Many of us are drawn to writing about the unique narratives in our family history that have shaped who we are. Whether these are stories of relatives from many generations past or more recent ones about our parents and ourselves, writing narrative nonfiction based on the historical events of our families presents a number of unique issues. How do we approach the research of our own families? How do we convert that research into compelling and artful narrative prose? How do we navigate potential problems with resistant family members or their conflicting accounts of the past? And how do we mine these family histories for meaningful inquiry of broader themes? In this workshop for writers at all levels, we will delve into these questions and more. We’ll do exercises, look at examples, and generate new material to share and critique in class. Expect to leave the workshop with a plan of action for your project, new perspectives, and seeds to further develop at home.   

In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts; offer feedback/first impressions on writing you produce in our week.