This course will assist you in writing a story about your life. A Memoir doesn't have to take in your whole life, it can cover some months or years, Before you embark on writing your memoir, you must be clear on what a memoir is. There are autobiographies, memoirs, stunt nonfiction and self-help memoirs. We go over each style of memoir to help you decide where your story belongs, and the pros and cons of nonfiction.
There are many different ways to tell your life story, ranging from autobiography to various forms of memoir to a novel. This course provides an overview of the various styles of life-writing and offers tips on how to decide which style is best for you. We also explore how to research, write and revise your book-length work. Key points and a recommended reading list are provided on downloadable PDFs. We will delve into the details you need to get your idea from your head, to the pen and to the paper. There may be several times you will want to pause to take notes on something that triggered a thought or idea and also to refer to your notes.
Instructor Christina Hoag is a journalist and author of several books, including an autobiographical novel. She is a developmental editor at Onward Press and has edited many memoir and novel manuscripts. Christina Hoag is the author of novels Girl on the Brink, named to Suspense Magazine’s Best YA list, and Skin of Tattoos, Silver Falchion Award finalist. A former journalist for the Miami Herald and Associated Press, she also reported from Latin America for Time, Business Week, Financial Times, New York Times, Sunday Times of London, Houston Chronicle, and others. In 2020, she won prizes for essays and a short story in the International Human Rights Arts Festival Literary Awards and for essay and novel excerpts in the Soul-Making Keats Writing Competition. Her short fiction and creative nonfiction have been published in numerous literary journals and anthologies including Shooter (UK), San Antonio Review, Round Table Literary Journal and Lunch Ticket. For more information,
