Work on theme, character development, voice, and pacing for your life stories
Complete at least one personal essay of at least 600 words
About this course:
"Personal Essay" is a broad term that encompasses essays, opinion pieces and mini-memoirs—but which always details the writer's journey through a specific experience. This workshop teaches aspiring personal essayists how to be a compelling first-person narrator and employ craft elements such as theme, character development, voice, pacing, scene-setting and exposition to tell their stories. The goal is to complete at least one personal essay (600-2,500 words) and develop material for future essays.
This course is held via video teleconference. Instructors use Zoom to offer live class meetings at the designated class meeting time. Students must be present at the course meeting time as each student’s final grade may include scores for participation. Please inform your instructor if you will miss a class meeting. You are responsible for any class information you missed. We suggest you arrange with a fellow classmate to share their notes when feasible.
Enrollment limited to 15 students; early enrollment advised. Visitors not permitted. Internet access required.
This online course is conducted through Canvas, a secure website that allows students to log in to access lectures, discussions, and other course materials on demand. There are no required live class meetings. Each course is structured with weekly assignments and deadlines. Lectures and coursework are accessible throughout the week. Workshops are conducted in writing via discussion boards with your instructor and classmates.
Enrollment limited to 15 students; early enrollment advised. Visitors not permitted. Internet access required.
Refund Deadline
No refunds after January 22, 2025
Course Requirements
Internet access required to retrieve course materials.
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