Although you’ll generate new pages, Project Memoir is focused primarily on revision. At least 50 pages should be drafted before we begin. This can be an early draft or polished work that still isn’t “there” yet. Got more pages? Even better!

Project Memoir:

• Submit 20 pages every other week for private feedback
• Submit 10 pages every other week for live-editing
• Submit additional pages from Craft Lessons exercises for big-picture feedback every week
• And apply the Craft Lessons to as much of your manuscript as you can.

Each week includes 8-12 hours of progress:

• Four 15-minute-ish video Craft Lessons to watch at your own pace.
• Each Craft Lesson includes a short exercise or focused manuscript work—allow 30-60 minutes per lesson.
• Project Memoir: Two-hour class with Q&A, coaching & live-editing; you may also be given specific work for your own manuscript between classes. All classes are recorded for you to rewatch.
• Project Memoir & Project Memoir PETITE: Optional hosted Study Hall sessions, where you’ll be able to work side-by-side with classmates and ask questions about your own work as needed.

If you’re a daily worker, allow 1-2 hours/day. Binge workers, allow yourself two chunks of 3-4 hours. (Take breaks!)

At the end of our eight weeks, you will have a solid draft of your memoir, or a solid partial draft plus a framework to finish. You’ll know what will help sell your memoir and why, and how to bring your book into the world.

Craft Lessons are the “lecture” part of class. Each lesson teaches an element of structure, plot, story, scene or voice that you will immediately apply to your book.

Watch these short (10-20min) videos at your own pace. You can post questions on individual lesson videos for Allison to answer.

Craft Lessons are NOT prompts, warm-ups or freewriting.

You’ll be able to access all Craft Lessons at a private webpage, as well as recorded live classes and recorded Office Hours for three months following the end of the course.

Click to watch a sample Craft Lesson

Project Memoir:

• Weekly big-picture feedback on short assignments including a turning-point scene, your dramatic arc, synopsis, voice/world-building & ending scene
• Personalized list of writing habits to address in your own work & strengthen your prose
• Editorial feedback on 60 pages (submitted in 3 sets of 20 pages each), including comments throughout & a few pages of line editing
• 3 sessions of live-editing per writer, up to 10 pages each time.
• One-on-one meeting to discuss your writing and writing career.
• If you complete every assignment on deadline, you’ll get up to 165 pages of feedback.

Please note: While you’ll see your cohort’s work  & participate in feedback during Live-Editing/ Office Hours, you will not be reading other writers’ pages outside class for feedback.

There’s power in specific, time-limited creative assignments.

Project Memoir:

• Weekly Craft Lessons exercises are due Wednesdays by 12noon Eastern Time
• Pages for Live-Editing are due 1 hour before class begins on Thursday
• Pages for private feedback are due Sundays by 6PM Eastern Time.
• You’ll get one “late pass” to turn in work up to 3 days late.
• Week Five is One-on-One meetings & catch-up time, with no class and no additional lessons. Use this week to spend time on any Craft Lessons you’ve skipped or exercises you want to apply to your manuscript.

Project Memoir is about treating your writing like it’s an important commitment worthy of your time & money…because it is.

While most of Allison’s events are open to all who sign up, Project Memoir & Project Memoir Petite will be selected groups. The writers in each cohort will be at a similar stage in their writing journeys & a good fit for mutual support.

Absolutely! I can’t promise Project Memoir will run again, but if so, the group makeup will be different—& possibly a better fit for you! And if you’re working on a novel, sign up to hear about the next offering of Project Novel. Find out more.

Payments can be made by PayPal/credit card, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit, Canadian Interac/eTransfer, or wire transfer.

Payments for Project Memoir can be made as follows:

• Payment 1 – A deposit of $950, due within one week of acceptance
• Payment 2 – $950 due Jan 7
• Payment 3 – $950 due Feb 4
• Payment 4 – $950 due Mar 3

OR

One payment of $3595 (single payment includes a $205 discount)

Allison is fully committed to this program & you should be, too! It’s too much time, focus & emotional investment for either one of us to bail out.

• If you withdraw by Jan 15th and we can fill your place from the waitlist, we’ll refund your payments after a $450 administrative fee.
• If we can’t fill your place from the waitlist, we are unable to offer a refund. However, you may be able to apply part of your payment to another event.

• Craft Lessons will be online videos accessed through any web browser.
• Weekly classes, Office Hours & hosted Study Hall sessions happen on Zoom.
• Submit pages in Microsoft Word to see feedback in Track Changes.

• Project Memoir Petite is for the writers who have less time for class or a lower budget for writing courses.
• Petite writers go through the same application process and do the same Craft Lessons.
• They have three group sessions instead of six and more latitude to work at their own pace.

Ready to dive in full speed? Pick Project Memoir.
Worried about overwhelm? Go Petite!

Unsure? Tell me in the application and, if accepted, I’ll pick for you.