The story of Family Trouble 

People ask: How do you come up with all these ideas for classes? 

Me: My own life.

Why did I create “Family Trouble: Writing about Family in Creative Nonfiction”? 

I’ve been writing about my life and inevitably about my family for a long time. How could I not? Family is our first mirror and how we first define ourselves. I, honestly, didn’t think my writing would hurt them. After all, I was being honest. I was telling my truth. 

I was also really gullible.

In 2016, I embarked on an essay a week challenge on my blog and dubbed it “The Relentless Files”. My writing started getting more attention, and somehow members of my family got word and started reading my work. It wasn’t pretty.

I’ve had family flip out on me. A few years ago, my sister and her husband went on a three day smear campaign to the family and on social media. It was ugly and painful, and eventually inspired this class.

I learned that even when you think you’re writing with love and respect, some people will be hurt and even enraged by what you write.  What can you do to protect yourself? What can you do so you can sleep at night knowing you were honest? How can you write truthfully and also with gentleness?

These questions will be addressed and excavated in the Family Trouble Class. The class is self-paced, which means once you register and are given access to the class on wet.ink, and have a month to complete the lessons, readings, writing exercises, etc.

In this generative class, we will:

• Examine how writers have tackled writing about family in their essays and memoirs;
• Explore craft techniques that can help us in writing about the people who love us the most, know us the best, and hurt us the worst.

Cost: $60

Interested? Have questions? Send me an email to writingourlivesworkshop@gmail.com.