Mark Twain once said of a letter he wrote, If I had more time I could have made it shorter. A well-crafted short essay or personal story is intimate and moving. It combines the narrative techniques of fiction with the conciseness of lyric poetry. To create such a well-crafted gem, you need the critical eye of an editor and the ear of a story teller. In this workshop we’ll look at some great examples of the short form and use free-writing prompts to generate ideas for your own short, personal stories. By the end of the weekend you will have crafted a heartfelt story from the material of your life.
Beverly Donofrio has published three memoirs: her first, The New York Times bestseller, Riding in Cars with Boys, was made into a popular movie; her second, Looking for Mary was chosen as a Barnes and Noble Discover Book; and her latest, Astonished, is still collecting accolades. She has also published three children’s books. She has taught creative nonfiction workshops across the United States and is currently on the faculty of the low-residency MFA program at Wilkes University. Ms. Donofrio lives in Woodstock, NY. Visit beverlydonofrio.com to read some of her essays.