For writers or documentary filmmakers of all levels. Spend a generative, joyful and creative week in Maine studying and writing the crucial 15 beats of your memoir, micro-memoir or life story with Jennifer Schelter.

Dates:
Jul 29, 2024 - Aug 2, 2024

Levels: All
Workshop Fee: $1350
Workshop Duration: 1-week (Monday-Friday)
Workshop Location: On-campus
Class Size: 10

Storytelling is one of the most important skills to study if you want to write memoir. This workshop is designed to support and enhance both your writing and storytelling skills to craft memoir.

Participants will learn: 15 crucial story beats (moments that must be present for the story to be compelling and surprising) and the 15 correlating prompts to identify those pivotal moments of the memoir (or documentary film).

Instructor Jennifer Schelter teaches workshops and retreats in memoir writing, meditation, yoga, poetry, and intentional journaling to nurture one’s own joy and authentic path.

We will start each morning with a craft topic and specific story beat. We will write and read a variety of memoirists to immerse ourselves in the literary world of memoir, micro-memoir, and personal essay.

Most importantly, participants will write, write, write, get ample opportunity to read their work out loud and receive nurturing one-on-one feedback.

You will leave this workshop with:

Jennifer Schelter - teaching writers
Instructor Jennifer Schelter engaging with students.
  • a template for story structure 
  • the power of cinematic writing
  • tools for a sustainable daily writing practice
  • a love affair with your writing 
  • 15 key story beats of your memoir, or story 
  • 15 new pieces 

We will explore:

  • how to show yourself as the protagonist
  • yearning
  • the importance of tension 
  • place & time
  • scene & summary
  • micro-memoir
 

The intention of the workshop is to thrive as writers with storytelling tools, daily writing prompts and practices in a safe, creative, fun community.

Share This

Instructor: Jennifer Schelter

Jennifer Schelter is an actress, playwright, memoirist, painter, meditation and yoga teacher who adores offering safe space to affirm creative living and writing. Jennifer has an MFA in acting and classical theater from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Graduate Theater Program. She shared in receiving the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater at the Denver Center Theater.

Her one woman show Love Lessons was produced by InterActTheater Company in Philadelphia. She’s published short stories in The Wild River Review, Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts, and performed spoken word and memoir at Our Bodies, Our Selves exhibition at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Montgomery County Community College. She is also a painter.

Her Yoga Schelter studio was named Best of Philly for yoga, meditation, and mindfulness programs and retreats. She lives and works in Philadelphia, loves her community, cats and is a devoted fan of Maine Media.

Learn More