Writing Personal Essays with Fiona Wright

Learn about the creative possibilities in this exciting and challenging form

Join award-winning writer Fiona Wright in this unique writing course all about crafting compelling personal essays.

The personal essay is a rich and rewarding form for many writers – but it's also one that comes with more than a few sticky points. This course is designed to address some of the most common of these uncertainties, and to offer a number of approaches to getting started in this exciting and challenging form. Through a series of writing exercises and insights from your tutor, this course will help you to find the inspiration and confidence to write your own personal essay.

You'll learn:

  • How to address some common anxieties about personal writing
  • How the personal essay can serve a political purpose
  • Different approaches to openings and introductions
  • How to generate ideas for new essays
  • Ways to think about personal essays and your practice

The course is designed to take you 4-5 hours in total, and can be completed in short stages at your convenience.Scroll down to see the full course curriculum and a list of frequently asked questions.

Read an interview with Fiona about personal essays here.

"Well structured, easy to follow and full of helpful information. I found the small exercises she set challenging and fun. They really inspired me to write about one of my personal experiences in a way that can be shared and enjoyed by others."

"Fiona's course gave me a lot of insight into why some of my favourite personal essays work, and also how the different types of essay openings can contribute to the subject stylistically or serve a thematic purpose as well as just being interesting or intriguing. I really enjoyed it!"

I enjoyed this course immensely and learn a great deal which I am hoping I will be able to use in my own writing. Fiona's honesty and her genuine enthusiasm for this genre translated into really absorbing material and her personal clips were warm and encouraging. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in the short personal essay format."


KYD Members receive a 10% discount on this course and all other KYD online courses throughout the year. Become a member here, or contact [email protected] for more information.

Want to buy a course for a friend? Purchase a gift voucher here.


Your Instructor


Fiona Wright
Fiona Wright

Fiona Wright is a writer, editor and critic. Her first book of essays Small Acts of Disappearance (2015), won the 2016 Kibble Prize for women’s life writing and a Queensland Premier’s Prize. Her latest collection of essays is The World Was Whole. Fiona also has two collections of poetry, Knuckled (2012) and Domestic Interior (2017). She tutors in creative writing at Western Sydney University, and mentors emerging women writers who live with chronic illness or disability.


Course Curriculum


  Getting Started
Available in days
days after you enrol
  Module One: Getting Your Tools to Hand
Available in days
days after you enrol
  Module Two: The Personal IS Political, Goddammit!
Available in days
days after you enrol

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. We encourage you to approach this material not just as lessons to be finished once and for all, but also as a collection of resources to which you can return time and again.
How long do I have access to the course?
Forever! After enrolling, you have unlimited lifetime access to this course - across any and all devices you own.
Does the teacher provide feedback?
No. If you are interested in receiving feedback on your project, we encourage you to check out KYD's Manuscript Assessment Service: https://killyourdarlings.com.au/shop/manuscript-assessments/
How do I access my course?
All our online workshops are hosted at workshops.killyourdarlings.com.au, via the Teachable platform. You can access your workshop by logging in at that link, or by following the link in your welcome email when you enrol. Please note that as the Teachable platform is a separate website to KYD you will need to create a new account, and will not be able to use your KYD login details.
I'm a KYD member. How do I receive my 10% discount?
Click on 'Enrol in course for $169'. Enter the coupon code that was emailed to you when you became a KYD member at checkout, underneath the tutor's photo.
What if I have another question?
You can email us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help!

Get started now!