Class Title: "What to Keep: An Introduction to Memoir Writing" Instructor: Robin Reger Class Term: Winter 2008 Spring 2009 POSTPONED! Robin's class will be postponed until the Spring term, due to a family emergency... Class Description You're special; absolutely unique. No one else's life has been exactly like yours. But your experiences are universal: everyone has felt the disappointment of a goal not realized, the joy of a new friendship, the love for a special someone, the delight in something new. These universal experiences, these memories, can create a connection between us, a bond between writer and reader. In this course we'll explore how to choose from our life experiences to write stories that resonate with our readers. Through individual attention, one-to-one editing, and proofreading assistance, we'll consider our purpose for writing and focus on how to achieve that purpose.We'll investigate what to include for an effective story, what to leave out for an even better story, and what to keep in mind for the best story possible. We'll practice our craft in a safe and supportive environment, improving our skills and gaining knowledge. And we'll have a good time. Each writing assignment will focus on a technique, building ability throughout the seven-week course. Students will have a week to submit four personal essays of 1000-2000 words, which will be responded to individually with in-depth feedback. Class Outline Unit 1: Here's the plan: how memoir differs from journal entry. Unit 2: Step up to the plate: letting the real you come through. Writing opportunity. Unit 3: Take 'em by surprise: choosing original topics. Writing opportunity. Unit 4: Consider the big questions: why we read. Writing opportunity. Unit 5: Throw out the excess: eliminating the extraneous. Unit 6: Blend for effect: combining experience with emotion. Writing opportunity. Unit 7: Keep this in mind: the reason we write. Student Skills, Equipment required I've worked with people at various levels of writing ability. If you want to improve your skills, I'm prepared to do whatever I can to help. You will need Word, Internet access, and an email address. Tuition/Fees for this course SCN members: $225. Non-SCN members: $250. Instructor Bio Robin Reger published her first essay in her junior high school newspaper and progressed to feature articles in national magazines during her campus years. She's taught in major universities, minor colleges, and corporate seminars. Experienced in editing, marketing, and public relations, she's currently restoring a century-old farmhouse and writing about it in Archer City, Texas, home of eighteen hundred people, five hundred thousand books, and one stoplight.