I’m so excited to say that we have Academy notebooks available for sale now! I’m OBSESSED. You can find them here: https://members.esmewang.com/notebook

I just wanted to remind you all that while the Café is free and therefore separate from the The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy, ALL OF THE ACADEMY 101 CLASSES are available here! If you click on Classroom on the nav bar, you'll be able to see the classes and resources that are available to you. They are, of course, useful in and of themselves, but I hope that some of you will enjoy the classes enough that you'll feel inspired to join the Academy (http://www.unexpectedshapeacademy.com). So: please check out the classes and resources there if you haven't. And if you have, is there anything that you found particularly useful in them? For your fellow Café members who haven't yet explored that area, what would you recommend?

Hi all, I’m currently sick with a cold and life is still chaos for my family (my husband has been critically ill in the hospital for seven weeks), but I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be teaching a class called The Shape of Your Memoir this month on January 27, 2025. The Shape of Your Memoir is a transformative 1.5-hour class designed to help you uncover and refine the narrative structure of your memoir and/or essay. Whether you’re just beginning or deep into the drafting process, this class will guide you in identifying and addressing cracks in the foundation of your storytelling. You’ll learn how to move beyond a simple chronological recounting of events and shape your writing into a compelling narrative with a beginning, middle, and end—one that resonates with readers and leaves them deeply satisfied. Through practical insights, real-life examples, and actionable tools, you’ll explore how to create a gentle map for your memoir, allowing the story’s natural shape to emerge as you write. As a bonus, the class includes a one-hour co-working session, giving you the chance to apply what you’ve learned, ask questions, and receive real-time support. Join us to transform your collection of facts and anecdotes into a meaningful, cohesive story that captivates readers from start to finish. Recording and transcript available. http://www.esmewang.com/shape-of-your-memoir x esmé

Welcome to The Unexpected Shape Café! Hello, and a very warm welcome! This is the premiere destination for personal nonfiction and memoir writers looking for community and a place to make connections, exchange work, discuss challenges, and all the “real life” stuff that comes along with being an aspiring working writer. Esmé Weijun Wang and the team (Chloe) host virtual events, workshops, and exclusive fun stuff in here to help you learn more about writing and entering the publishing industry. ➡️ How To Earn Points, Level Up, and Unlock Premium Content: The more you engage with this group (posting, commenting, sharing, liking, etc.), the more you gain points, level up, and are rewarded with premium content, courses, templates, and more! As you level up, the rewards become more valuable. Start climbing the leaderboard, where our top contributors will win surprises too! You can give value and level up by answering people’s questions, sharing interesting strategies or tools that are working well for you right now (not self-promotion!), and starting thought-provoking discussions. ➡️ How To Invite Friends To Join We encourage you to invite your friends! Just go to Settings > Invite > and grab your unique link. You can share your unique invite link with your email list, social media followers, and audience. The more the merrier! We sometimes have special surprise gifts for those who refer the most new members. ➡️ Check out the “Search” bar at the top of the group The search function in this group will help you navigate the goldmine of content within this community. Use it to search for topics you’re interested in like [“ethics,” “pitching,” or “first drafts”]. You can also check out our “Best Of” module, where we curate and save the most valuable posts in the community. ➡️ Read our Community Guidelines, Be Kind and Respectful We’re here to curate an inclusive community where people of all backgrounds feel safe. Make sure to read our community guide to get acquainted with what that means.