Writefest Weekday Workshop: Memoir & Creative Nonfiction with Donna M. Johnson

Writefest kicks off with a series of four-day, genre-specific writing workshops. Held in beautiful artists' studios in Silver Street Studios, the Writefest Weekday Workshops will run Monday, May 27th - Thursday, May 30th, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Today we're highlighting this year's Memoir & Creative Nonfiction workshop, taught by Donna M. Johnson!

Creative nonfiction is a hybrid genre that employs literary techniques to tell factual narratives, which makes it a natural fit for memoir, in which the writer tells a story taken from their own life. It provides a writer the opportunity to reflect on their life's experience in a more literary mode than traditional nonfiction. To get a glimpse of all that memoir and creative nonfiction can accomplish, check out this excerpt from Donna's book-length memoir Holy Ghost Girl.

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About the Writefest 19 Memoir & Creative Nonfiction Workshop

This workshop will use class instruction, writing prompts and friendly critique sessions to deepen the definition of personal narrative. Writers will be introduced to the elements of story as they apply to memoir, including time, character and voice. We will also explore threading outside resources and information through the work to create parallel narratives that expand our stories beyond the personal. Our focus will be on creating what Stephen Church termed a “narrative of thought,” in which the writer leads with curiosity over confession. 

Class takeaways will include knowledge of the fundamental elements of memoir, developing complex characters, use of the reflective voice, and approaches for mining experience for meaning. 

Register for Memoir & Creative Nonfiction Here!

This workshop is always a popular one, and space is limited--be sure to register soon to secure your spot!

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To read more about the Writefest 19 Weekday Workshops, as well as the rest of the events planned for this year's festival, please visit our site.