Writing Lives: Mastering Memoirs, Autobiographies and Biographies
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£435 (Summer School 2025) or £460
- Start Date(s): 11 August 2025, 2 October 2025, 22 January 2026
- Duration: Monday to Friday, 10 am - 4 pm, one week or Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm, ten weeks
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
Do you want to write a memoir, autobiography, or a biography, but don’t know where to start?
Embark on a journey to unravel the intricate strands of your life story or bring the story of your family history to light through the power of the written word and acquire practical techniques to craft a compelling and captivating personal narrative for a manuscript.
Whether you’re an experienced writer or a complete beginner, this course is your gateway to chronicle yours or another’s life into a written manuscript.
This course will equip you with indispensable tools and the expert guidance you need to start writing a life story, enabling you to join up the dots and chronicle stories for future generations to read and savour.
Along the way you’ll experience the great joys of telling your story, as you delve into your own experiences and unleash the power of memories and records onto the pages of your manuscript.
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You’ll be part of a creative writing community; one that promotes discussion, collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
Benefit from learning with an active, expert writer-tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in a wide range of genres. -
Get published with our student anthology; every term we ask for submissions and print a short anthology of your original creative writing, which you can keep after the course. -
Study Creative Writing in a UNESCO City of Literature. Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé is a place of discovery, exchange, ideas and learning for everyone who loves words and stories. Our vision as a UNESCO City of Literature is for a city where everyone is reading and writing their way to a better life.
Here's what previous attendees have said:
'I wanted to do this course to learn something new and to seek guidance on how to write a memoir. From doing this course I actually believe I can write! I now know how to structure my writing and I am motivated to carry on with my writing projects.'
'I really loved the flexibility of the course, Anthony adjusted in accordance to our responses and provided lots of extra references along the way. I really enjoyed Anthony's relaxed and supportive style of teaching, thank you!'
'I usually write fiction, so I chose this course to try out a different genre. From doing this course I've picked up lots of skills, knowledge, and confidence. I really liked having the opportunity to get feedback from the group, the regular writing prompts, and the supportive environment. I enjoyed all the course, it was well structured, and the tutor Anthony was great!'
What you’ll study
Immerse yourself in a series of hands-on creative writing exercises that will introduce and reinforce elements of the life writing principles and engage in constructive feedback on your writing from your tutor and your peers, designed to help you to refine your work and empower you to embrace your abilities as a life writer.
During this course, you will:
- identify pivotal themes, impactful moments and significant events in your life to weave in your writing
- develop and cultivate an authentic voice and distinctive style that reflects your personality and experiences
- use vivid sensory details and evocative imagery to breathe life into your memories or family records
- navigate the ethical challenges of writing about real people and events
- structure your narrative in a way that engages readers and creates a satisfying arc.
Above all, this course is designed to help you relish in the sheer pleasure of writing and the profound satisfaction of sharing your finished book with others.
You’ll leave with an understanding of the genre of life writing and will have already started writing your story by the end of the course – as well as being well on your way to completing it – with a collection of drafts and exercises to continue working on your writing after the course.
Life stories deserves to be remembered, and this course is your launchpad to making that happen.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying during the course:
- Start with ‘Why…?’ and plan to write your story
- Accessing memories for emotive and evocative writing
- Reviewing, critiquing and publishing
You’ll identify your reasons for writing; the more persuasive and powerful your reason, the easier it will become to write.
- The difference between memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies, identifying your audience, what kind of story are you writing and why.
- Planning strategies, turning your plan into a structure, the seven types of stories and how your life story fits in.
- Putting some meat on the bones and identifying the moments that pull the story together.
- Effective openings, building in drama and tension, themes, and resolutions.
Focusing on the feeling and emotions behind your story, you’ll be challenged to make your writing richer.
- Accessing memories and the balance between representing the past accurately without being constrained by facts.
- Tone of voice exercises to tell your story.
- Mastering atmosphere through style and technique, foreshadowing, authentic dialogue, making the people in the story live and breath.
- Telling sad and difficult stories, talking about flaws and mistake, honesty and the heroic narrative.
You’ll review your writing so far and have the opportunity to peer review a chapter of your work.
There will also be the chance for the tutor to provide feedback on your manuscript.
- Revising and editing your writing, drafts and re-drafting.
- Print, publishing and self-publishing. Tips, advice and key takeaways from the course.
How you’re taught
You will receive guidance and feedback in a supportive seminar environment, engaging in classroom discussions, critiques, and practical writing exercises.
This course will be delivered in person on Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé city campus.
98% of previous course attendees were satisfied with the course, received the attention they needed and would consider doing another short course at NTU.
By the end of the course, you will have a variety of writing projects in development, and a network of fellow writers and potential collaborators with whom you can progress your work further.
Contact hours
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the creative writing industry; students who have taken this course have gone on to build a portfolio of published work through submitting to literary magazines or self-publishing, progressed onto degree courses and embarked on careers in writing, publishing and teaching.
This course is your toolkit to ensure that you are well-prepared to pursue a successful career in the competitive field of creative writing.
Certificate of attendance and digital badge
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a digital certificate of attendance and a digital badge powered by .
Your is more than just a certificate – it’s secure, verifiable, and protected against fraud through encryption and blockchain technology.
They also come with detailed metadata, including an overview of the skills you have achieved on the course, evidence of completion, and assessment criteria if appropriate.
Share your achievements seamlessly with friends, customers, and potential employers online, and proudly add your badge or certificate to social media platforms such as LinkedIn, so all the right people can see it.
Are you interested in progressing your writing?
Find out more about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses:
Campus and facilities
You will be studying creative writing in a UNESCO City of Literature, and be based in the School of Social Sciences on the City Campus.
You will find modern teaching spaces and quiet study environments to develop your ideas and writing.
You’ll have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
You’ll also be invited to join WRAP, our Writing, Reading and Pleasure programme of book groups, meet ups and talks from readers and authors.
You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
Entry requirements
Level: Beginner
Entry requirement: No experience is required.
You must be over the age of 18 in order to attend this course.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £435 (Summer School 2025) or £460.
Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.
- If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, including great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
You will need to bring with you:
- a notebook, pen, or laptop if you prefer to write using one.
You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.
Need accommodation for a week long summer course?
Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £259 per week.
These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé’s city campus accommodation, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
Find out more and book your accommodation here.
How to apply
This course is available for booking via the NTU online store:
Browse all our creative writing short courses.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813