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WEBINAR | Memoir Strategies: Transforming Life into a Story that Matters
March 19 @ 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm EDT
A great memoir isn’t just about remembering your life—it’s about shaping your story for the page.
For Memoir Writers
Whether you’re just starting your memoir, stuck in the middle, or looking to refine an existing draft, in this webinar you’ll learn actionable strategies for crafting a narrative that captures readers from the very first sentence.
Discover how to find your voice, get tips for structuring your story for maximum impact, and learn how—and when—to sidestep common mistakes that can weaken your memoir. By the end of the session, you’ll have a toolkit of strategies to write with confidence, precision, and authenticity.
Beyond crafting an engaging narrative, this webinar also addresses what makes a memoir publishable. Make your story stand out so you can grab an editor’s attention—and keep your reader reading.
Write a memoir that matters. From refining your voice to avoiding common mistakes and capturing readers’ attention, this course gives you the tools to move from memory to a polished, publishable story.
Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
In this webinar, you will:
- SHAPE lived experience into story by using narrative craft—scene, structure, tension, and momentum
- DEVELOP a credible, compelling voice that sounds like you on the page, not a performance of yourself
- WORK with memory as material—accessing it, questioning it, and shaping it responsibly on the page
- DESIGN titles that carry weight—that suggest depth, tension, and literary authority without explaining too much
- HOOK readers fast with openings that signal stakes, urgency, and control
- IDENTIFY and avoid common memoir pitfalls—moves that signal inexperience and turn away readers
- TRANSFORM memory into narrative using the essential tools of memoir craft
- CLAIM and REFINE your voice so the work feels grounded, intimate, and intentional
This webinar is perfect for…
- writers new to memoir who want practical craft tools for shaping personal experience into publishable work
- fiction or poetry writers crossing into memoir who already have a strong voice but want guidance on memory, structure, and narrative control
- intermediate memoirists who have drafts in progress and need revision strategies that work
- writers aiming for publication in literary magazines or with book-length ambitions
- authors who want to understand what editors respond to—and what turns them off
Closed captioning is available. ✔
All registrants receive the recording. ✔
ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER
Dr. Heather Sellers is the author of You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know, a popular memoir about family and face blindness. An O Oprah Book-of-the-Month Club selection and Editor’s Choice at the New York Times Book Review, the award-winning book was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Dick Gordon’s The Story, and Dateline, The Today Show, and Good Morning America with George Stephanopolis. Her essays appear in The New York Times, The Sun, Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping, The Best American Essays, and numerous journals and anthologies. She is the author of four books on the craft of writing, including The Practice of Creative Writing.
Her fifth collection of poetry is coming out in June: Women in Tampa Talking About Alligators.
Heather has been teaching for over 30 years. Currently she is a member of the MFA faculty at the University of South Florida, where she won the university’s highest teaching award. She also offers in-person workshops and private lessons for writers at all levels.
Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com
FULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process.
