This program is for you if:

You have a memoir in mind that will inspire your readers to reconnect to the mythic feminine in some way - for instance by reconnecting them to their feminine instincts, nature, or creative power.

You have lived through a journey of descent, probably unbidden, that led you through a process of identity dissolution and into a creative rebirth. You are called to share this journey in book form, with the understand that this is not about therapy, but about offering your hard-won wisdom to others who may need it.

Memoir is difficult to write. There are so many details that you could put in, and because of this you're struggling to know how  exactly how to curate your materials, where to begin, how to end, what to include, what to leave out, and how to structure your materials for greatest impact on your ideal reader. 

Perhaps you've been trying to write on your own for some time, but keep getting stuck.

The task of writing your memoir might feel insurmountable, yet you're longing to see it through to completion. 

You know this book is yours to write. You can feel it in your bones.

Envisioning your memoir

Your Book Skeleton for Memoir helps you find your book's true identity. 

The difference between writing an autobiography and a memoir is: an autobiography is the story of a life, whereas a memoir is a story from a life. But which story from your life are you going to choose?

During our work together, you will define your archetypal theme; and identify the most potent experiences you've had that support that theme. We'll locate the most powerful turning points in your story, figure out the most compelling ways to begin and end, find a time frame and structure that captures the point you want to make, and track the transformation journey that proves your point for your reader.

Above all, we'll find the best possible concept for your book.

The objective by the end of this work together is that you are able to see your book, as if you could hold it in your hands, before you begin writing it.

This saves you from frustration, and saves time

Your Book Skeleton for Memoir is a rigorous process that asks you to define and refine your ideas until they are crystal clear. It alleviates confusion, gives you focus, and optimizes your precious writing time. You'll know exactly where you're going as you enter into the long-form writing; and how each section of your memoir connects to the whole. 

Those daunting feelings that can arise when you sit down to face the blank page? They'll dissolve, because you're already intimate with the stories you want to tell, the structure of your contents and your narrative flow. All of this has been thought through, leaving you free to dive into your creativity. 

This work applies to any publishing pathway

If you wish to pursue a traditional publishing route by signing up with an agent or one of the 'Big Five' publishers or an independent press, Your Book Skeleton for Memoir is an invaluable process that prepares you to then write a compelling and focused proposal.

If your desire is to go with a hybrid publisher or to self-publish, this work is of enormous benefit because you outline all the elements of your book - up to the point of being ready to write your long-form manuscript - with the eyes of a trained professional supporting you at every step of the way. 

The result is a detailed, effective skeleton for your book that places a special focus on reader transformation as you share your own journey of transformation.

By the time you get writing, you know exactly how to proceed... in a way that is well-mapped out, heartfelt and inspired, with strong narrative drive. 

Structure is everything

Above all else, we'll focus on finding an effective structure for your memoir, so that you can create a pathway that unfolds beautifully for your reader - not only in terms of the book as a whole, but inside each chapter. 

You will develop a strong sense of your chapters, subheadings, ordering of contents, and narrative drive.

When you've established the narrative cohesion for your book, you are likely to experience a huge sigh of relief. This is doing the heavy lifting before you do the writing. 

This is not intended to impede your creative flow. Quite the contrary: there is enormous creativity involved in building your book outline. You either do that creative exploration now, getting the key elements of your memoir into place in advance of your long-form writing, or you're doing that as you write.

With your outline created in advance, you can avoid the frustration and heartache of writing down dead ends, or having to course-correct when you're already thousands of words in, which is really hard to do, and can be expensive if you need an editor to do a lot of fixing. 

Inspiring a journey of transformation

Your book's structure is intimately tied to your book's purpose: to inspire transformation. But how do you facilitate this?

You will learn to hold two sets of considerations at once: your own personal journey, as well as your reader's experience of your materials and how this relates to her own life. 

I'll provide a powerful tool to help you create a 'heroine's journey' story structure for your reader: one that ensures that your narrative arc builds from one chapter to the next in a lockstep manner with seamless logic and best possible impact.

This may present a new mindset for you as a writer, but I'll be there supporting you along the way, asking questions to check that your transformation journey is being effectively conveyed from the reader's perspective.

Is this preparatory work really necessary?

This really depends on how your mind works. Some people rely on the inspiration that comes during the writing process; they find what they want to say by writing their way towards it. 

If that's you, this package isn't a good fit.

However for most people, and especially in the realm of memoir, exploring the potential of an idea in detail before you start writing can be the difference between writing your manuscript with ease, or feeling frustrated and getting stuck later (which in turn can cause you to give up on your project).

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