Have you ever had an experience you wanted to share with others? Do you have perspectives, beliefs, ideas, or memories that you yearn to put onto paper? This creative narrative nonfiction course will teach you how to develop and share your own voice.

We will read a variety of memoir and personal narrative essays from authors both new and old, as well as from a myriad of perspectives (including Mary Oliver, Maggie Stiefvater, Ocean Vuong, Sally Rooney, and stories from everyday that have been shared in literary magazines like The New Yorker). Mostly — we will write!

This is a creative course — you will be able to write about whatever memories or experiences you want to, and you will be encouraged to explore your own unique writing style. We will practice every part of the personal narrative writing process: brainstorming, dreaming, drafting, revising, and even critiquing! We’ll consider how photos, songs, and visual art can inform our writing process and inspire us.

Although our focus will be on originality and artistry (i.e. the fun parts!), we will also study the mechanics of prose and memoir writing. We will conduct some literary analysis in our process of learning how to write well (and how to develop our own voices); this course will help prepare you for higher-level English classes, such as Honors English and AP Language/ Literature. (If you’ve already taken those courses, don’t worry; I love meeting students at their skill level, and aspire to challenge everyone to improve!)

About the Instructor:

Kacie Faith Kress graduated summa cum laude from Lesley University with a BA in Liberal Studies, focusing in Literary Arts. In 2024, she earned a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University, one of the top three journalism schools in the country.

Kacie’s works are published in newsrooms and literary magazines across the nation, including Pulitzer Prize winning outlets. Kacie has written multiple novels and worked with high-level writers such as Xan Kaur (New York Times bestseller; Macmillan books), Brenda Drake (New York Times bestseller), Elle Everhart (Penguin). In 2024, she interned under literary agent Brent Taylor, of TriadaUS.

Dates:

June 1 - July 15

Price:

$200

If a student has financial difficulties but feels this course is the right fit for them, I encourage them to contact me via email. We can discuss modified pricing.

Required Technology / Materials:

For this course, you will need internet access and a word processing software (such as Google Docs, Mac Pages, or Microsoft Word). All reading materials will be provided as PDF files online. I do encourage students to splurge on a nice notebook (any style you enjoy—whatever makes you happy) and a pack of their favorite pens — but this is totally optional. :)