This course is part of the Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialization

Amy Bloom

Offered By

Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself SpecializationWesleyan University

About this Course

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This class is the chance to create your personal essay or extend into a full memoir -- from planning and structure to bold narrative brushstrokes to the layering of significant detail. You will develop the opportunity to find your voice and see it come alive, amplified and improved, on the page. This is the chance to tell your story in a way that invites readers in; your story, written to be read. The memoir and personal essay are two of the best-selling and most universally acclaimed genres in the world of modern creative writing. Welcome to your story.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 4 in the

Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 4 in the

Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.7/5 (10 Ratings)

Amy Bloom

Distinguished University Writer in Residence and Director of the Shapiro Center for Creative Writing

68,837 Learners

3 Courses

Offered by

Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand. With our distinctive scholar-teacher culture, creative programming, and commitment to interdisciplinary learning, Wesleyan challenges students to explore new ideas and change the world. Our graduates go on to lead and innovate in a wide variety of industries, including government, business, entertainment, and science.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

2 hours to complete

How to Begin... and How to Continue

In this week, you will learn how to discover what you wish to say, and how to organize your material and your story (and what is the difference between the two).

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 41 min)

5 videos

Open Your Eyes7m

Five Nouns9m

Open the Window6m

Foibles, Fallibilities, and Flaws6m

A Conversation with Said Sayrafiezadeh11m

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

How Not to Fail

In this week you lean how to overcome your internal critic and your fears.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 39 min)

5 videos

Step by Step9m

Out of the Ditch5m

Building As You Go6m

A Little Distance5m

A Conversation with Dani Shapiro12m

Week

Week 3

1 hour to complete

The Truth of the Story Lies in the Details

In this week, you will learn how to sift through the dusty attic of all your memories, to find the ones that are narrative gold.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 29 min)

4 videos

The Intimate and the Everyday6m

What Are Facts For?5m

In the Story5m

A Conversation with Chandra Prasad11m

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Writing to be Read

In this week, you will learn how to tell a good sentence from a bad one and how to absorb the lessons of great memoirists and essayist, without copying anyone.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 41 min)

5 videos

Begin in the Middle6m

Drowning in Rhinestones6m

White Space7m

A Conversation with Ariel Levy12m

Building the House8m

About the Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialization

How To Write About Yourself...so that someone else wants to read it! This is the heart of this Coursera specialization in Memoir and Personal Essay. Masters of both genres share tips, prompts, exercises, readings and challenges to help every writer imagine, construct and write compelling pieces of non-fiction's most popular form: the personal narrative.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Writing a Personal Essay