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If memoir is a story purely about your life and nothing else, then hybrid memoir is about your life and it’s about something else you’ve researched or studied. It’s where personal journeys intertwine with academic, historical, or thematic exploration, offering readers not just a story, but a journey of learning and discovery. You get a story-within-a-story. Author Leigh Stein has called it “memoir plus”: memoirs that go beyond personal narrative and give readers something more.

However, agents and editors don’t necessarily seek out “hybrid memoir,” nor will you find a shelf on a bookstore called “hybrid memoir.” It’s not a defined category and it’s open to interpretation. Both memoir and hybrid memoir are challenging to write well; they’re both challenging to sell. And in the end, to entice a traditional publishing deal today, a memoir must offer something beyond the personal journey, and the “hybrid memoir” concept is a helpful way to think about how that can be done.

Whether you’re writing experimental and deeply poetic memoir like Maggie Nelson or more accessible work like Cheryl Strayed or Roxane Gay, this class will look at what your hybrid-or-not memoir needs to do today to find a readership, attract an agent or publisher, and succeed in the market. Ultimately, readers want to see themselves in what you’re writing—to connect with you.

While this class will address pitching memoirs in a challenging market, it is also about empowering writers to take control of their narrative, writing stories with relevance to today’s readers, and ensuring those stories resonate and have a chance to stand out.

This class will cover:

• An explanation of hybrid memoir (which might be sold and positioned by publishers, in many cases, as memoir): exploring how it blends personal narrative with research to provide a richer, more engaging reader experience
• Compelling narratives: techniques to intertwine personal stories with broader themes or research, ensuring both elements enhance and elevate each other, and embarking on a quest that keeps readers engaged and invested
• Insights into what makes memoirs sell in the current market, including evergreen reasons that memoirs sell
• How to craft an effective pitch that highlights the unique “plus” of your memoir (and it won’t really matter if you call your memoir “hybrid” or not)
• An appreciation for the power of memoir to not only share personal journeys but to educate, inspire, and connect with readers on a deeper level

In the end, memoir must do more than just share what you think about that life-changing thing that happened in your past, or that trauma you still struggle to process. This class will show you what that means in practice, and through examples of published hybrid memoir.

Who should take this class

This class is for writers of all levels interested in exploring the ins and outs of hybrid memoir, those seeking to deepen the impact of their personal narratives, and anyone looking to navigate the complexities of the current memoir market with confidence and creativity.

This class is not suited for

• Anyone not writing a book-length work
• Fiction writers
• Poets

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology (see system requirements). You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

• When: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
• Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern / 10:00 a.m. Pacific
• Registration fee: $25

The webinar is broadcast via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate. We also use Otter AI to generate an unedited transcript, provided with the recording.

Testimonials

All students receive the following

• Access to live class. After roughly 75 minutes, the instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 90 minutes.
• A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 30 days. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings.
• Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentation in PDF form.
• Rough transcript. We use Otter to create an automated transcript of the entire webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

• That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
• That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.