From Essay to Memoir

Build your memoir from a series of linked essays

Course is closed.
From Essay to Memoir

WHEN 8 weeks, Wednesdays, July 16 - September 3, 6:45-9:45 pm

WHERE New York (Soho)

LEVEL Intermediate/Advanced

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Publishing a stunning personal essay can put you on the fast track to getting an agent or even a book deal for your memoir. In this class, you'll write and workshop an essay or a rewrite each week. By the end of the course, you should have four to eight polished pieces -- enough to help you map out the basic skeleton of your memoir and possibly enough to draw the attention of literary agents and editors.

This class will provide a stimulating, supportive environment where you can workshop your memoir-in-progress and receive invaluable feedback.

In this class, you will learn:

  • How to mesh humor and sadness to create genuine emotion in your work
  • How to create the architectural basis of your memoir through short, narrative essays
  • How to edit and refine your work to make it as strong as possible
  • How to approach literary agents with your partial manuscript
  • Why (and how) you can sell a memoir before you have finished writing it
By the end of class, students will have:
Four to eight short essays that can form the basis of your memoir; plus the knowledge to approach literary agents and/or publishing houses.

Admission Requirements:
Please send a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

Related Courses

Tell me when courses like this are scheduled.
Memoir Writing: Advanced – New York (Class starts September 15)

Instructor Bio

Andrew Craft's Courses

Fiction Writing – (Class starts October 7)
From Essay to Memoir – (Class starts September 22)
From Essay to Memoir – New York (Class starts October 16)

Andrew Craft
Andrew Craft has taught personal memoir writing at the 92nd St Y and the Makor Steinhardt Center. He also created a class designed to access the creative writer's voice. He recently completed ghostwriting a memoir about to be sold to a major publisher. He has run three writer's groups, the members of which are all writing personal memoirs of various length -- some full length autobiographies, some shorter essay pieces.

He has taught screenwriting at beginners, intermediate, advanced, and master class levels at NYU for seven years. Andrew is a busy screenwriting consultant and script doctor and has two films currently in development. He also teaches creative fiction and nonfiction. Andrew is an Englishman who has lived in New York for eighteen years.

Testimonials


This class is an excellent introduction. Andrew Craft provides great context and content, engages each attendee individually and personally, and is a highly entertaining and informative teacher. -- Beth Amorosi

"When it comes to working with a wide range of story ideas in the classroom, Andrew Craft is a master craftsman." -- Steve Govoni, president, Connecticut Center for Patient Safety

"Andrew Craft is at the top of his game. He is a talented, lively, well-informed teacher who brings perspicacity and humor to his teaching. Andrew's class was also extremely motivational. I'm already on my way to writing my story thanks to him." -- Susan Schwartzman, Susan Schwartzman Public Relations

"Andrew Craft got to know a little about all of our stories at the beginning of the seminar and was able to tailor the discussion around our writing. That approach was really helpful, and helped individual students start thinking about how to focus their scripts." -- Katie Petro

"Andrew not only knows his stuff, but he knows howto teach it. I sent him an e-mail last night telling him that I actually learned something that I'm going to use right away." -- Nelly Sidoti

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