"You are a master teacher and a master writer."             —Joe Carvalko, MFA student Fairfield University "Your insights are remarkable in their depth and breadth. Who knew that looking around to describe a room or a moment, even a simple one, could unlock so many personal mysteries and connections. Thank you."             —Virginia Simpson, CA "I feel like I have so much more to learn from you, and it breaks my heart that I'm not in Portland to come to your writing group on Thursdays!"             —Lisa Young MEMOIR WRITING WITH JENNIFER LAUCK COACHING: WHAT: Meet with Jennifer via the phone, teleconference, or in person at her studio, to discuss your writing project and to break through the more intense writing blocks that have been holding you back. Jennifer will read your work, offer insights and critique, and will help mentor you to a finished project. CONTACT: Email Jennifer personally for costs and details. RECOMMENDED: Order Jennifer's Writing Life Audio Teaching and get a preview of the teaching she provides. BEACH TEACH: The Beach Teach is a nine-month intensive set on the Oregon Coast where I will bring eight memoir writers together to set goals, get foundational instruction, establish a regular writing schedule and receive ongoing support and write three full drafts of a completed memoir! With my technique, writers will learn how to get their first draft complete in two months time, their second in four months and then will be guided to use their months in the program to polish and focus their third draft. Throughout our time together, writers will be taught exactly what memoir is, how to establish "voice" which is the driver in memoir writing and how to craft effective scenes, summaries and reflections. You can find some of this kind of direction in a three-year MFA program and you will pay between $25,000 and $40,000 with no guarantee of emerging with a final draft. In this program, as long as you do your part, you will get results you are looking for—a complete and publishable book. Please contact Jennifer and she will mail you a brochure with information. CRAFT CLASS—FALL/SPRING/SKYPE: The Craft Class helps memoir, fiction and poetry writers break new ground and plant creative new seeds in their stories. See your writing explode with the bright energy that comes with unique prompts and time based spontaneous creation. The teachings are designed to show writers how to draw exciting, memorable scenes, compelling summary passages and stirring ruminations. In eight weeks, you will learn all the vital elements necessary and when we are done, you will have a final focused sample that will act as inspiration for your longer projects. WHAT HAPPENS IN A MENTOR SESSION AND CLASS WITH JENNIFER? Reading Aloud: Memoir is driven by "voice," thus writers read from their own work and in a workshop setting, they will listen to other writers read from their work too. The audio pathways are a sensory connection to your creation. The "sound" in writing, ie: the beat, the tone, the melody, can only be heard when you read out loud. By listening to yourself read, you begin to understand what to alter in your writing in order to meet the goals you have in your story telling. Scene Development: There are two forms used in memoir and fiction—summary and scene. Most writers produce summary which is, most often, a form of "telling" the story verses showing. Scene is a "showing" device that develops voice via the ability to witness experience through the senses. Scene is also action oriented and presses the writer into a wider view of the memory or a moment, which allows them to find deeper meaning from their experiences. First Person Present Tense: I press writers to create early work in this format in order to get to the essence faster. First person present tense is, stated simply, easy. Most writers try too hard to be "writerly" verses honest. First person present tense is a stripped down form of story telling that gets to the truth in a fast, efficient and interesting way. Example: I read from my own work and the work of other writers. This is done to provide writers with a comparison or an example of how to structure their own work. Editing: I edit passages in order to show, within sentence structures, where a writer is bogged down. Why a coaching session or a class with Jennifer is better than learning to write at an MFA program? It's less expensive and more effective. You will learn, very specifically, how to be a good writer. You will be pressed to work hard on your craft verses given a lot of "busy work." CONTACT: Email Jennifer personally with additional questions on availability. 10 percent of all fees paid to Jennifer for speaking and teaching is donated to the many causes Jennifer supports.