Beyond Memoir: Empowering the Imagination by Writing Historical Fiction – Spring 2025

To prepare for this workshop, please read my book Taken by the Shawnee.

The workshop will begin with a discussion of memoir; if you are working on one, you will have a chance to read five pages and discuss. We will consider the questions “how does memoir differ from historical fiction?” and “what value can knowledge of the history of a time and place add to these genres?” We will discuss Margaret Erskine’s brief account of her four years in a Shawnee camp and consider how research expands her memoir. Finally, using an example from your own experience, you will present a short biographical draft (under five pages) incorporating research-informed historical details to expand the subject’s time and place.

This class is suitable for intermediate levels.

For more information and to register, visit the Carnegie Center website.