Exploring Creative Non-Fiction with Patti Miller
Presented as part of The Writer’s Process writers’ development program.
This ten-week online course from Patti Miller will explore the rich territory of creative non-fiction, focusing on true stories written from a personal perspective.
The course will look closely at various sub-genres of creative non-fiction including biography, nature writing, new criticism, new journalism, personal essays, travel memoir, writing place, and journal or diary writing. Aspects of writing craft will also be discussed such as narrative presence and position, research, detail, and structure, as well as broader issues including the ethics of writing true stories.
Exploring Creative Non-Fiction is for writers interested in combining a personal voice and individual experience with wide-ranging ideas and storytelling from any discipline or activity, including family stories, history, politics, psychology, science, or true crime. This course is not only for autobiographical writers but for all writers seeking inspiration and guidance as they expand into a new area of life writing.
Throughout the course, the group will discuss extracts from inspiring writers, work through exercises, and, during the last four weeks, each writer will present one chapter (up to 3,000 words) for workshopping in their chosen genre.
The course application includes a half-page description of what you are interested in writing about, and a few lines about your writing experience. Writers will be selected based on the creative potential of their work, commitment to craft, openness to collaborating with peers, and the balance in the group.
Course fees are $1,495, with a 10% discount for Varuna alumni. Payment terms are negotiable if you cannot pay the whole fee upfront. Feel free to call 02 4782 5674 to discuss your application.
Applications are now open and close April 21, 2022.
Dates and Course Format
The Writer’s Process: Exploring Creative Non-Fiction will be taught online over 10 weeks. It will commence on 10 June and finish on 12 August, and the zoom sessions will be each Friday, from 10 am until midday. The class size will be limited to 8.
In addition to the weekly zoom sessions, the group will use the Wet Ink writing platform to share work and engage in extended discussion.
Week 1: Introduction and history
Week 2: The Writer’s Journal/diary/notebook
Week 3: Memory/Research/Interview
Week 4: Narrative non-fiction 1
Week 5: Narrative non-fiction 2
Week 6: Personal Essay
Week 7: Travel Memoir
Week 8: Writing Place and Nature Writing
Week 9: Biography
Week 10: Ethics
Patti Miller
About Patti
Patti Miller is a writer and writing teacher. She is the author of six books of creative non-fiction: The Last One Who Remembers, Whatever The Gods Do, the award-winning The Mind of a Thief, Ransacking Paris, and The Joy of High Places; one novel Child; and three writing texts, Writing Your Life, The Memoir Book and Writing True Stories. Her latest book, True Friends, is out 31 March. She is also published in newspapers and journals and magazines around Australia.
Patti has taught writing writing at universities, The Faber Academy (Sydney and London), many writers’ centres and in Paris, Bali and Fiji for over 30 years. Sixty of her students have had their work published.