FULL/WAIT LIST ONLY⏤email hannah@mainewriters.org to be added to the wait list.
A 5-Week Memoir Workshop
Wednesdays, February 3 to March 3
Level: All Levels
Throughout life, people collect and store pivotal experiences and key moments in the recesses of their memories. The challenge for any aspiring memoirist to figure out how to excavate those memories and transform them into something meaningful on the page. This five-week class will provide participants with the guidance they need to shape the stories they most want to tell into narratives their readers will find compelling.
In a warm and supportive space, attendees will participate in writing exercises and prompts designed to tap into remembered experiences. They will examine some of the craft topics central to memoir, including: sensory details; descriptive language; vivid, cinematic scenes; realistic dialogue; narrative tension; and authentic voice.
Each participant will submit a 5,000-word essay or excerpt to be workshopped. Participants will support each writer's journey and help them arrive at prose that invites readers to be part of the experience unfolding on the page.
The class will read published work by celebrated memoirists, such as Abigail Thomas, Edwidge Danticat, Andre Dubus III, Reema Zaman, David Sedaris, Tara Westover, Cheryl Strayed, Richard Blanco, Susan Conley, Tobias Wolff, and others.
This workshop is limited to 10 participants.
+ SUBMIT After registering, participants are asked to submit a piece of writing of up to 5000-words by no later than 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 27. Please take this deadline seriously as MWPA likely cannot accept late submissions. Please note that these manuscripts will be distributed in advance via email to the other workshop participants. Please email the manuscript to hannah@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “BROOKS WORKSHOP MSS.” Please use standard formatting (1” margins, double-spaced, 12 pt font). *Word docs only, please.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online, using the video meeting platform Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. On Tuesday, February 2, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, MWPA’s Hannah Perry will offer a test session on Zoom. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the test session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, and those who do not are responsible for ensuring that they are able to use Zoom on their own. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the test session and the class.
+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).
If you would like to quickly and easily test your internet connection and your computer’s compatibility with Zoom, click HERE. Full details on supported Operating Systems, internet browsers, and more can be found HERE. To download and familiarize yourself with Zoom, click HERE.
Melanie Brooks is the author of Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma (February 2017, Beacon Press). She teaches at Northeastern University, Merrimack College, and Nashua Community College. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Bustle, The Manifest-Station, Hippocampus, the Huffington Post, Modern Loss, Solstice Literary Magazine, the Recollectors, the Stonecoast Review and Word Riot. She received the Michael Steinberg Prize for Creative Nonfiction in Solstice Literary Magazine’s annual contest. Her almost-completed memoir explores the lasting impact of living with the ten-year secret of her father’s HIV disease before his death in 1995. Melanie received her master of fine arts in creative nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast MFA program. She lives in Nashua, New Hampshire with her husband, two children and yellow Lab.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via PayPal. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact Hannah Perry at hannah@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information. Please note that mail delivery to the MWPA office is currently experiencing extensive delays, so please email hannah@mainewriters.org first if you would like to register by mail.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on January 25 at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION