Memoir vs. Autofiction: Situating Your First-Person Story
You have a story to tell. But is it a memoir? A novel? Something in between?
Cost: $395 $316
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Class Size Limit: 10
All writers draw on their personal experiences, but sometimes it’s hard to decide whether a particular story wants to be memoir (a story that’s strictly true) or autofiction (a story that draws on your own life but expands to include fictional elements). This unique course is designed for writers who are working on stories that teeter at the unstable intersection of memoir and fiction, and who want to explore the best shape for their first-person narrative.
Writer and educator Rebecca van Laer has penned both fiction and essays for The New England Review, Joyland, Electric Literature, and others; she’s also the author of two books, a novella and a forthcoming memoir. This class is ideal for writers who have started drafting first-person short stories and have the inkling of a longer book-length manuscript, but don’t yet know if that project will ultimately be memoir or fiction.
In this 5-week workshop class, students will interrogate questions of craft, purpose, and potential venues for publication, to try to determine the right course for their stories. Together, we’ll look at published works that have switched genres (e.g., essays incorporated into novels) as well as genre-bending work. Readings will include pieces from Gertrude Stein, Michael Clune, Catherine Lacey, Leah Detrich, and Sheila Heti. All five classes will include exercises based on the week’s reading. Each student will also have the opportunity to workshop a piece of up to ~2,000 words, openly discussing the balance of truth and fiction and finding the best way forward. By the end of the class, you’ll have one polished short piece, and cemented a vision for whether your longer project is best suited as memoir or autofiction.
This is the right class for you if…
You are writing from personal experience and are looking for tools to give your stories shape, stakes, and a narrative arc.
You’re interested in the ethics of writing about the people in your life, from close family members to passing acquaintances.
You want to better understand the genres of “memoir” and “autofiction” and the craft possibilities each presents.
After this class you’ll be ready to…
Classify and edit your work-in-progress; submit your short piece for publication; and have a concrete vision of what shape your book will take.
This five-week workshop takes place on Mondays from 6pm to 8pm ET. Class starts on September 29 and ends on October 27. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world. This class will be recorded and shared with all enrolled students in case there are specific sessions you have to miss, but live attendance and participation at a majority of the live sessions is required.
Instructor Bio: Rebecca van Laer is the author of a novella, How to Adjust to the Dark. Her next book, Cat, is forthcoming from Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series in October. Her creative writing appears in The New England Review, Joyland, The Florida Review, Bat City Review, and elsewhere. Critical writing and interviews are in BOMB, The Creative Independent, the Ploughshares blog, Electric Literature, and The Rumpus. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Brown University, where she studied modernist autobiography.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Prior to the start of your class you’ll receive an invitation to access the virtual classroom and view all class materials.
Cancellation Policy:
Full refund when canceling 7 or more days before the class start date.
50% refund when canceling less than 7 days before the class start date.
No cancellations after the class start date.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.