Fiction Technique in Memoir

Memoir is not “biography” and it doesn’t have to read like a textbook. Memoir is a unique and exciting format in which the writer has the creative freedom to tell some portion of their life’s story in a captivating way. We don’t necessarily need to read your story from birth up to the present day but like any good novel, a good memoir should have a storyarch, memorable characters and a narrator who changes in some way by the end of the story.

In this class, we will look at techniques for forming that story arch, for developing stronger characters and for writing scenes that will create an impact. We do this by applying some of the same storytelling and structural techniques that fiction writers use. In this class, we will examine the work of writers whose memoirs or other nonfiction pieces have a strong storytelling component. This includes writers like Mary Karr, Svetlana Alexievich, Anne Patchett, Eileen Myles and Truman Capote. Together, we will dissect storytelling components of their work and learn tangible tools that we can apply to our own work.

Reading List, both full works and excerpts:
The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr
Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich
This is the Story of a Good Marriage by Anne Patchett
For Now by Eileen Myles
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Course Takeaways
● Understand what a strong memoir structure looks like
● Learn how to apply a novel-like story arch to your memoir
● Learn how to pinpoint and expand upon moments of tension in your memoir in order to create the greatest impact, both on your narrator (you) and your reader
● Understand how to insert humor and memorable scenes in your memoir

Access Program
We want our writing classes and Delves to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and Delve tuitions at a reduced rate. The access program for writing classes covers 60% of the class tuition. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.

Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.

Note: This class meets in-person at Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington. Literary Arts will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or a negative test result (within 72 hours) from a healthcare provider, for entry into our in-person classes.  Please see our complete Covid-19 policy here.

Michelle Kicherer is a writing coach and ghostwriter specializing in memoir and creative nonfiction. Her wordsmithing has been used in work by bestselling authors and has been featured in Forbes, in countless online courses and in literary magazines throughout the United States and Canada.