My sister gave me this biography of playwright Wendy Wasserstein for Christmas. It is a masterfully told tale of a complex woman, and a fantastic profile of what it takes to make art. I'd recommend it for anyone interseted in theater, writing, creativity and women making their way in the world.
upcoming classes
Shaping Your Memoir for the Marketplace, UCLA Extension Writers' Program.
December 2 and 3, 2011
You’re burning to write a story from your own life. You have a great idea, a few chapters written (or even a whole draft), and after years of procrastination, the motivation to make it work. The trouble is, you don’t know what the process looks like, and so you have no way to gauge whether your idea really IS good, whether the doubt you feel is normal, and whether or not you should call that agent you met at that cocktail party last week or wait until you have something more solid. In this weekend workshop,
author Jennie Nash demystifies the process of writing and publishing a memoir, taking you from inception
to publication and teaching you how to maximize your chances of success. You come away with a crystal clear description of the book you want to write, which can be used as a project guideline; an elevator pitch for (eventually) talking about your book to agents and editors; and written project goals to get you all the way to “the end.”
Writing and Publishign Your Memoir, a Writers' Studio intensive course at UCLA Extension Writers' Program
February 9-12
Good memoirs don’t just happen—they’re designed. Successful memoir writers consider their audience; drill down to find what’s unique and arresting; select the best structure; set attainable writing goals; and devise impeccable revision, marketing, and publishing strategies to see their project through. This workshop teaches the 12 essential steps to writing and publishing a memoir and is for writers who plan to complete a book-length work. Develop a crystal clear description of the book you want to write and the audience you hope to entice; an elevator pitch and proper query to generate interest; a personalized roadmap for your entire writing process; concrete project goals; insight into the revision process; an outline of a book proposal tailored to showcase your project; a short list of literary agents to pitch; and an understanding of publishing today and how you fit in. Prerequisite:
1 previous nonfiction writing course; appropriate for students at any stage of memoir writing. Enrollment limited to 18 students.