Writing Your First-Person (Personal) Essay with Áine Greaney

Course Summary

Whether you’re a beginner writer or venturing into a new creative genre, this course will help you to understand the personal essay form, its conventions and how to get writing.  We will brainstorm possible essay topics and, amid all the stories from your life, to write about the one that’s calling you now, in 2025/2026. The course also covers editing and how to get to the next best draft of your work.

Course Outline

• Definition of the modern essay and how that definition influences your writing approach and style
• Generating ideas for your essay
• Why are you writing this now?
• Finding a way ‘in’ – The opening scene, narrative distance and narrative voice
• More than a story: Deriving meaning from the life experience you write about
• Writing lively scenes; making your readers care about your story
• What or who should you not write about? And how to make that decision.
• Editing your personal essay drafts

A native of County Mayo, Áine Greaney now lives and writes on Boston’s North Shore. As well as her five published books, her short works appeared in various outlets, including ‘The New York Times’, `Books Ireland’, ‘Creative Nonfiction’, ‘The Fish Anthology’, ‘The Milk House’ and many other publications. As a trained teacher and certified wellness-writing instructor, she has designed and delivered workshops and retreats in community, academic and healthcare settings.
Author website: www.ainegreaney.com.