Course The Curator

So You Want to Write a Memoir?

By Chuck Smith
PHP 1500
October 24, 2026
4PM to 6PM
2F Comuna bldg, 238 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Ext, Makati City, 1203, Metro Manila

A memoir does not have to tell an entire life story. It also requires more than simply retelling what happened. This lecture/workshop explores how writers can turn individual memories into compelling personal narratives. Participants will learn how to identify which memories contain a story, reconstruct scenes from incomplete recollection, keep and omit details, and find what perspective they have now.

This class may be taken for PHP 1500.

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Chuck Smith

Chuck D. Smith is the author of the essay collection Son of a Dead ‘80s Bold Star (UST Publishing House, 2025). His work has received recognition from the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards and the Philippine Normal University - Normal Awards for Inclusive Literature. He is a recipient of the 2020 Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award in Reyjkavik, Iceland. He teaches film studies at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde and writing for new media at CIIT College of Arts and Technology.
Chuck Smith

By the end of this session, you will...

Identify specific memories of aspects of their lives that have a potential for a personal essay or memoir

Distinguish between recounting an event and constructing a scene

Use sensory details, dialogue, and description to bring a memory to a page

Examine how their present perspective influences their view of past experiences

Work on a draft that can serve as the foundation for a memoir or personal essay

This class is for…

  • Writers interested in memoir and creative nonfiction
  • Anyone who has personal stories they want to write but doesn’t know where to begin
  • Writers who have difficulty deciding which memories are worth writing about
  • Beginners interested in turning personal experiences into literary narratives
  • Writers working on family stories, childhood memories, relationships, or significant life events

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So You Want to Write a Memoir?

A memoir does not have to tell an entire life story. It also requires more than simply retelling what happened. This lecture/workshop explores how writers can turn individual memories into compelling personal narratives. Participants will learn how to identify which memories contain a story, reconstruct scenes from incomplete recollection, keep and omit details, and find what perspective they have now.

This class may be taken for PHP 1500.

INQUIRE NEXT