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The Stories of Your Life

with John Searles

 

Every writer carries a lifetime of raw material: moments we can’t shake, family lore, private heartbreaks, hard-won joy, the small scenes that changed us without announcing themselves. In this four-day intensive, we’ll explore how to turn lived experience into writing that feels shaped, surprising, and alive on the page.

We’ll focus on craft moves that transform memory into story: choosing the right moment, building vivid scenes, compressing time, sharpening stakes, and letting voice do the heavy lifting. We’ll talk about the line between fact and invention — when to stay close to what happened, when to let imagination take over, and how to keep faith with emotional truth while making the work more than a record.

Expect a mix of discussion, examples, guided prompts, and generous in-class writing time designed to help you generate new pages. You can work in personal essay, short fiction, or novel material, and you’re welcome to bring a project in progress or start from scratch. With a small group (10–15 writers), there will also be opportunities for focused feedback and conversation about what’s working, what’s getting in the way, and how to revise with intention.

Writers of all genres, ages, and experience levels are welcome — anyone ready to learn and to put real material on the page.​

 

4 Mornings:  Monday 11/2–Thursday 11/5 | 9am-12pm

$895.00

In stock

John Searles is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer. His books are published in over a dozen languages and have been voted best of the year or top picks by Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Salon and the American Library Association. The film adaptation of his novel, Strange But True, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime with an-all-star ensemble cast including Brian Cox (Succession), Amy Ryan (Only Murders In The Building), Nick Robinson and Margaret Qualley (Maid), Greg Kinnear and Blythe Danner. John’s recently published novel, Her Last Affair, was praised as “delightfully creepy” by People, “a tense, intricately woven tale of heartbreak, retribution and redemption” by Publishers Weekly and “a twisted thriller that explores despair and loneliness with cinematic flair” by Kirkus. For more than 20 years, John was the Books Editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. He appears frequently on NBC’s Today show as well having appeared on CBS This Morning, CNN, NPR’s Fresh Air and other national shows to discuss his books as well as his favorite reading recommendations.