Upcoming Workshop-From Memory to Memoir: Designing the Story Only You Can Tell
Some stories stay with us for a lifetime.
A conversation with a parent. A childhood home. A difficult goodbye. A migration. A reinvention. A moment that changed everything.
The challenge isn’t finding memories—it’s discovering which ones belong together and shaping them into a story that only you can tell.
This summer, the Dominican Writers Association is proud to introduce From Memory to Memoir: Designing the Story Only You Can Tell, an eight-session writing intensive led by acclaimed writer and educator Eli Villamán.
Unlike many memoir classes that focus on producing pages, this workshop begins with something even more essential: building the foundation of your memoir.
Together, participants will explore the deeper questions that shape compelling life writing:
What is the central story beneath your experiences?
What emotional transformation drives your narrative?
What themes connect the moments that have defined your life?
How do you organize memories into a cohesive and meaningful book?
Over the course of eight weeks, writers will move through a carefully designed curriculum that explores every stage of memoir development—from identifying the core story and defining its themes to establishing narrative voice, mapping personal transformation, selecting key scenes, and designing a structure that supports the work as a whole.
By the end of the intensive, participants won’t simply have a collection of memories. They’ll leave with a memoir blueprint: a clear concept, thematic focus, narrative structure, and practical roadmap for writing a full-length project with intention and confidence.
Throughout the series, participants will:
Discover the story beneath their lived experiences
Clarify the emotional and thematic focus of their memoir
Develop an authentic narrative voice
Identify the key moments that belong in their story
Explore memoir structures that best serve their material
Build a comprehensive outline for a book-length project
Receive guided instruction, reflection exercises, and personalized feedback
Whether you’re preserving family history, documenting a life-changing experience, exploring questions of identity and belonging, or finally making time for the story you’ve carried for years, From Memory to Memoir offers a thoughtful, supportive space to begin.
At the Dominican Writers Association, we believe that our personal stories become part of our collective history. They preserve voices, honor memory, and create bridges across generations.
Perhaps the story you’ve been carrying is ready to be written.
From Memory to Memoir: Designing the Story Only You Can Tell
An 8-Session Intensive with Eli Villamán
📍 Live on Zoom
🗓 Eight weekly sessions
✍🏽 Designed for writers of all experience levels
Registration is now open. We hope you’ll join us.
The Dominican Writers Association (DWA) is a 501(c)(3) literary arts organization dedicated to amplifying Dominican voices and supporting writers across the diaspora. Through workshops, literary events, mentorship, and publishing resources, DWA creates spaces where Dominican stories can be written, shared, and celebrated, helping ensure Dominican narratives remain visible in the literary and cultural landscape. Visit www.dominicanwriters.org.
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