Small Grant

By taking the courses listed above, I will gain skills that will support completion and revision of my manuscript over the course of the following year. These skills include adding layers of meaning and nuance to my manuscript, including the social context within which the memoir falls, building and tying together the settings traversed in the memoir, and deciding on an appropriate format for the memoir, chronological or braided. The publishing course will help prepare me for the next steps of this project. I have no prior experience publishing, so this will be an introduction to that process and will help me know what to expect as I revise my manuscript and prepare it for publication. It will also help me identify next steps and where I need additional education or guidance in order to proceed with publishing. I plan to have a revised manuscript ready to either self-publish or query an agent within approximately one-two years, and these courses will help me get to that point. I will know if I have been successful based on my learning outcomes. These courses will teach me tangible and useful skills in writing creative nonfiction, including establishing setting, weaving the story with larger societal contexts, and action items to pursue to publish my memoir. In addition, I will know I am successful if the courses leave me inspired to devote additional time to the manuscript, and if my manuscript is substantially improved based on the skills I develop through the courses. Lastly, I will know I was successful if I have a revised manuscript complete in approximately one-two years.