Memoir As Quest [Nicole Hardy]

Students will outline their memoirs and write critical scenes as we explore the intersection of the hero’s journey and the three-act narrative. We’ll study the difference between situation and story, working unwieldy experiences into narrative arcs. A class for those struggling with the “where to begin” and the “which parts to tell,” those hoping for a better understanding of story structure, or those wondering which will suit their story best – an experimental or a traditional form.

Memoir as Quest is about how to effectively outline & better write your memoir, using the three-act narrative structure in conjunction with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey.

The course will be 16 weeks long, and will include a mixture of lecture/instruction, writing prompts, and workshop. Each class period will look as outlined below.

(with the exception of the last few weeks of class, which are dedicated to workshop. Each student will have 30-45 minutes to get feedback from the entire class on a portion of work created during the course).

10 minutes–questions, clarifications, discussion of previous week’s homework

45 minutes–lesson on structure/craft

10 minutes–break

40 minutes–writing/brainstorming based on a prompt

15 minutes–sharing of writing, questions/clarifications