The Funny Thing About Memory: Writing the Family Memoir Course Description:

The Funny Thing About Memory: Writing the Family Memoir Course Description:

What happens when you want to write a memoir but you don't know how to use or choose the right memory? Or you don't know how to incorporate someone else's memory or are unsure how to use memory as plot. Memory is tricky, but crafting memory can be learned.

"That's not the way I remember it.” How many times have writers described an incident in their lives only to have that memory be challenged by friends and family members? That's the nature of the memoir beast, and this class will help you deal with temporal transitions, accessing and recovering memory, how to use memory to propel your narratives forward, and how to craft your story in a way that leaves no doubt that it’s your story.

Reading examples of narrative nonfiction, literary and mainstream essays, and memoir excerpts, we will explore the work of authors who have successfully used memory as a tool in various ways to craft your own memoir, using memory as a tool of empowerment, plot, and craft. In this workshop, we will explore the genre in its multifaceted forms while discerning cultural perspectives such as gender, identity, and ethnicity. I will help you find and hone in on your story, motif, and plot points, develop an outline and a first chapter of your story.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Santa Barbara Literary Festival