CNF 114 — Unlock Your Story: From Memory to Manuscript in Six Weeks
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Samina Ali
Date(s): Jan 26—Mar 11
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Monday/Wednesday
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Please Note: Class schedule: 6 Mondays, January 26, February 2, February 9, February 23, March 2, and March 9, 5:30 – 7:00 pm (PT); 6 Wednesdays, January 28, February 4, February 11, February 25, March 4, and March 11, 5:30 – 7:00 pm (PT); No class on February 16 and February 18.
Tuition: $540
Refund Deadline: Jan 27
Unit(s): 1
Enrollment Limit: 160
Status: Open
Quarter: Winter
Day: Monday/Wednesday
Duration: 6 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jan 26—Mar 11
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $540
Refund Deadline: Jan 27
Instructor(s): Samina Ali
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Enrollment Limit: 160
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
Please Note: Class schedule: 6 Mondays, January 26, February 2, February 9, February 23, March 2, and March 9, 5:30 – 7:00 pm (PT); 6 Wednesdays, January 28, February 4, February 11, February 25, March 4, and March 11, 5:30 – 7:00 pm (PT); No class on February 16 and February 18.
Have you always wanted to tell your story but struggled to get it on the page? Inspired by National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)—the worldwide challenge to draft a novel in 30 days—this course brings that same momentum to memoir. By writing quickly and setting aside the urge to edit, you’ll quiet your inner critic, make discoveries, and get your story onto the page.
In the first two weeks, you’ll map your book, creating structure and gaining confidence for the sprint ahead. Then you’ll draft 1,500 words a day, five days a week, for four weeks. You’ll receive daily prompts, weekly lessons on memoir craft, and live sessions to connect with fellow writers. An accountability thread will let you track your word count and celebrate progress. By the end, you’ll have a complete draft and the tools to begin shaping it into a memoir worth sharing.
Due to the high enrollment nature of this course, students will not receive instructor feedback.
SAMINA ALI
Author
Samina Ali’s novel, Madras on Rainy Days, received France’s prestigious Prix Premier Roman Etranger award and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in Fiction. Her TEDx talk, “What the Quran Really Says About the Hijab,” has over 8 million views. Her writing has been featured in various outlets, from NPR to The Economist. Her most recent book, Pieces You’ll Never Get Back, was one of the most anticipated memoirs of 2025. Textbooks for this course:
(Required) Marion Roach Smith, The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life (ISBN 978-0446584845)