Learn how to shape the raw material of lived experience into a compelling memoir that will resonate with publishers and readers.

The memoirist’s lived experience provides the raw material for their writing. But how do you shape that material into something greater than a series of recollections? How do you craft a cohesive, compelling narrative arc from messy and possibly long ago events, and the quiet moments our lives often turn on?

Join author Ashley Kalagian Blunt for a practical workshop filled with practical tools and in-session writing exercises. You’ll learn strategies for crafting your memoir at the micro and macro levels, including what narrative structure is and how it works when writing from real life.

Learning outcomes

As part of this workshop, you will:

Learn the difference between memory and memoir.
Discover how to shape lived experience into a narrative arc and why this matters.
Get answers to the most frequently asked memoir questions.
Practice generative exercises to help you connect with your most creative self and delve deep into the underlying emotion of your writing.

Format

This is an online workshop with a focus on writing craft; it will be hosted via Zoom. This workshop is suitable for memoir writers of all levels and writing backgrounds.

About Ashley

Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the author of How to Be Australian, a memoir. She is also the number one bestselling author of Dark Mode, which was shortlisted for the 2024 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year, the Ned Kelly Awards for Best Crime Fiction, and the Danger Award for Debut Fiction. Her latest novels are Cold Truth and Like, Follow, Die. She teaches writing workshops across Australia.

For more information about Queensland Writers Centre’s Program of Events and answers to FAQs, please visit: www.queenslandwriters.org.au/program-info

Contact the host of Crafting Memoir with Ashley Kalagian Blunt