Autobiographical Writing

Overview 

Writing an autobiography involves more than reporting the facts of your life in chronological order. A good autobiography draws on the techniques of both fiction (vivid description, thinking in scenes, structuring a narrative) and non-fiction (research, analysis, making connections between an individual’s experience and the wider world) to produce a document of interest to readers. In this course we’ll look at – and practise - the elements of the process, guiding you towards constructing a personal approach to your autobiography that inspires you to write it.  

Programme 

Activities and tasks will be embedded into each unit so students can practise the techniques they have learned and develop their skills. Students will be encouraged to share their own work and participate in discussions on Blackboard. Alongside the learning materials on Blackboard the tutor will be on hand via email to answer any queries and provide guidance throughout the course. They will also participate in the online discussions.    

• Unit 1 - Introduction: getting to know each other, reading and writing autobiographical accounts, keeping a notebook.  
• Unit 2 - Memory and Place – settings and scenes. Exercises to by-pass the internal critic.
• Unit 3 - Memory and People – character and the use of dialogue.  
• Unit 4 - Memory and Physical Experience – using sensory detail.
• Unit 5 - Structuring your Autobiography 1 – beginnings, middles and ends. 
• Unit 6 - Structuring your Autobiography 2 – fragments, patterns, motifs and through-lines. 
• Unit 7 - Pacing – the rhythm of autobiographical writing. 
• Unit 8 - Editing your own work.   

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:   

1. Define different ways of structuring and presenting an autobiography.   
2. Discuss own work and that of others constructively.   
3. Revise own work critically and edit effectively.  
4. Produce one piece of autobiographical work which is a chapter(s), section(s) or extract(s) from a proposed full autobiography.  

Assessments 

1. A 2000 word structured piece of autobiographical writing (75%)  
2. A 500 word proposal for a piece of autobiographical writing (25%)  

Reading Suggestion 

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements 

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements. 

What do I Need? 

As this is an online course, you would need the following: 

• Internet access.
  
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit.
  
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.