...

Making the reader feel is one of the most important goals of creative writing.  But there aren’t cheap shortcuts and creating emotion on the page is an artful enterprise.   This seminar will discuss the importance of risking sentimentality to get at sentiment.  Some methods we’ll look at include surprise, restraint, opposing...

Mike Sacks, Vanity Fair editor and author of four humor books, teaches a workshop on humor writing for print and how to get published.  Advanced purchase is mandatory.  Bonus:  Two of Mike's heralded books are on sale in the QED bookshop.

This open-level class is for anyone interested in writing personal narrative in any form: memoir, creative nonfiction, or personal essay. Through insightful critique and focused discussion, we hone the tools of strong writing: distinctive voice, precise language, resonant imagery, vivid sensory description, dramatic scene and dialogue, and inventive...

Nabokov said that the true purpose of memoir should be to discern and follow “the thematic designs of one’s life.” In that spirit, this class attempts to guide students in the quest to discover what story to tell and how to tell it. Class discussions — of works in progress and of weekly exercises written in reponse to excerpts from classic...

Learn the basics of memoir writing through instructional exercises. Topics include plot, character, dialogue, theme, how to get published, how candid you should be, and how to write about other people without hurting them.

Whether you’re a new, continuing, or returning writer, take the plunge into memoir writing! This workshop will provide a supportive and stimulating springboard for shaping the raw material of your life into short pieces worth sharing. Together we'll explore elements of craft, experiment with form, tackle obstacles to creativity, and inspire one...

Writing about trauma in fiction and memoir You’ve grown past it. You’re over it. You’re sick of talking about it.  It happened so long ago. God knows, you’ve told—your mother, your five best friends, your spouse, your therapist, even that one blind date you couldn’t have been more wrong about. Now you want to write about it. But...

Writing a memoir after the age of 50 can be a great way to take stock, whether you’re writing to get published, leave a record for your friends and family, or simply clarify the past for your own edification. Unlike novels, short stories and poems, the memoir requires a writer to stick to the truth, the actual sequence of events as they happened,...

In that spirit, this class attempts to guide students in the quest to discover what story to tell and how to tell it. Class discussions — of works in progress and of weekly exercises written in reponse to excerpts from classic memoirs — explore elements of craft such as character, description, dialogue and pacing.  The goal is to help students...

We have been asked to provide a follow up class to our “How to Free the Writer Within” – the introduction to memoir writing workshop, lead by author, entrepreneur, and lecturer, Marva Allen. To take this class as a prerequisite you would need to have taken a basic introduction to writing class, or our “How to Free the Writer Within” workshop,...

Memoirs offer a rewarding way to enhance cultural understanding, expand social awareness, and build empathy by inviting you to see the world through another person’s eyes. Learn why memoirs have become such a powerful (and sometimes controversial) genre; how to select the most compelling books; and how to analyze the works to enrich your intellectual...