Personal Essay: More Than a Story

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. We will ask: Amid all the stories or anecdotes from our lives, why should I write on these topics now, in 2026? The workshop also covers macro and micro editing to reach the best draft of your work.

Workshop Content:

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

 Workshop will include optional writing exercises and optional sharing.

As a transatlantic author born in Ireland, Áine Greaney’s writing explores issues of place and displacement and what happens when we live a “hybrid life.” In America, Greaney’s work has been cited in “Best American Essays,” and her second novel, “Dance Lessons” was named a “great group read” by the Women’s National Book Association. Her personal essay, “Sanctuary” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

In addition to her books (Simon & Schuster, Writers Digest/Penguin Random House, Syracuse UP), her essays, features and stories have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, The Boston Globe Magazine, The New York Times, Books Ireland, KevinMD, Another Chicago Magazine, NPR's WBUR Radio, Salon, The Mindful Word, IMAGE Magazine, The Irish Times, The Wisdom Daily, Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine, Tendon, Johns Hopkins Center for Medical Humanities and many other publications.

As well as writing (and knitting), she is passionate about two things: the need to tell our own stories and the privilege of bearing witness to others’ stories—especially those who have been historically silenced. As a trained teacher and certified wellness-writing instructor, she has designed and delivered workshops and retreats in many community, academic and healthcare settings, such as The Boston Book Festival; National Writers Digest Conference; The Cape Cod Writers Conference; Saint John’s University, Minnesota; California State University, Chico; The Irish Writers Centre; The Arkansas Literary Festival; The New Hampshire Writers Project; The Newburyport Literary Festival; Boston Writing Workshop; The Frank O’ Connor Festival of the Short Story (Ireland); The Carver School of Medicine; Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Pyramid Life Center, New York. She holds a master’s degree in English from the College of Saint Rose.