Looking Back, Moving Forward: Writing The Tough Stuff

A well-written memoir addressing grief, loss, or trauma proves to the writer that he or she has moved forward enough to look back. But how does a writer’s “back” shape his or her “forward?” If we intend to write well about what’s changed us, looking back on positive and negative experiences involves more than just capturing slippery memory on the page. Looking back creates forward motion in the story. In this workshop, participants will discuss examples from classic literature, and generate their own new material from writing prompts generated by the instructor and group discussion. Participants will leave this workshop with new tools to write well about difficult subjects.