Seriously though … you really want to write a memoir?

Have you got a story that needs to be told? A big event from your life? Do you want to explore how to plan it, write it, print it and sell it? Do you want to know how to become an author, with a book for sale?

Anna Meryt is running a Life writing/memoir course: 

Starts: 6:30 pm on Thursday, February 11th 2016. There’ll be 7 one hour sessions, the venue will be in North London.
Venue: The Penguin Music School (ground floor - easy access), 584 Green Lanes , N8 0RP
Nearest tube Turnpike Lane (Piccadilly line), buses from there 29/141 - 3 stops or walk 7-8 mins. On street parking free after 6.30 pm.

Each week Anna will cover a different aspect of memoir writing – topics will be:

1.     What’s your story about? Anna will give you an exercise to write it out in 500 words. Then you'll look at how to plan it. Chapter by chapter.  We’ll examine how to create a framework.

2.     This week you’ll bring your plot framework and we’ll look at who are the main characters.  What part of the story do we need to keep, what part to discard in the interest of the story.

3.     Let’s look at genre this week. Yes its memoir, but what’s the time frame?  Is it set in the past?  The distant past?  Is it a tear jerker or an adventure or a comedy? Is memoir writing therapy (you will be asked that frequently, so let’s deconstruct that).

4.     Character and description

How do you describe your main characters – what they look like and what are their main characteristics – bringing them to life. We’ll do some exercises and get feedback.

5.     Timeline.  Where is your story placed in time?  eg.  who was prime minister, what world events were happening, when did someone die, give birth, have that terrible accident etc?

6.     It’s not just libel.  If there are living characters in your story, what will they think?  How will they receive your story and what will they feel about it being published? How will you deal with these challenges … and then there’s copyright.

7.     Getting published.  Becoming an Indie (self-published author).  Will you get someone you know to edit, self edit or pay someone? Publishing options. 

Do you really want to face the challenges of writing a memoir? Seriously?  You’ll find out by the end of this course, you really will.

Anna is a poet and an author and used to teach undergraduates at London Metropolitan University and at Birkbeck University of London. She has an MA in Professional Writing.

Anna Meryt

Blog/website:  www.ameryt.com

Highgate Poets: www.highgatepoets.com

Email: ameryt@hotmail.com (Make sure you Put Memoir course in Subject line)

Mob: 07852229655

Twitter: @ameryt