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From Essay to Memoir

Build your memoir from a series of linked essays

Course is closed.

WHEN 8 weeks, January 19 - March 9
Chats Mondays, 9:30-10:30 pm ET

WHERE Online. Click here for more information.

LEVEL Intermediate

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Publishing a stunning personal essay can put you on the fast track to getting an agent or even a book deal for your memoir. A series of essays often produces a theme, and this theme is often linked to a period of our lives that we'd really like to write about. But how do we form the story?

In this class, you'll learn how to use a personal essay -- or a series of personal essays -- to structure a memoir with a beginning, a middle, and an end. This class will provide a stimulating, supportive environment where you can workshop your memoir-in-progress and receive invaluable feedback.

In this class, you will learn:

How to mesh humor and sadness to create genuine emotion in your work
How to create the architectural basis of your memoir through understanding the change or arc you went through
How to edit and refine your work to make it as strong as possible
How to approach literary agents with your book proposal
Why (and how) you can sell a memoir before you have finished writing it

By the end of this class, you will have:
A fully planned outline for a memoir, an annotated table of contents, a sample chapter, and a marketing plan that will be good enough to draw the attention of literary agents and editors.

Admission Requirements:
Please send a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

The online classroom has several interactive components:

Your instructor's lectures are posted once a week: you can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience. Supplemental material—readings, examples, or handouts—may also be available.
Students post completed assignments on the course bulletin board, where the class gives feedback. Students ask questions, share resources, and support each other, creating a conversation that continues all week.
A regular chat time allows your class to converse as a group via instant message. Transcripts are available when you can't attend, or if you want to review the discussion.
Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Course Syllabus

From Essay to Memoir (PDF)
View a sample syllabus for this class here.

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Instructor Bio

Andrew Craft has taught personal memoir writing at the 92nd St Y and the Makor Steinhardt Center. He also created a class designed to access the creative writer's voice. He recently completed ghostwriting a memoir about to be sold to a major publisher. He has run three writer's groups, the members of which are all writing personal memoirs of various length -- some full length autobiographies, some shorter essay pieces.

He has taught screenwriting at beginners, intermediate, advanced, and master class levels at NYU for seven years. Andrew is a busy screenwriting consultant and script doctor and has two films currently in development. He also teaches creative fiction and nonfiction. Andrew is an Englishman who has lived in New York for eighteen years.

Andrew Craft's Courses
From Essay to Memoir – New York (Class starts February 22)

Testimonials

Andrew provides great context and content, engages each attendee individually and personally, and is a highly entertaining and informative teacher. -- Beth Amorosi

"Andrew is insightful and experienced -- he immediately understands what each writer is trying to capture and offers spot-on advice on how to take that story to the next level!" -- Jessica Dang

"When it comes to working with a wide range of story ideas in the classroom, Andrew is a master craftsman." -- Steve Govoni, president, Connecticut Center for Patient Safety

"Andrew is at the top of his game. He is a talented, lively, well-informed teacher who brings perspicacity and humor to his teaching. I'm already on my way to writing my story thanks to him." -- Susan Schwartzman, Susan Schwartzman Public Relations

"Andrew not only knows his stuff, but he knows how to teach it." -- Nelly Sidoti

"Andrew was very good at guiding us towards the individual solutions we needed. He gave us the necessary tools to take this to the next level." -- Ann Cooper

"I found myself looking forward to this class all week. Andrew gave us invaluable writing tools in a safe, fun, non-competitive environment." -- Wendy Newman

"If you love memoirs and essays and are nurturing dreams of being the next Laurie Notaro or David Sedaris, this is definitely the course for you." -- Diane Shipley

"Andrew gave me a whole new tool kit to take away and use for life. He is wonderful." -- Susan Reiss

"I learned how to approach, develop, reshape, and polish a personal essay for publication. Most importantly, Andrew taught us to trust our own voices, which was quite liberating." -- Joanne Hinkel

"Andrew creates a very welcoming environment. He holds his course together and every discussion ends with a well-earned lesson." -- Joseph Casey

"Andrew was a wealth of information. He was honest, personable, and so helpful." -- Pam Guilmain

"Andrew brought out the best in us as writers and genuinely cares about our progress. His emphasis on the structure of the story was priceless." -- Laura Moretz

"Andrew has the patience and insight to make any writer feel that their story is worthwhile and worth the hard work it takes to bring it to fruition." -- Claudia Perry

"Andrew's class gave me the inspiration and structure to get my project onto paper. I left on such a roll. The lectures are clear, smart, fresh, and relevant. Anyone who is committed to writing their story will leave with a sense that they can make their memoir a reality." -- Melissa Renzi

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