NONFICTION TOPIC
Your Best
Spend an hour and a half with me as I walk you through the process of figuring your best nonfiction topic, paving the way for the book that you, & only you, are made to write.
you're going to gain concrete clarity... instead of the cloudy & general ideas you've been playing with.
you'll figure both enough information for a quick elevator pitch as well as the beginnings of a book.
you'll feel excited and invigorated to begin work, knowing that you have the elements of the best nonfiction topic that you can write on, right now.
ready to level up your writing life?
all the details
You have all kinds of ideas for your essay collection or memoir.
The problem? There are too many ideas. Or you have one general idea, but there are so many ways to approach it that it all feels overwhelming. And you also don't know which of your ideas would work as a solid idea for an entire book—the book that you want to pour all of your care and heart into. If you’re having an idea problem, I get it. With multiple nonfiction projects completed, I absolutely get it. But, stopping is not an option you want to take—so, what next?
Well, I’m bringing all of my learnings and first-hand experience to bear to host my first live private training designed to springboard you right into a writing practice with a purpose:
you'll Sort ideas for a powerful nonfiction project and weigh the merits of each one
you'll Match your ideas to the various types of books you can create (meaning: not all nonfiction styles make sense for each idea)
you'll Use a solid system to evaluate, step-by-step, your different ideas, so you’ll know which of them to commit to
why it's harder than it looks
You'd think picking a topic would be simple, right? But it's not.
You might know that you want to write the story of your parents' immigration to the United States. But is that really the strongest topic that you have to write about right now? Is it possible that there's some element of the story that would be an even better topic—the food that they brought to the U.S., or their first year in their new country? What makes the story of your parents' immigration better or more interesting than the other immigration stories that already exist?
Beginning with your best topic will give you a head start when you're already working with limited time and energy, and would rather not begin by going down a dead end. Starting with your best topic will also fuel you as you hunker down to write your work, knowing that you have a solid subject to which you can devote your attention.
Let's do this.
You'll also be able to join a special Discord channel of people like you, all dedicated to working together on your own Best Nonfiction Topics—for those people who would rather not go it alone.
And yet, it's vital that you pick your best topic because...
Meet the teacher
Hi, I'm Esmé, and I'm obsessed with teaching personal nonfiction to writers living with limitations.
I won the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize for my essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias, which also went on to win the Whiting Award and to become a New York Times bestseller. I've been a visiting professor at the San Jose State MFA program, and have taught hundreds of students the art of personal nonfiction writing; I also wrote The Collected Schizophrenias while coping with an assortment of debilitating chronic illnesses.
foUNDER of the unexpected shape™
devastatingly fond of potato skins
@esmewwang on instagram
"I find her to be a smart and insightful teacher and appreciate her teaching style, which is patient, approachable, and calm... I always prefer quiet power over noisy, frenetic instruction."
"Esmé’s classes are among my favorite to take for a few reasons. First of all, I am a fan of her writing and trust her expertise. This is the initial hook. However, I find her to be a smart and insightful teacher and appreciate her teaching style, which is patient, approachable, and calm. Her assistant Chloe, who attends and helps facilitate all of the sessions, has a similar energy, so they complement each other well. I always prefer quiet power over noisy, frenetic instruction. In addition to the general atmosphere of the teaching, the courses are always well-prepared, organized, and professional. They have a system, and it works.”
Sara V.
“Esmé is exceedingly knowledgeable and her teaching style is the perfect blend of calmly explaining every step of the writing process so you won’t be left confused and answering additional questions."
“Esmé is exceedingly knowledgeable and her teaching style is the perfect blend of calmly explaining every step of the writing process so you won’t be left confused and answering additional questions. She also puts much thought into every answer instead of giving a quick reply—I felt seen, taken care of and special, even though it was a group workshop.”
navina b.
as seen in:
This Workshop Is For You
You're interested in writing personal nonfiction, and you'd consider yourself a beginning/intermediate writer.
You want to refine your big idea before you dive into writing (or dive into further writing).
You want to give yourself the gift of sussing out your big idea—is it actually your best nonfiction topic for right now?
if
You're ready to feel confidence and excitement about writing your book, instead of dread and anxiety.
