Memoir

Tell Your Story: Write Compelling Memoir

I’ve been telling true stories on stage for ten years, all over the world. I’ve taught workshops in India and spun tales in New York City. Won story slams, been on the radio, even on television. And when stages vanished in March of 2020 my life came to a screeching halt. I decided to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a published writer. And it’s been going extremely well.

Anyway. What the hell does any of that have to do with memoir? This: I’ve been telling my own stories for a long time. I’m good at it. And I know what ingredients make memoir meaningful.

The memoirs you read are inspiring, heartbreaking, they can even change lives. But how do you write your own?

How do you engage the reader’s emotions? Which of your stories are the most effective, and why are those the best? How do you structure your story? What’s the difference between scenic and narrative writing? How do you make sure every single word counts? When is a memoir story over?

Week 1
Choose a strong story.

Week 2
Give your story a scaffold.

Week 3
Build your story with brick and mortar.

Week 4
Make every word count.

Week 5
Final polish. Optional opportunity to share.

Join acclaimed storyteller Sage Tyrtle and unlock the secrets of memoir writing, choosing a story from your own life and working on it for five weeks.

What Participants Will Take Away

• Content, structure, details, scenes, for a short story memoir.
• Ingredients that make up a powerful personal story.
• Ways to avoid common memoir mistakes.

Suitable for all levels.

This is a five week class:

September 10, September 17, September 24, October 1, October 8

Sundays: 8 AM PDT / 11 AM EDT / 4 PM BST / 8:30 PM IST

About Instructor
Sage Tyrtle’s work is available in New Delta Review, The Offing, and Apex among others She is the author of the novella The King of Elkport. She reads for Hippocampus and Fractured Lit. Her words have been featured on NPR, CBC, and PBS. She is a multiple time Moth StorySLAM winner, one-time Moth GrandSLAM winner. She’s been nominated three times for Pushcart, once for Best American Short Stories.

Click here for the Crow Collective Workshop FAQ.

Registration:

Click here for the text version of the September 10 to October 8 time zone map.