Memoir Writing Courses and Certifications

Memoir and Personal Essay: Managing Your Relationship with the Reader

246 ratings at Coursera

The blank page can be the most daunting obstacle in writing. In this course, aspiring writers will assemble a “starter kit” for approaching the blank page by developing constructive ways to think about the writing process as a whole.

• Coursera
• 5 hours 6 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Microcredential

Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself

Discover techniques to craft compelling personal narratives, from memoirs to essays. Learn from masters of the genre to develop your unique voice and engage readers with your life stories.

• Coursera
• 17 weeks, 2 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Paid Course
• 4 courses

Kick start your memoir - writing exercises

134 ratings at Udemy

Building your confidence and igniting your memory enabling you to start writing a memoir with these writing exercises

• Udemy
• 3-4 hours
• On-Demand
• Paid Course

Memoir Writing: Write a Personal Story for a Universal Audience

Learn how to write a compelling personal narrative by exploring different literary devices and story structures

• Domestika
• 1 hour 11 minutes
• On-Demand
• Paid Course

Life Writing for Beginners: Telling Your Own Story

Discover the writing techniques to research, draft, and edit a narrative piece based on your memories and experiences that engages readers until the final sentence

• Domestika
• 1 hour 51 minutes
• On-Demand
• Paid Course

Crafting Memoir: How to Outline Your Own Hero's Journey

Learn to structure your life story using the Hero's Journey framework. Discover how to outline a compelling memoir, avoid common pitfalls, and craft a powerful narrative that showcases your personal transformation.

• Skillshare
• 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Trial Available

Memoir Journaling: Make Your Life Richer Through Stories

Explore five sensory-focused journaling exercises to enrich your life, enhance storytelling skills, and create a meaningful archive of personal memories and experiences.

• Skillshare
• 27 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Trial Available

Telling Your Truth Through Writing - A Conversation

Telling Your Truth Through Writing - A Conversation with Ayelet Waldman

• CreativeLive
• 1 hour 4 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course

The Aspen Institute

Writing Stories that Connect - Memoir and Empathy

Explore how memoir fosters empathy and connection with authors Simran Jeet Singh, Kwame Alexander, and Javier Zamora as they discuss their works, inspirations, and the power of storytelling to drive change and remind us of our shared humanity.

• YouTube
• 24 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Memoir 101: Writing About Your Life

So, you want to write a memoir but you're not sure where to start? No worries, you don’t need to be an expert writer to tell your story in a compelling...

• Craftsy
• 1 hour 4 minutes
• On-Demand
• $39.00

How to Write a Full-Length Memoir

How to Write a Full-Length Memoir with Joyce Maynard

• CreativeLive
• 5 hours 8 minutes
• On-Demand
• $149.00

The Aspen Institute

Winter Words - Safiya Sinclair Discusses "How to Say Babylon"

Safiya Sinclair discusses her memoir "How to Say Babylon," exploring her Rastafarian upbringing and journey to break free from patriarchal constraints, offering insights into cultural identity and personal growth.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 14 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Aspen Institute

The (Im)possibilities of Writing About the Self

Explore the challenges and opportunities of writing about personal experiences with authors George Hodgman and Darin Strauss, discussing research methods and decision-making in autobiographical writing.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 16 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Inside Livermore Lab

A Face for Picasso - Memoir on Growing Up with Crouzon Syndrome

Explore Ariel Henley's memoir on living with Crouzon syndrome, her journey to self-acceptance, and challenging beauty standards through personal storytelling.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Mahindra Humanities Center

On Speaking as an Other - Norton Lecture 2

Viet Thanh Nguyen explores memoir writing, collective storytelling, and the complexities of betrayal and secrets in this thought-provoking lecture on speaking from an outsider's perspective.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 27 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video