How do we begin writing personal stories of family, trauma, or loss?

In this three-hour course, memoirist, essayist and editor, Cinelle Barnes, teaches writing difficult stories that involve trauma or loss. We’ll explore questions like: How do we set scope? How do we organize memories? Which stories are ours to tell? Why write them at all? Broken down into the who, what, when, where, why, and how of writing trauma or loss, we’ll look at boundaries to set— on the page and in our lives—and strategies that aid in the artful telling of our delicate stories. Through a lecture + in-class and take-home writing exercises, you’ll gain confidence–and peace–about writing and reclaiming your story.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF

• If you’ve survived a childhood, a catastrophe, or a loss, and need encouragement and guidance on how to care for yourself and your craft, this class is for you.

• Getting better at writing personal narratives matters to you as much as getting better (after loss, trauma, or catastrophe) does.

• You need generative prompts that ease the process of writing personal, perhaps painful, stories.