Debbie Weiss is the author of the award-winning memoir Available As Is: A Midlife Widow’s Search for Love about creating a new life after losing her husband and high school sweetheart of 32 years. It was the gold medalist in the 2024 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the category of Aging, Death and Dying, bronze medalist in the 2023 Reader’s Favorite Awards in Nonfiction-Grief/ Hardship and a finalist in Grief in the 2024 National Indie Excellence Awards and 2024 IAN Book of the Year Awards. It has been on the Amazon Bestseller list in the Grief and Midlife Management categories.
Debbie’s essays have been published in The New York Times , Huffington Post, Woman’s Day, and other publications. She teaches memoir writing classes for local organizations and has taught essay writing classes for Writing Pad. She is the President of the Benicia Literary Arts. A former lawyer, she earned her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in 2020 from Saint Mary’s College of California. Find her at https://debbieweissauthor.com/.
Cost
- Members: $60 Guests: $65
- Includes buffet lunch. Pay online or at the door
Finding Your Voice in Memoir
Memoir is deeply personal, yet its appeal comes from the universal, allowing the reader to connect with the narrator. The writer’s voice is paramount to creating this relatability. I will discuss craft elements specific to memoir writing. Along with voice, we will focus on creating transformative story arcs, incorporating back story, tackling emotionally difficult topics, incorporating deeper themes, and how to find resonance in the personal. I will provide writing exercises designed to help develop the writer’s voice, generate story ideas, and gain distance and perspective.
Writers will learn about:
- Creating a compelling voice and story arc.
- Writing difficult characters who happen to be family.
- Adding depth with themes and historical context.
- Avoiding author/narrator convergence.
Schedule
- 9:30 – 10:00 – Sign-in table opens
- 10:00 – 12:00 – Workshop Pt. 1
- 12:00 – 1:00 – Buffet Lunch
- 1:00 – 2:00 – Workshop Pt. 2
