This course is designed to teach you how to start writing a memoir or how to enrich your existing memoir writing. Memoir means writing about your own lived experience. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write down your life story, but don’t know how to start? Or you want to get your life experience out into the world, for activism, to share your expertise or to provide a record for your family? Then this course is for you.

Over this course, we will look at how to choose the building blocks of your story, how to start it, how to use narrative arcs, and what to include and what to leave out. You will also discover how to use research, stay motivated and how to judge your reader’s expectations.

Throughout, we will consider how to use the writer’s creative tools to enhance the reader’s experience. We will learn how to put your experiences across in such a way that you can enhance the feeling, mood and artistic impression of your work. You will learn how to make your memoir writing stand out, so that your reader will not just know, but also understand and feel your lived experience.

What students need to bring

• A laptop and/or notepad and pen

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Daily Timetable

Course teaching: 11am–5.15pm
Students arrive: 10.30am-11am (coffee optional)  
Morning teaching: 11am-1pm
Lunch break: 1pm-2pm (lunch is not included)
Afternoon teaching: 2pm-5.15pm (15 minute break, 3.30pm–3.45pm)
Teaching finishes: 5.15pm  
 

Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over. The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are also plenty of other local venues to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: [email protected] This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety

Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions