In this workshop, we’ll learn to think about a personal essay or a book-length memoir like building a house, focusing on structure, situation, and story. We could think about the structure as a foundation and the studs as the parts that define beginning, middle, end, and the time-line. The situation is what happened, plus the details of people, place, and sensory details to build the picture in the reader’s mind and lift the words from the paper into another’s experience.
The story is how you, the writer, grew or changed. In short, it’s the writer’s experience and self-discovery that creates a reliable narrator for the reader. By bringing the you alive in the experience, readers will live through you. Full day workshops include writing practice and feedback.
Upcoming Workshops:
In June, I’ll be teaching a four week course online through Shanti Arts.
Stay tuned for details
janetsunderland.com 
Janet, I’d love to take your workshop and especially love that it’s online. My dreamy aspiration to write a book is becoming more real. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to start with. I’ve checked the Shanti Arts website but haven’t been able to find further info. I’d be grateful if you were able to update me. Love, Rob
Robyn, This ended up in my spam mailbox so I didn’t see it in time. That workshop is over. I’m teaching one in the fall on Spiritual Writing, however, that may be to your liking. I may schedule a class this fall on Memoir and Personal Essay and will teach on line, but I haven’t set that up yet. I’ll put a notice on my blog when that comes up.
Robyn, there’s a link under Workshops for “Where I’m teaching.” Check that for my schedule.