Writing the Personal Essay

How do you write about your own life in ways that are surprising, fresh, and new? How, first of all, do you even figure out what to write about, and, once you do, how do you structure it? How do you come up with scenes, dialogue, characters? Is it possible to write in the first person in a way that is honest, vulnerable, and sincere, while not being self-indulgent or tiresome? How does writing a personal essay differ from keeping a diary or journal? How do you set up a relationship or a conversation between writer and reader? What are your obligations to the people you write about?

If you have always had a hankering to write about your own life, but haven’t known how or where to start, this workshop is for you. We will discuss the personal (aka, the autobiographical) essay, read successful short personal essays and excerpts from longer ones, and engage in a series of written exercises that get us thinking about and exploring our own lives. Participants will leave ready to put pen to paper and tell their own story—or at least one of the many stories they have to tell. Note: Please bring a pen and notebook with you, as you will be asked to write longhand and you may want to take notes.

Workshop is all ages, open to any skill level of writing! Donations are encouraged but not required.

This workshop is led by August resident Amanda Fortini

Amanda Fortini, has written for Elle and The New York Times, among other publications, and is the Beverly Rogers Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.