In this course, creative nonfiction writers will explore traditional storytelling methods, especially those which overlap between fiction and memoir. By looking at examples from a wide range of genres, including film, song, painting—even the theme music for Jaws!—we’ll practice exercising the creative muscle that sees ourselves as characters and the experiences we’ve had as tales. We’ll focus on critical elements, like how to begin a story, what makes for worthy content, the essential use of detail, the strengths and limits of dialogue, the power of the white space. The ultimate goal is for us to become aware of an “audience” when we write, so that the documentation of our lives will begin to resemble a “performance” crafted onto paper rather than a private entry in a journal.
This course is part of the Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialization
Offered By
Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself SpecializationWesleyan UniversityAbout this Course
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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
What Can We Learn From Fiction?
Train Your Eye Like a Filmmaker
Opening the Story
The Joys and Pitfalls of Dialogue
Reviews
- 5 stars58.13%
- 4 stars19.76%
- 3 stars13.95%
- 2 stars3.48%
- 1 star4.65%
TOP REVIEWS FROM WRITING STORIES ABOUT OURSELVES
It is a good course. I learnt many simple yet valuable lessons on writing.
Overall good, but not as effective as expected. More contents were needed.
Certain other activities like phrasing and use of vocabulary while writing memoirs can be included in this course. It was a fantastic course
Very interesting and engaging! I learnt a lot about writing about myself, which is actually very difficult. This course provide a great start for someone who are looking for something like this.
About the Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialization
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