Writing Memoir: A Life Worth Telling
Course Overview
This workshop introduces participants to the art and purpose of memoir writing - a practice rooted in one of humanity’s oldest traditions: telling our own stories.
Through guided reflection, discussion, and practical exercises, students explore how personal experience becomes meaningful narrative. The workshop emphasises the human story, the emotional truth of memory, and the power of shaping lived experience into crafted writing.
Participants learn how memoir differs from autobiography, why ordinary lives hold historical and cultural significance, and how memory, perception, and reflection work together to create compelling life writing. The workshop blends theory, examples, and hands‑on writing to help students begin developing their own memoir voice.
What Students Will Learn
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The nature of memoir — how it transforms lived experience into crafted narrative rather than comprehensive life history.
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The role of memory — understanding memory’s fluidity, emotional truth, and subjectivity.
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Memoir vs autobiography — why memoir is selective, reflective, and shaped by meaning rather than chronology.
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Ethics in life writing — balancing honesty, compassion, and responsibility when writing about others.
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Forms and structures of memoir — including theme‑based memoirs, reflective essays, and linked narrative sequences.
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Craft elements — scene, reflection, voice, structure, and how these work together to create depth.
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How to begin — using moments, sensory detail, objects, and prompts to start writing.
What Students Will Take Away
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A deeper understanding of how personal stories contribute to cultural, historical, and emotional knowledge.
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Insight into their own memories, themes, and experiences worth exploring.
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Practical writing exercises completed during the workshop (surface story, deep story, sensory scene, reflective narrative).
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Tools for recognising meaningful moments and shaping them into narrative.
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Increased confidence in their voice, perspective, and right to tell their story.
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A supportive foundation for continuing memoir or reflective writing beyond the workshop.
Topics Covered
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The human tradition of storytelling
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What memoir is and how it works
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Memoir vs autobiography
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Why memoir matters culturally and personally
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Memory: reliability, emotional truth, and interpretation
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Forms of memoir (theme‑based, reflective essays, linked narratives)
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Challenges in memoir writing (truth, memory gaps, emotional intensity, ego)
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Ethics and responsibility
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Crafting scenes and reflection
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Beginning your memoir: prompts, objects, sensory memory
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Workshop writing exercises (turning points, moments of joy, changed understanding, out‑of‑place experiences, etc.)
What to Bring:
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A notebook or journal
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A pen
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Optional: photographs, letters, objects, or personal items that evoke memory
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A willingness to reflect, write and share in a supportive environment
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Dr Marie Geissler
Dr Marie Geissler is a cultural historian who is passionate about helping people write about their lives in ways that build confidence, insight, and personal empowerment. Drawing inspiration from archaeology—the practice of uncovering both visible and hidden layers of history—she encourages students to explore and reflect on their own experiences, memories and stories.
Marie is the author of numerous publications, including Dreaming the Land: Aboriginal Art from Remote Australia, an acclaimed work that profiles the lives and achievements of 100 leading Indigenous artists who helped pioneer Australia’s contemporary Indigenous art movement.
With more than three years of experience teaching memoir, Marie creates a supportive and engaging learning environment where writers of all backgrounds can discover and develop their unique voices. She is also a Board Member of the Foreign Correspondents Association of Australia and the South Pacific, where she actively promotes Australian innovation, creativity, and culture to international audiences.
Marie brings warmth, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for personal storytelling to her memoir classes, helping students uncover meaningful connections between their lived experiences and the stories they choose to tell.
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