What does it take to transform a raw idea into a compelling book-length narrative? Melissa Petro knows the answer. As a journalist, memoirist, and acclaimed writing instructor, Melissa has spent nearly two decades helping writers find their voices and shape their most vulnerable stories into powerful works. Now, she’s inviting you to join her year-long generative workshop, Bring Your Nonfiction Book to Life, a masterclass in memoir and narrative nonfiction designed for serious writers ready to complete their manuscripts in 2025.
In our interview, Melissa shares her philosophy on crafting authentic stories, her insights into the memoir publishing world, and the incredible opportunities awaiting writers in her program. With an MFA-level curriculum, personalized coaching, and access to an impressive roster of guest faculty—including agents, editors, and bestselling authors—this workshop is the ultimate chance to turn your book dream into a reality.
Whether you’re stuck on the first page or halfway through your manuscript, this course offers everything you need: accountability, community, and expert guidance to see your book through to the final draft. Read on to discover Melissa’s unique approach to storytelling and why she believes this is the year you’ll write your book.
Writing Workshops: Your upcoming program, BRING YOUR NONFICTION BOOK TO LIFE, is a year-long commitment for writers. What inspired you to create such an intensive workshop, and how does it reflect your journey as a nonfiction author?
Melissa Petro: This course was designed with “old me” in mind, to help talented and tenacious writers get their books published faster and without so much frustration. It took me 20+ years to write and sell my debut book and, in that time, I must’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars to work with at least two dozen different instructors, all of whom gave me conflicting and oftentimes confusing advice. It shouldn’t take so long, or be so hard, to break into traditional publishing.
WW: You've helped hundreds of writers share their most vulnerable stories. How do you cultivate a safe, supportive environment that encourages deep personal exploration in your workshops?
MP: Writers need to know that they can take creative risks without feeling personally judged, and that the criticism they receive will be constructive and balanced with notes on what they’re doing right, so that they’re encouraged to keep writing. This is one way we create a safe, supportive environment— by ensuring there’s a balance positive and critical feedback. We also treat the work as if it’s fiction, even though it’s memoir (meaning that we talk about the protagonist or narrator, as opposed to you, the writer).There are also a lot of readings and lectures at the start that set the tone from the beginning. It’s all about setting a tone.There are a lot of writing workshops that don’t make it a goal to be “safe” and “supportive.” Their purpose, as these teachers see it, is to teach craft, and improve the writing on the page.But it takes a nurturing space to accomplish this, particularly when we’re talking about marginalized writers or anyone telling an underheard story.
WW: The program is structured into three distinct phases, including guest lectures from industry experts. Can you elaborate on how each phase contributes to bringing a nonfiction book to life?
MP: I wanted to create a structure that helps writers take themselves and their work seriously from the very start. This is why we begin meeting with industry experts, including agents and editors, in the first weeks. We don’t start workshopping until we’ve gotten to know each other— and only after we’ve committed to a concept and produced outline of the entire work. I meet so many students that have 200+ pages, and they still don’t know what they’re even writing about! This structure will help students to avoid that trap. The workshop phase will improve their work, and the last phase will prepare them for what’s next— querying agents and going out on submission. I fully expect we’ll all be ready for that by the time the course is done.
WW: In your book Shame On You, you tackle themes of sexuality, trauma, and feminism. How does your personal experience with these topics influence your teaching and mentorship style?
MP: I’ve been a freelance cultural journalist following the pulse of sexuality, trauma, motherhood and feminism for over two decades, and have been an expert on the topic of shame and vulnerability for the past fifteen years. As a former sex worker and survivor of sexual exploitation and mass media humiliation, I know personally the devastation that weaponized sexist shame can have on a woman’s life, and how it can interfere with our ability to tell our story. I have also experienced and seen firsthand that when an individual develops a greater awareness of how shame functions in our society and manifests their lives, we free up the mental space, emotional energy, and time we need to truly fulfill our purpose. I am fully prepared to help writers overcome these and any psychological barriers, just as I have done in my own journey as a writer.
WW: Personal narratives are powerful yet challenging to write. What do you believe is the transformative power of sharing one's own story, and how does your program help writers harness that power effectively?
MP: To me, the act of writing is a form of social justice, and writing can be a powerful vehicle for self discovery, personal transformation and, ultimately, social change. Creative nonfiction, in particular, can empower individuals and communities to foster enduring meaning for themselves, a stronger sense of identity, courage for growth and change, and vision to seek and restore balance to individual lives and communities. Every course I teach is done so through this lens.
WW: Writing can often be a solitary endeavor, leading to issues with accountability and motivation. How doesPersonal Matters, “BRING YOUR NONFICTION BOOK TO LIFE," address these common challenges faced by writers?
MP: I’m the type of writer that needs a deadline. It’s just so easy to forget why our stories are important, if not for people reminding us. This is why writing workshops are so helpful for so many. Because there are gentle deadlines, and we are constantly encouraging and reminding each other of the value of our work, we keep each other motivated and hold each other accountable.
WW: You've assembled an impressive lineup of guest faculty, including agents, editors, and successful authors. How will their insights enhance the learning experience for participants in your program?
MP: When designing this course, I looked back at my own journey as a writer and I identified the most supportive and insightful experts I had met along the way. I asked them to be involved, and was just so pleased that nearly everyone I asked said yes. I expect these experts will echo each other, as well as a lot of what I teach in the lectures, and reinforce certain hard truths about the industry. This is what I mean when I say that the course will be “demystifying.”
WW: Many of your students have gone on to publish in prestigious outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian. What key elements do you focus on to help writers craft stories that resonate on such a national level?
MP: I often talk about the love connection between the right idea and the right publication, and how this is the key to getting published. I help students hone in on their idea— that one thing that they have to say. Oftentimes, it’s a subject that the world is already thinking about — just not from the perspective that this writer has to uniquely offer. I help them articulate the idea clearly and concisely. Then, we find the perfect publication for that particular pitch.
WW: As you look forward to starting this program in January 2025, what excites you most about guiding a new group of writers, and what do you hope they will have achieved by the end of the program?
MP: I honestly love teaching. I get very interested in my students’ stories, and invested in helping them produce their very best work. By the end of the program, they’ll have a polished manuscript and/or proposal ready to submit..
WW: What are some of the success stories or highlights from past workshops you've led that showcase the positive impact this kind of year-long generative workshop can have on aspiring writers?
MP: Even though this is the first time I’ll be teaching an incubator, I’ve coached dozens of students that were able to complete manuscripts within twelve months, including a handful that found publishers. I'm always astounded by my students’ talent, and the progress that a student can make with the right amount of support and commitment. A lot of people say they’re going to write a book but only a slim percentage of those people actually do it. Amazing!
Avoid the waitlist and sign up for Melissa Petro's upcoming class: Bring Your Nonfiction Book to Life.
Melissa Petro, author of SHAME ON YOU: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification, published by Putnam Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Melissa has been a freelance cultural journalist following the pulse of sexuality, trauma, motherhood, and feminism for over two decades.
