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The All-Inclusive Experience

Weekly live classes taught by me, Esmé Weijun Wang, as well as brilliant writers like Leslie Jamison, Hanif Abdurraqib, and T Kira Madden. Co-writing sessions so that you won’t be writing alone, but with your fellow students. Chatting and sharing on Discord with your cohort.

Best of all, you’ll be in community with students, and taught by a diversity of teachers who also understand what it’s like to live with limitations.

Who can speak to managing a writing life as well as chronic illness, disability, and/or caretaking responsibilities.

You’ll learn concrete skills in our six-month program like using index cards for creative discovery; the five questions to ask yourself before including someone else in your story; writing about emotions and painful experiences; pitching to publications; putting together a book proposal. (And much more.)

The truth is that finally writing your book is bigger than you.

It’s about representation. Having an impact on the world. Changing someone’s life. Helping someone who is where you once were.

I want you to share your stories with the world.

Frequently asked questions

It sounds great, but I'm worried about the cost

I understand that investing in something like this can feel scary. Part of my big mission with the Academy is to make education, tools and resources around writing memoir and personal nonfiction more accessible. Unlike writing workshops that focus on one piece of the puzzle at a time (meaning you’re still always left searching for the next steps), the Academy has been designed to cover three different foundational aspects of writing memoir and personal nonfiction so you can truly get started on your book-writing journey.

Any investment comes with fear and risk—the question you have to ask yourself is, “Will this investment get me closer to where I want to be?” If the answer is yes, then I can’t wait to see you inside the Academy.

I really want to tell my story, but I'm scared to write it

First things first: Please realize that these kinds of concerns are completely normal. These are the same worries that people writing memoir have had since writing memoir first became a thing. This is why, in each workshop, we talk about these issues (especially in the Ethics in Personal Nonfiction workshop). Plus, in our Discord community, you can share your concerns, ask your questions and get support from people dealing with the exact same worries and fears as you. That’s one of the biggest benefits of the Academy—you’re not only getting access to the workshops, you’re getting access to a community. People you can lean on, share things with, celebrate with. People who get what you’re going through.

Why is there a Writing Intensive & a VIP Experience? How do I know which one is right for me?

Good question! Both are six-month experiences. The Writing Intensive is a solid curriculum for people interested in writing personal nonfiction. The VIP Experience offers a good deal more support—and. because I'm a chronically ill woman who only has so much energy and mental ability, we offer only a limited number of VIP spots at a time. We also require an application for the VIP spots to help evaluate whether we're a good fit for one another. If you think you'd prefer to take part in the VIP Experience, I'd recommend that you apply; if that doesn't end up working out, you're more than welcome to join the Writing Intensive.

How much time and commitment is required of me each week?

The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy is designed for and created by chronically ill/disabled people. This means that we've tried to build in flexibility whenever possible. Everything included in the Writing Intensive can be watched via recording—even the guest lecturers—to allow for doing things from bed, at any time of the day. If you wish to take one or two classes per month, the Writing Intensive will take you three or four hours per month (plus however much time you wish to spend in the Discord group and on your writing). The VIP Experience does have more live experiences, and the ones that are able to be recorded will be recorded for your access. I would recommend setting aside about nine or ten hours per month (so: about two hours per week), plus however much time you wish to spend in the DIscord group and on your writing

I don't have a concrete idea for a book yet/I haven't started writing a book yet. Is the Academy right for me?

Absolutely. Because the program is structured with Pre-Writing, Writing, and Publishing in mind, it’s actually wonderful to come to the Academy with a blank slate. As long as you’re enthusiastic about writing and want to learn, you’ll be a-okay.

Are there scholarships available? How do I apply?

We are expecting to have scholarships open for the Writing Intensive this year, funded by the Vanetta Cutchin Memorial Fellowship and the I Fund Women campaign from 2022. Applications for these spots are not currently open, but subscribe here to the newsletter to learn when they are.

We are always looking for scholarship funding. If you are interested in funding a scholarship(s), please reach out to Chloe at chloe@esmewang.com.

Read. | Watch. | Learn. | Improve. | Connect. | Dream. | Write that book.