THE WORKSHOP
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Most memoirs travel in a straight line—from beginning to end, with smooth transitions guiding the way. But the mosaic memoir takes a more adventurous path. Also called segmented, collage, or episodic memoir, this form is built from luminous fragments—short sections separated by white space, each piece carrying its own weight. Together, they create a work that is as layered, surprising, and artful as a stained-glass window.
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*While this course focuses on memoir as its genre, the mosaic style can be applied to all creative nonfiction writing. |
In the mosaic structure, writers are free to
It’s a form that invites experimentation—juxtaposing, layering, and leaping, rather than marching in a line.
- Jump across time and space
- Weave story with reflection
- Explore tangents, dreams, and memories
- Incorporate journals, letters, research, poetry, art, quotations, images--anything goes!
It’s a form that invites experimentation—juxtaposing, layering, and leaping, rather than marching in a line.
In this hands-on workshop, popular memoir teacher Jennifer Leigh Selig will introduce you to the power of the mosaic form, sharing examples from both full-length memoirs and stand-alone essays. You’ll discover:
- The unique advantages of writing in fragments—and how to harness them
- Common pitfalls (and there are many!)--and how to avoid them
- Creative techniques such as juxtaposition, accumulation, parallelism, cross-cutting, and inventive uses of headings and organizational design tools
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After an exploration of the genre, Jennifer will guide participants in outlining content and beginning to draft a theme- and/or subject-based stand-alone work (this could be applied to or expanded into a full-length memoir), using simple yet elegant templates.
You’ll leave the workshop with:
Whether you’re just beginning or looking for a new way to approach your life stories, this workshop offers both inspiration and practical tools. And if you can’t make it live, don’t worry—the session will be recorded. |
EXAMPLES OF SEGMENTED ESSAYS
"Soundtrack" by Lisa Groen Braner "Let Nothing Ye Dismay or the Internal Self-Hatred of the Abused Child's Mind" by Robin Black EXAMPLES OF SEGMENTED MEMOIRS
Maggie Smith, You Could Make This Place Beautiful Dani Shapiro, Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage Maggie Nelson, Bluets |
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Jennifer discusses the mosaic structure, among many others, in her chapter "The Archetype of Structure" in her latest memoir craft book. Click on the book to read more.
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