Class Title: The Craft of Memoir Writing: Hot Fudge Sundaes, Magnolia Blossoms, Soft Cashmere, Screeching Blue Jays and Other Ways to Use the Five Senses to Bring Your Story to Life [mini-course] Instructors: Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett Class Term: enroll in this class Synopsis The best stories pull the readers into the scenes, immerse them in details. This three-week mini-course is designed to expand your awareness and use of the five senses in telling your life story. In our virtual classroom, you'll learn how to incorporate sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch into your writing and heighten your sensitivity to the depth and range of texture within each sense. Class Description/Outline Thursday, September 17, 5pm PT and 8pm ET: Conference call #1: Real-time exercise on using the five senses. Friday, September 18: Video lesson available on website. This lesson focuses on the multi-dimensional aspects of sight and hearing. The writing assignment challenges students to use one of the senses in a 500 word vignette describing a person. Tuesday, September 22: Written assignment due. All assignments will be posted on class website. Thursday, September 24: Conference call #2: Each student reads her vignette. Students and instructors critique the writers and suggest possible ways to further enhance their uses of the senses in their vignette. Friday, September 25: Video lesson available on website. Lesson focuses on elements of smell, taste, and touch. The assignment provides an opportunity to use at least one of these senses in an 800-1000 word vignette about a place. Tuesday, September 29: Written assignment due. All assignments will be posted on class website. Thursday, October 1: Conference call #3: Each student reads her vignette. Students and instructors provide feedback. Student Skills, Equipment required We are pleased to have students at all writing levels. What is important is an openness to learn and a willingness to be respectful of the writing of others. All class participants need to be able to create an email and attach their written (.doc) files. Everyone must have an Internet connection with adequate speed/bandwidth to view the weekly instructional video. Tuition/Fees for this course SCN members: $90. Non-SCN members: $130. Instructor Bios Matilda Butler teaches women's memoir writing classes with the goal of helping women tell their life stories whether for personal understanding, family and friends, business marketing, or commercial publication. Her collective memoir, Rosie's Daughters: The "First Woman To" Generation Tells Its Story, has just been awarded the 2008 IPPY National Book Award, women's issues category. Butler taught and conducted research at Stanford University, created the nationwide Women's Educational Equity Communication Network, and co-founded Knowledge Access International, a software company specializing in CD-ROM information products. She has published more than 50 articles about women, contributed chapters to published books about women in education and work, co-authored the award-winning book Women and the Mass Media and co-edited the book Knowledge Utilization Systems in Education. Kendra Bonnett uses her extensive marketing experience, writing talent and Internet know-how to help women, whether authors or entrepreneurs (there really isn't much difference), utilize 21st century technology to increase book sales and expand their businesses. She is the co-author of Rosie's Daughters: The "First Woman To" Generation Tells Its Story, has written more than 200 magazine articles, authored four books (The Everyone Can Build a Robot Book; ACT IT: Using Your Computer in School; The Creative Printmaster; an IBM Guide to Doing Business on the Internet), and ghostwritten five books for prominent business executives. As a business executive, Bonnett has 20 years experience in direct marketing, public relations, and marketing communications for both international corporations and smaller, entrepreneurial firms. She co-founded Digit, one of the first computer magazines for children, and Profit: Information Technology for Entrepreneurs and Beyond Computing, a joint magazine publishing venture between IBM and The New York Times. Praise for Matilda's and Kendra's Classes "I have been teaching writing for twenty-four years, have taken Writer's Digest workshops, have attended DFW Writer's and SCBWI Conventions, have written two novels and read countless books on writing by such authors as Margaret Atwood and Noah Luke. My point is, Matilda and Kendra have taught me things about imagery and voice I never knew and that I am excited to apply to my writing right away. These ladies are encouraging, intelligent, and must themselves be tremendously excellent writers. I would take any workshop they offered and am motivated to read their published work. Thank you for giving me real tools to assist me in building my memoir into a stronger more marketable piece of work." —Amanda G., McKinney TX These classes were the best among the classes so far I had attended. I learned a lot and teaching was concise and informative. —Jamuna A., San Ramon CA This was my first online class, so I didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed it and found it helpful for future writing. —Mary P., Lafayette IN It was informative. Both Matilda and Kendra were very helpful, friendly. I really enjoyed the class and I learned a lot. —Jamuna A., San Ramon CA This was my first online writing course—it exceeded my expectations. I was concerned that feedback from instructors would be vague or so encouraging as to miss the point of critical commentary. That was not the case. Matilda and Kendra were respectful of our various skill levels, balancing positive reinforcement with saying the "hard stuff" we needed to hear so that we could improve upon a sentence, paragraph, or concept. —Judith G., Somersworth NH Matilda and Kendra are both attentive and insightful teachers, readers and listeners. The class was well organized, fun and inspiring. —Tracy W., Ardmore PA Matilda and Kendra are professionals in every sense of the word. I enjoyed "Start Small, finish Big" tremendously. Most importantly, I I have grown as a writer and have a greater command of the memoir genre. —Michelle S., Park City UT Kendra and Matilda made this class fun, as well as stimulating. I felt stretched as I learned more about my own writing techniques. I had never written dialogue until I took this class. Now I find that my writing of dialogue flows easier than descriptive writing with no dialogue. Great class; well organized. Matilda and Kendra make a great team to work with. —Judy W., Spring Branch TX