WHEN 10 weeks, January 7 - March 18 Chats Wednesdays, 8:30-9:30 pm ET WHERE Online. Click here for more information. LEVEL Intermediate PRICE $599 ($575 for ) more info

Course Details

So, you're ready to sell the Story of Your Life and turn your memories into memoir, but you're not quite sure where to go from here. You may have written several pages already. You will at least have a fairly clear idea of what sort of memoir you want to write. But perhaps you are asking yourself why anybody should care about reading your story.

Maybe you are wondering what will happen if you publish an honest account of your childhood. Will your parents sue you? And how easy is it to sell a memoir anyway if you're neither famous nor infamous? This class will answer these questions and provide a stimulating, supportive environment where you can workshop your memoir-in-progress and receive invaluable feedback.

This class is geared towards the writer who is ready to write a memoir but needs to learn how to tell it -- and sell it. Through weekly assignments and lectures you will learn how to turn your idea into a book deal and you will produce up to 50 pages of polished text as well as an outline for the rest of the book. You will also learn about craft, style and the development of your unique voice.

• To find your authentic voice and unlock your memories
• What the 'theme' of your story is
• To find the most effective structure for your story
• How to approach literary agents
• Why (and how) you can sell a memoir before you have finished writing it
• What happens once you've sold your memoir.

• Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
• Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
• Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.
• Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.
  

Memoir Writing (PDF) View a sample syllabus for this class here.

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Instructor Bio

Kelly McMasters's Courses

Kelly McMasters has been an editor and freelance writer for 10 years. Her memoir, Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town, was published by PublicAffairs in April 2008. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, and MrBellersNeighborhood.com, and her profiles and book reviews have been published in Newsday, Metropolis, Elle D?r, CITY Magazine, and Time Out NY. She teaches creative writing at Columbia University and is the co-director of the KGB Non-fiction Reading Series in the East Village.

Testimonials

Kelly was generous with instruction and feedback. Ultimately, the class helped me hone a book proposal that promptly attracted a top book agent. -- Mei-Ling Hopgood

"Kelly is one of the most talented, skillful, and generous intructors I have ever had. She gave us all detailed, constructive feedback and really helped her students find their univeral stories." -- Jesaka Long

"Kelly gives great feedback in a timely manner. She also creates a comfortable environment for students to give and recieve feedback from each other." -- Diane Rothman

"Kelly set the tone from the very beginning that our class would be a safe place to share our most intimate stories -- and her encouragement and willingness to answer our questions ensured that we stuck it out through to the end." -- Kirin Kalia

"I am more motivated than ever as a writer." -- Merlisa Lawrence Corbett

"Kelly is insightful and kind. I recommend her assistance for taking your work to the next level." -- Lynne Ratliff

"Kelly is skilled in bringing out your story and showing you how to make it universal." -- Alexis Maislen

"Kelly was an awesome instructor. She coached and guided me through my strengths and weaknesses with professionalism and kindness." -- Barbara Reidmiller

"If you worry about distance learning, I can tell you Kelly will make you feel like you're sitting in her living room. So let's just call it learning. The best kind." -- Linda Rehkopf