Life Writing Teacher and Author of Ursula
Review of ‘Ursula’
"This could have been just another life touched by the great events of the 20th century, but told by Naseby, who writes with an effortless beauty, it attains the emotional power of
a carefully crafted novel." – Bruce Elder SMH
Whether a life is unconventional or relatively normal, there’s bound to be something fascinating about your life story. Once you scratch beneath the surface you will begin to uncover those hidden truths that are sometimes quite scary, but also make the most compelling reading.
With this memoir writing course you will discover how you can gain new insights into the complexities
of your particular story.
Each topic will be introduced using specific examples that demonstrate how successful memoir writers employ similar methods to create compelling, memorable and creatively written stories.
You will learn how to bring focus and clarity to your memoir through writing exercises, analysis of published memoir material, guidance and discussion.
At the end of the workshop you will have a firm structure for your memoir and some short pieces of writing inspired by your discoveries and your own creativity.
We will show you how to create your own family genogram, a specific tool for interpreting family history and relationships dynamics.
In this lesson, using examples and exercises, you will discover how to let go of your natural inhibitions to explore the emotional complexities of your story.
Information gathering can be both exciting and rewarding, and the more you discover, the richer your story will be. You will learn how to maximise you research skills using specific techniques and resources.
The structure of any writing revolves round pivotal turning points linking the present to its past and future. Learn how to find the beginning, middle and end of your story.
Your readers need to care about the people whose life you are about to document. You will learn how to see yourself as a character relating to other characters whose lives have intersected with yours.
As in fiction, in creative memoir writing you can use scenes to do certain narrative work. Before you set out to write a scene ask yourself what is the most important thing that you want the reader to find out from this piece of action. Who are the scene’s main characters and what is its relevance.
I will be running a full day memoir-writing workshop at the 2012 Sydney Writers Festival. If you are interested please send me an email and I'll keep you posted.
Watch this space for all my 2012 evening and weekend workshops also.
‘I had no idea I could write like that. The emotions that were present on the page truly surprised me’
– Katrena (Workshop Participant)
‘It was a workshop like no other I've attended before, raw, revealing, and well worth it.’
– Helen (Workshop Participant)
Readings
Booki.sh
Amazon
Kindle
Gleebooks
Kobo
Books
Click here to follow my blog - Skeletons & Dirty Linen.