Online: Writing a memoir as a legacy with Jacquelin Melilli
What legacy do you want to leave behind? Your story could change someone’s life. How do you want to be remembered? What mark do you want to leave to commemorate that your life mattered? Writing a memoir of a defining time in your life is a wonderful legacy to leave for your family or maybe even Australia’s historical societies. It’s your chance to share your experiences, wisdom and skills that will grow in value in the generations to come.
Author, playwright, writing coach, and workshop presenter Jacquelin Melilli will help you get started and will guide you in how to make your story engaging and concise—which is particularly important if you are wanting to publish it for commercial gain. You will learn about structure, research and creating market appeal to an audience searching for answers or inspiration they believe you can offer through your experiences.
Course topics:
The difference between a memoir and an autobiography.
Who will be your audience?
How to compile information
Researching the facts versus relying on memories
Interviewing skills
Laying out your chapters
Keeping the content interesting
Getting through the tough stuff
Working with a writing coach or editor
Publication choices
Expected learning outcomes:
A foundation for your memoir
Clear direction
Chapter breakdowns
New writing and interviewing skills
The inspiration to get started on documenting your memoir so you can leave behind a legacy you’ll be proud to share.
Participant requirements:
Internet access and confidence using basic computer software are essential for this program. This course involves writing tasks to get your story started so you’ll need writing materials. Participants will be encouraged to share samples of their work.
You do not need to log into the course at a specific time and there are no live meetings. You will receive an email with an invitation link to join the online classroom a week before the course starts.
Lessons open on a weekly basis and you will have the week to work through the content. There will be some writing exercises and the opportunity to provide peer feedback. Both the writing exercises and peer feedback will have weekly deadlines.