Coaching by an Experienced Mentor for Memoir and Creative Nonfiction Writers
Are you writing a memoir?
Congratulations! You have begun a rewarding and challenging journey.
A writing coach
- Helps you discover your story
- Challenges you to learn
- Supports your journey from finding your memories to published author
To complete your memoir project, you need someone who knows the territory, someone who has written a memoir. Linda knows what it takes to write a memoir, the emotional path, the skills needed, and the expectations of publishers and agents. A veteran of memoir writing, online publishing, a poet, and a writing coach, Linda brings all her experience to you to help you craft the best memoir you can, to help you make your dream of being a published author come true.
More questions
• How to deal with family when writing the truth
• Where to begin and end the story
• How to structure the book
• How to find the memories and scenes needed to focus the story
• Learning fictional tools to make your story really work
• Finding out what agents and publishers are looking for
• How much to fictionalize—where is the line between memoir and fiction
Each of these questions represents an area where Linda has the solution for you. Each question has an answer that may be unique to your memoir, your writing life, and your goals. Contact Linda to talk about your story and what you want from a coach.
Linda Joy Myers, the Founder and President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, will guide you through all your questions and help you find the answers.
Linda is the author of three published books: The Power of Memoir–How to Write Your Healing Story published by Jossey Bass; Becoming Whole—Writing Your Healing Story, ForeWord Book of the Year finalist. And a memoir Don’t Call Me Mother which won the Bay Area Independent Publishing Gold Medal award.
Linda has three decades of experience about the psychology of creativity. She offers tips on how to handle your own family and your inner critic about family truths and secrets—a problem that all memoir writers must wrestle with.
Linda has a Ph.D. in psychology, and has been a practicing therapist for 30 years. She brings her special knowledge about the psychology of family to memoir writing–as most memoirists are confounded by how to deal with family, community, secrets, and lies. You can read more about these issues in The Power of Memoir in the chapter “The Psychology of Memoir Writing.”
Additional topics
• One step leads to the journey: How to begin your memoir
• The structure of your memoir: the timeline and turning points
• The Eye of the Beholder: Point of view; past or present tense.
• Whose story is it? The narrator—a character in the book and the observer.
• Truth or Lie: Questions about truth, fiction, and family.
• Writing life—is yours working?
• Writing alone and with others: Support in writing your memoir
• The publishing puzzle—from agents to self-publishing questions
…and more…what are your questions? What do you need help with in writing your memoir? Bring your questions to a call or email to Linda to inquire about coaching.
How it Works
Contact Linda at lindajoy@namw.org. She will set up a time for you to talk about your goals and how you want to work on your memoir.
You can choose weekly or bi-weekly sessions.
The Continuum of Learning—downloadable audios
To help you learn in the car or jogging, you will receive a downloadable mp3 of the coaching calls. These can be burned to a CD or downloaded to your ipod. It’s impossible to remember everything, and it’s useful to have a record of your discussions.
2012 Web Special
$ 585.00 for 6 one hour sessions. Linda’s fee for coaching by the hour is $125.00. This package saves money, and helps to keep you on track by creating deadlines and committment to your project.
Click button to add this package to a shopping cart and payment can be processed online. Includes reading time, phone time, email, articles and writing prompts.
30 Minute Initial Consultation
Not quite ready to sign up for a full coaching package? Do you want to discuss your idea or get to know Linda as a coach? The 1/2 session allows you to talk about your idea, your story, and where you need help.
$50 for 30-minute tele-coaching get-acquainted session. You and Linda can talk about the basic questions you have about your memoir.
- Why you want to write a memoir
- How to quiet your inner critic
- Writing tools that will bring your story to life.
And more:
- How can I write the truth and still go home for the holidays?
- What will my family say about me writing a memoir, and how do I handle it?
- Would my story work as well as fiction?
In workshops, these questions always come up:
* How do I sort through so many memories?
* How do I know if it’s just the inner critic that stops me or is this worth writing?
* If I change what “really” happened, am I writing fiction?
As soon as payment is received, Linda will contact you to schedule your sessions. She looks forward to working with you!
If you have questions about signing up for coaching or evaluations, please contact Linda at lindajoy@namw.org.
Or call 1-877-ememoir.