True Stories/Well Told: Making Your Memoir More Memorable

True Stories/Well Told: 

Making Your Memoir More Memorable with Judith Huge

Amy Hempel writes, “I meet a person, and in my mind I'm saying three minutes; I give you three minutes to show me the spark.” This is true for readers as well. Once you capture your readers’ attention, your job is to hold it so your story becomes one that matters to them. In this workshop we will be working together to draft and craft your personal stories, so they take root in your readers’ imaginations.

Topics include using your opening paragraphs to show them “the spark” and becoming a narrative voice that, in Kelly Corrigan’s words, your readers “will want to spend three (or three hundred) pages with.” In addition, we will be working on revealing your characters’ complications (including yours) through actions and how to end a piece with a satisfying “ahhhh.” There’s a lot more.

Annie Dillard tells the would-be memoir writer, “You have to take pains not to hang on the readers’ arms, like a drunk, and say ‘And then I did this, and it was so interesting’.” Memoir can become more memorable; this workshop, designed for both beginning and seasoned writers, helps you discover how.

Judith Huge has spent over 30 years developing innovative approaches to both learning and writing. As president of her own national consulting firm, teacher of both undergraduate and graduate-level college courses, and director of writing workshops across the country, she has made a difference in the way thousands of people find, craft, and promote their writing voices. She is a co-author of 101 Ways You Can Help: How to Offer Comfort and Support to Those Who Are Grieving (Sourcebook, 2009), as well as A Middle Aged Woman and the Sea, a tale of loss and transition.