Beyond Memoir 8-Week Draft Generator (Zoom), Starts Thursday, January 11th, 2024
Starts Thursday, January 11th, 2024
Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays 2PM - 4PM PST / 5PM-7PM EST
Apply Here by January 1st, 2024.
Please do not pay for this advanced workshop until you receive a formal acceptance notification via email.
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.
Led by Amanda Montei, author of Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control, the memoir Two Memoirs, and the prose chapbook The Failure Age. Amanda holds an MFA in writing from California Institute of the Arts and a PhD in literature from the Poetics Program at SUNY Buffalo. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Elle, TIME, The Cut, Literary Hub, Slate, The Believer, Vox, HuffPost, Rumpus, Salon, Ms. Magazine, and numerous literary journals and scholarly publications.
Read an Interview with Amanda about this class and get to know her in our Meet the Teaching Artist series.
In this 8-week advanced memoir masterclass, through readings, writing prompts, discussion, and peer workshops, we will explore the craft of contemporary memoir, while writers work toward a first draft of their own book. Writers with book projects that incorporate research, cultural criticism, cultural history, reporting, critical theory, or elements of poetry, fiction or fantasy are encouraged to apply. Those working on traditional autobiography are also welcome.
In the first two weeks of class, we will write together, get to know each other's book projects, and discuss craft concerns specific to each student's project. Writers will then participate in workshops, during which they will receive extensive feedback on their work from fellow writers and the instructor. In the final week of class, we will discuss ethical considerations with respect to memoir, refine book concepts and overall structures, talk about publishing and next steps, and every writer will have the opportunity to meet with the instructor one-on-one.
Over eight weeks, each writer will submit two key chapters to the workshop, as well as receive feedback on their outlines and first pages in the first two weeks of class.
Students should expect to receive feedback on about 100 pages of their manuscripts, but workshop discussions will focus on chapter movement and arcs, as well as individualized feedback on each writer's voice, style, and approach to genre. Students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Amanda (via Zoom) before and after their two workshops to strategize submission, discuss peer feedback, and discuss the student's general progress on their project and create plans related to writing, publishing, and manuscript completion. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with Amanda at the end of class to discuss next steps for their project. Throughout the course, Amanda will provide students with individualized reading and writing suggestions.
Writers working on traditional memoirs, essay collections, and experimental/hybrid memoir projects are all welcome.
APPLICATION MATERIALS:
Students should have a pitch, sample chapter (up to 25 pages), and outline of their book to apply for the class.
Students will be invited to submit these materials, along with a few proposed first pages, to the group on the first day of class as a way to introduce their projects.
Note: applications help us cultivate a dedicated and motivated cohort of writers in each class cycle.
Apply Here by January 1st, 2024
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Significant progress on a memoir draft and a plan for completing their draft.
- Extensive feedback from fellow writers and instructor on about 100 pages of writing
- Greater awareness of memoir form and genre, individual voice and style, as well as revision strategies to use during the drafting stage
- Greater clarity on your book project and a plan for completing the draft
- Query letter draft and suggestions for approaching agents and publishers
ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:
This class will meet weekly on Thursdays 2PM - 4PM PST / 5PM-7PM EST
Apply Here by January 1st, 2024.
Please do not pay for this advanced workshop until you receive a formal acceptance notification via email.
TESTIMONIALS:
Cindy DiTiberio, writer; Publisher, Literary Mama
"Amanda's course was nurturing, generative, inspiring, and just such a powerful class. No one wanted the session to end which speaks to her ability to not only create a compelling course but also encourage healthy discussion and vulnerability. "
Kaitlin Solimine, author of EMPIRE OF GLASS
"This course buoyed me and made me feel connected to other writers at a time when I was feeling very disconnected from the writing world. I was blown away by the diversity and depth of readings, the spirit of support and camaraderie, and the quality of both submissions and feedback from fellow participants. Amanda led the course with such insight, compassion, and intelligence—I also thoroughly enjoyed the prompts… as well as the discussions and ways in which we were all inspired to engage with the reading material, and each other's work, on a weekly basis. I will miss it!"
October Moore, actor and writer
"It was a galvanizing and inspiring and safe place to be and listen and create."
Eleanor Burke, student
"This class nurtured, inspired, and challenged me."
Ariella Ruth, student
"[Amanda’s] course materials and writing prompts were impeccably curated and thoughtful, and she created an honest and supportive 'classroom; space on Zoom. I am grateful for the community I found through this course!"
Kristy Rose, student
"Amanda held a space that was simultaneously gentle and intellectually compelling, her feedback was prompt and through and the writing portals were well thought out and generative. I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity."
Heather Hewett PhD, co-editor of #ME TOO AND LITERARY STUDIES
"Amanda is a great teacher who gives fantastic feedback and knows how to steer writers in productive directions."
Victoria Livingstone PhD, writer and translator
"This course was fascinating and encouraged me to reflect deeply on a wide range of creative and intellectual topics. It shifted my thinking on certain issues, allowed me to connect with other writers, and helped me carve out space for magic and creativity. Amanda did a great job of making space for each student to contribute. She structured the class while still allowing for spontaneity."
Mahru Elahi, student
"The community created in the class was invaluable in furthering a sense of how collective the act of writing can be."
Nicky Torode, student
"It was a deeply thought-provoking class, with a superbly wide range of reading materials and writing prompts. The feedback on my piece was particularly helpful in highlighting substantive points [and] I was blown away by the quality of peers' feedback, care and dedication to each others' writing."
Stella, student
"Amanda provided thoughtful and creative writing prompts that were truly inspired by the readings, in a surprising but inevitable way. They unlocked my thinking and brought new energy to my own creative work. Amanda's welcoming, gentle, and listening energy created a nice sense of community even over Zoom. I learned a lot, had fun, and felt a sense of connection not just to the subject material but to the group."
Holly Spinelli, student
"Amanda's workshop is excellent. She does a great job creating respect, trust, and openness among the participants. "
Natalie S., student
"Amanda is an engaging and thoughtful teacher. She offers excellent insight and targeted feedback. I gained a wealth of information!"
Kate Warrington, student
“Amanda's course was both informative and inspiring. From the first class, she created a supportive environment that allowed for open and honest conversation. I especially appreciated how much thought and time she devoted to our individual writing goals and essays. I'd recommend this class to writers at any level and would even take it again myself.”
Apply Here by January 1st, 2024.
-
Instructor: Amanda Montei
-
Class Starts Monday, January 11th, 2024
-
Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays 2PM - 4PM PST / 5PM-7PM EST