Planning your story: planning and writing your memoir

Description

A NEW series of three 3-hour beginner-friendly workshops designed to inspire and guide you in writing your personal stories run by local bestselling author and certified book coach, Emma Dhesi.

Elevate your memoir with this engaging three-hour workshop, led by local bestselling author and certified book coach Emma Dhesi.

Perfect for memoirists who’ve started exploring their stories and want to deepen their skills, this session focuses on the art of writing vivid, memorable scenes that captivate readers and bring your experiences to life.

Whether you’re reflecting on your own life or capturing someone else’s story, this workshop will show you how to turn key moments into powerful, immersive scenes that resonate emotionally and leave a lasting impression.

The workshops work individually as well as a series of three. If you would like to attend all workshops, you can save £30 by booking all three at once (see below).

Spaces are limited to ensure personalised support and an interactive experience. Join us and take the next step in your memoir-writing journey!

What you’ll do

What’s included

What to expect
This workshop is designed as a no-pressure, exploratory space where you can connect with your creativity and reflect on your personal experiences. You’ll leave with the start of a memoir chapter or personal essay and practical tools to continue writing at home.

What to bring
You don’t need to bring anything—just your ideas and enthusiasm! If you have specific memories or objects you’d like to write about, feel free to bring those for inspiration.

Who it’s for
This workshop is ideal for memoirists who want to move beyond exploratory writing and focus on crafting engaging scenes that hold readers’ attention. It’s also perfect for those looking to hone their ability to capture the essence of a moment or memory.

Book the full series of workshops for £120 (saving £30)

The Writing Personal Memories Workshop course is made up of a series of three, standalone 3-hour workshops which can be taken individually or as a course of 3, with time in between for you to progress to the next stage. If you would like to attend all three, we recommend booking them together to secure your space and to save 10% on the total cost.

Book the full series here.

Earth conscious credentials

We are mindful of the effect we have on the environment, and do our best to minimise our impact. Your workshop correspondence and notes are sent to you electronically, and if you already have your own notebooks we encourage you to bring these with you to the workshop.

More information

The Arienas Collective workshops, courses and events are run from a welcoming and supportive environment within a Georgian mews home in Edinburgh’s City Centre New Town. We invite you to join us, leave any day-to-day worries behind and immerse yourself in being creative.

Spaces on our workshops and courses are limited so that our creative team of artists and makers can offer you the hands-on help and support you need to make the most of your time with us.

Our taster and introductory workshops focus on teaching creative skills and methods you can continue practising at home, using affordable materials and equipment. Where more expensive equipment is required we will mention this in the workshop description.

All the equipment and materials you need are included in the price, unless stated otherwise.

Light refreshments from local suppliers are provided. On full day workshops you are welcome to bring your own lunch to eat inside or out. There is also a wide range of independent sit-in or takeaway delis, cafés, and restaurants, plus a range of supermarkets all within a 5-10 minute walk.

Accessibility

The workshop space is on the first-floor of our Georgian mews home and unfortunately we do not have lift access. Blue badge holders can park outside our front door on the single yellow line by arrangement.

Allergies

The workshop space is in our open plan living space and is not nut free. Please let us know about any skin or food allergies before booking. We offer a dairy-free milk and gluten free snack alternative.

Minimum number and no refund policy

To ensure we can always pay our creatives a fair fee, we require a minimum number of bookings for each workshop and for this reason bookings are non-refundable. You are welcome to transfer your space to someone else if you can no longer attend, and let us have their contact details. Should we have to cancel due to low numbers, we will transfer your booking to the next available date. If no alternative date is available, you are welcome to swap to an alternative workshop, or request a refund.

We do our very best to avoid cancellations. Since we often get late bookings, we keep our workshops on sale for as long as possible. We realise that some of you travel from afar, so if you book a space and have not yet received an email confirming your workshop is going ahead and need to make plans for your trip, please get in touch before booking any travel or accommodation so we can update you on booking numbers. Or check in before booking.

Private workshop bookings

Most of our workshops are also available to book for: private get-togethers with family and friends; themed wedding and birthday celebrations; corporate team building and well-being purposes; and in-store retail events for your customers. If you’d like to know more please Email Lynn.

Age restrictions

Our workshops are planned with adults in mind. Many are suitable for teenagers, but some may require under 16s to be accompanied for insurance purposes. Please check with us before booking.