Some Extra Tips for Doing Your Memoir

 Look at the models distributed in class.

 Look at the memoirs found in your two course books for effective strategies. Pay attention to what writers of memoirs do to draw in their readers. What can you learn from these models for helping you with selecting a topic, organizing and developing your memoir, and gaining your readers’ interest? Jot down ideas you get and review your journal notes that

 Be sure to review all of the tips in the Trimbur text. There are many excellent suggestions, and you may need to review these ideas more than once to absorb the ideas and apply them to your own writing.

 Bring two copies of your draft to the next class for the scheduled peer review. Getting feedback from others will help you understand how others react to your ideas and will help you with revising your draft. Keep in mind that most successful writers seek feedback from peers.

  Use your peers' response in revising your draft. The peer review session should give you valuable guidance for how you can revise your draft. You might get suggestions for places where more details or elaboration is needed or be asked to reconsider how you have organized material.

 Use the peer review session to get good ideas from others about how to improve your own work. By reading your peers’ essays, you will get a sense of how others are reacting to this assignment. Look for strategies that others are using in their writing that you like, and think about how you might apply similar strategies in your writing.

Ask friends outside of class to read your draft and offer suggestions.

 Speak to an Academic Resources Center (ARC) writing tutor about your draft. Be sure that you do so in adequate time so you can revise your draft based on suggestions made. Although an advanced appointment to see a tutor might not be necessary, the ARC usually prefers that you call ahead to reserve a time slot. You might want to schedule two ARC appointments: one for feedback at the beginning stages, and another one for assistance with editing the final draft.

 You can email your papers to the ARC for a tutor to read. Use the address: tutoring@sjc.edu The first available tutor will respond. Expect a response in about 24 hours, perhaps longer if you email your draft late Friday or Saturday. Be sure to explain the assignment. You could direct the tutor to the assignment on the Web site

 Email a draft or two to me for feedback, or leave me a copy to read. If you leave me a copy to read, I will leave the draft on my door for you to pick up after I respond.

 You can submit your work early if you would like to get it evaluated, and then you can continue working on the piece until the final due date and have it re-evaluated.

 Overall, keep in mind the importance or your readership. You want your readers to see some kind of significance in the experience you narrate.

Course Syllabus | Course Schedule| Memoir Assignment