---

Most memoirists know they’ll have to study the craft of writing, but not everyone realizes memoir is equal parts storytelling and self-exploration. To write one well, it helps to know some neuroscience, psychology, and tools that foster self-acceptance and introspection.

In this three-part series, taught by Lisa Cooper Ellison, you’ll learn the neuroscience of storytelling, memories, and why we’re drawn to write about certain experiences, how understanding your memories can help you capture them on the page, how to turn a series of memories into a streamlined draft, and the tools that will help you build resilience as you finish your manuscript.

Each session in the series is accompanied by a workbook that you can download after the live class.

You can register for one, two, or all sessions.

Part 1: Make a Blueprint for Mining Your Memories (August 23, recordings only)

You know you have a powerful story to tell but, what parts of your experience do you write about? Where do you begin? How do you handle spotty or incomplete memories? If the writing gets tough, how do you know if you’re on the right track or in need of a break? What if everything seems important—or you get lost in a rabbit hole of memories that make it feel like you’ll never finish your project? Even worse, what if your memories dry up?

Part 1 will cover:

• The impact of storytelling on your brain
• The neuroscience of memories, their role in memoir, and how to write them
• The reason you’re drawn to tell this story
• The inner work you’ll need to do to tell it well
• How to use the Stages of Change to write a streamlined draft
• How “acting as if” can help you start in the right place
• How to avoid the memory traps writers regularly fall into
• How to build your resilience and increase your introspection throughout the writing process

Part 2: Revise Your Memories Into a Story (September 27, recordings only)

Completing a memoir first draft feels like such a victory. Yet for most writers, the ecstasy of typing the end is soon replaced by doubts about the quality of their writing, uncertainty about the accuracy of their memories, and confusion about why their narrative arc is such a moving target. This period of ambiguity is an extremely uncomfortable yet fertile place where drafts become stories. Yet the messy middle is also a place where projects flail, and even die.

But this doesn’t have to happen to you.

In Part 2, you’ll learn the neuroscience of revision, how to use a psychological framework to turn a series of events into a compelling story, the warning signs for mid-stage self-sabotage, and specific tools that will help you turn your doubts and confusions into allies that help you understand your manuscript.

Part 2 will cover:

• The impact of revision on our memories
• How humans make meaning from our experiences
• How to shape your memories into a story that doesn’t feel like gaslighting, embellishment, or fiction
• How to turn a flagging narrative or a set of seemingly unrelated events into a cohesive narrative arc
• What to do if beta readers or critique partners ask for more of you on the page, but there’s no more of you to give
• How to turn revision-related doubts and confusions into your allies

Part 3: Transform Your Memories Into a Completed Book (October 26, recordings only)

Memoirs complete themselves in the body and then on the page. First the heart settles, and then the mind clears, allowing a razor-sharp focus to emerge that helps you cut, cull, and create your best work. To get there, you must understand what finished looks and feels like, and how to let go of your project. This can be no small feat—especially if you’re writing about the dead, the absent, or the imperfect who might react poorly.

In Part 3, you’ll learn the psychology and neuroscience of completion, how to tell if your book is finished, the real reasons why you might be struggling to wrap up your book, and how to mentally and psychologically prepare for the publishing process.

Part 3 will cover:

• The psychology of project-related grief, perfectionism, and attachment to our characters
• The physical and psychological signals that reveal your story is complete
• The craft elements that back up those feelings and sensations
• The elements of a satisfying ending and how they relate to the rest of your book
• The reasons we struggle to complete our manuscripts
• The fears that can prevent us from finishing our books
• The mental and psychological tools needed to navigate the querying and publishing process

---

Who should take this class

• Writers who’d like to write a memoir but aren’t sure what parts of their life to focus on
• Memoirists who are beginning or working on their first draft or revising
• Memoirists who are struggling to write about specific events or memories
• Writers in need of a streamlined process for working on their books
• Writers who feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or fatigued by the drafting process

Note: While Part 1 might not be as useful to advanced and established memoirists, Part 2 and Part 3 will teach strategies around the misperception matrix. (If you don’t know what that is, that’s a good indicator you could benefit from this series.) During each session, Lisa will address beginners, intermediates, and advanced writers, and offer specific ways they can use the material based on their level of experience and where they’re at in the drafting process.

This class is not suited for

• Essayists. While essayists will learn about project completion, writer resistance, and the role of memory in writing, the focus will be on the book-length work.
• Fiction writers and possibly autofiction writers. This class will not specifically discuss autofiction or offer autofiction examples, so you’ll be on your own to determine what advice applies to your situation and what does not.
• Anyone actively querying or about to query: you may be too late in the process to benefit from this class. This class is not about getting published or current market conditions for memoir. However, the second and third classes may help writers who have queried prematurely, who think their story is done when it’s not, and/or who have focused solely on the personal rather than engagement with the external.
• Memoirists seeking information on how to build a platform
• Memoirists mostly worried about legal issues: Legal issues will not be addressed during this class, although links to resources will be available for those who need them.

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology (see system requirements). You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

• When: Part 1: Wednesday, August 23 | Part 2: Wednesday, September 27 | Part 3: Thursday, October 26
• Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern / 10:00 a.m. Pacific
• Registration fee: $25 for each session | $65 for the entire series

The webinar is broadcast via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate. We also use Otter AI to generate an unedited transcript, provided with the recording.

Testimonials

All students receive the following

• Access to live class. After roughly 75 minutes, the instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 90 minutes.
• A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 30 days. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings. (Students who register for all three sessions will have access to the recordings for six months.)
• Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentation in PDF form.
• Rough transcript. We use Otter to create an automated transcript of the entire webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.
• Supplementary workbook. You’ll receive a workbook along with the recording and follow-up materials; a unique workbook has been crafted for each session (three total).

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

• That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
• That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.