Life in a Flash: Writing the Micro-Memoir

Guest: NAIWE’s Creative Nonfiction Jennia D’Lima

The shortest stories are sometimes the ones that stick with us the most. But while many of us are familiar with the many ways fiction can be written in a condensed format, we may not be aware of a trending market in creative nonfiction—the micro memoir.

The webinar will begin by defining what this form of creative nonfiction is and what it isn’t and what separates it from similar subgenres. Participants will then be shown how tips and tricks for writing short stories and flash fiction can be applied to creating micro memoirs. Examples, resources, and suggested reading will be supplied so that attendees will leave with the necessary tools and understanding to craft their own pieces.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this class:

•          

Duration: 1 hour

Jennia Herold D’Lima is a full-blown logophile. She joined her high school’s newspaper in ninth grade, winning statewide awards for her writing, and expanded her journalism skills by continuing to write and edit throughout her high school years and as a college freshman. While earning her BA in psychology (and minoring in cultural anthropology with a focus on precolonial Mesoamerica) and her MA in applied developmental psychology, her writing and editing naturally skewed toward all things academic. Writing for and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, editing papers for classmates, and writing parenting resource guides honed her research skills. Jennia joined multiple professor-led research groups and completed four internships throughout her academic career. After graduating with a master’s, she worked at a national nonprofit in Washington, DC, and as an assistant researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. Jennia gradually transitioned to full-time editing. She enjoys traveling, volunteering, and taking creative photos of books and book-related items in those rare moments when she is not reading or editing.