Join me to get your stories down on paper.
You are living a rich, beautiful, colorful life. You were given a treasure of stories from your ancestors, your childhood, places you lived, people you knew.
You’re full of stories.
When you’re gone, will the stories be gone too? Would you like to leave a lasting legacy—wealth of a different kind—to your children and grandchildren? Do you worry about being unable to pass along your wisdom, your cares, your love?
You’d like to get your life’s story down on paper. That keeps you up at night, thinking about all your stories being lost.
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep going once you get a few words.
Sometimes it feels like work when it should be fun.
Let me help you. This online memoir writing course will allow you to Write Your Own Story.
Course Content
No Life Too Large, No Life Too Small.
Use your memories, family photos, scrapbooks, diaries, interviews, and memorabilia to help you fill out the details of important stories in your life. Get them on paper now.
Each course meeting combines lessons on craft, structure, and strategy, along with interactive practices.
Everybody has amazing stories. All you have to do is recognize them. Your stories are your wealth. Preserve the wealth. Leave your stories to those you love.
Live via Zoom
Join our live online memoir writing class. We will meet via Zoom one day a week.
Weekly Q&A, an Open Mic, and Co-Working
We save time for a freestyle Q&A in each live weekly session. Jot down your wonderings, questions, and worries each week to ask them in class. I’ll address your questions directly, and the entire group will profit.
Other opportunities allow you to benefit from the community and the feedback of your peers. During the course, you’ll have access to regular co-working sessions live via Zoom as well. These are an easy way to build writing into your schedule and gain accountability for that time.
Finally, we’ll have opportunities during the session for open mic sharing, should you wish to do so.
Pages and Pages of Writing Guides
I’ve developed PDF guides to illustrate and clarify the concepts we’ll work through. These guides are resources that I’ve used to publish twelve successful books in my career. I’ve chosen the best and most accessible guides as included printable resources to help you record, remember, and apply what you learn.
Printing, Binding and Publishing Information Session
Self-publishing requires a different skill set than did the writing of your story. In the final week of our course, we’ll shift from writing skills to the planning and information you’ll desire in order to preserve your work.
Success Stories
From my students…
Thank you for a wonderful, soul-deep class. Thank you for the gift of your writing, wisdom, and generosity. I’ve been struggling to find ways to deepen my writing and am grateful to you for inspiring me deeper down the trail. Cannot wait to read your new book. With deepest gratitude,
Kim
WriterYou have a gift for explaining “big ideas” in simple, straightforward language. Thanks for practicing the art of generous living and generous teaching by using that gift to help others.
Kelley
WriterFAQ
1. How do I know this is the right class for me?
This is a memoir course for writers of all levels. Zero experience is needed. All you need is a desire to get your stories down on paper for children, grandchildren, family, and friends—and maybe the reading public, who knows?—while you can.
2. What if I can’t make the Zoom meetings?
Each course meeting is recorded and posted upon completion of our weekly meeting. Some students have day jobs or other commitments during the live sessions and choose to watch the recording.
3. I’m not sure if I can produce on the spot.
If you’re worried about generating stories, no worries—you’re in charge. You can listen in and do none of the work, or you can listen in and do the work later. You’re in control of every level of your performance. Speaking or sharing your work in the course is 100% optional.
The Beginning Memoir Writing Course is currently waitlisted.
If you’re interested in being the first to know when this course is once again available, please fill out my course waitlist form.
You are full of stories, but it can be hard to find the time to write them down on paper. Doubt creeps in—are the stories good enough, meaningful enough? Eventually, the doubt or the simple busyness of life stops you from writing down your story.
That’s why I created my beginner’s memoir class. A handful of my works are memoir pieces from periods of my life. Writing these works was as rich, complex, and rewarding an experience as writing any work. Looking back, I’m so glad I meticulously recalled and wrote about these times. You, too, can have a memoir work to share with your loved ones proudly. I hope you’ll join me in my beginner memoir class.
-Janisse Ray
Decorated author and writing guide