Things have happened in your life that you feel compelled to share with the world, for a variety of personal reasons. 

But the challenge is that you’re afraid you don’t have the confidence or writing skills to “do it right.” 

You’re afraid of the pain you’ll feel when writing about certain experiences. 

You have doubts that anyone will be interested in your story. 

And you’re afraid other people, particularly family members, will be hurt when they read what you’ve written. You’re even afraid one of them might threaten to sue you.

And here’s why:

Just thinking about writing a book can be a daunting, overwhelming idea. Especially if you’ve never done it before.

Lots of people struggle with these same thoughts when they think about writing a memoir. Still, they’re compelled to share their story. 

I know you’re wondering, where do I start?

How do I know what to leave in and what to take out?

How do I protect myself from being sued by someone in my story?

You want to write a memoir that will not just tell your story, but inspire others in a similar situation.

You hope other people will be uplifted and gain new confidence from reading about the challenges you’ve overcome. 

By the end of course, you’ll experience:

• An understanding of how the 5 parts of a successful memoir work together to make a compelling story
• A completed first draft of your memoir
• Confidence that your story concept flows in a readable manner.
• The completion of the most important first step to publishing your memoir
• More confidence in your writing style

This course will transform your memoir-writing journey, deepen your knowledge and understanding of what makes a compelling story, and help you feel more focused as you go forward to complete your memoir.

When I wrote my first memoir, Coming to Las Vegas, A true tale of sex, drugs, & Sin City in the 70s, my goal was simply to share a bunch of funny stories about working as a cocktail waitress in a major new Las Vegas Hotel/Casino. 

I didn’t give much thought about what to leave in and what to take out. I went by gut instinct, just writing my story as I remembered it.

For years, I wasn’t that motivated, and notes remained in a drawer (this was before computers took over our lives!) I figured “someday” I’d get around to it.

Thirty-eight years later, I finally realized “someday” isn’t a day of the week! 

I finally polished off those stories, organized them in chronological order, and finished the darn thing.

I still saw it as a collection of funny stories… so imagine my surprise, when that book became a #1 best-seller in Amazon’s History of the Workplace and LGBTQ and Gender Studies categories!

My second memoir about my 30+ year relationship with my stand-up comedian, was a more serious endeavor. I wanted to show the fine line between comedy and cruelty (verbal abuse).

But first, I had to work through and overcome some serious emotional and judgemental issues. I wanted to write down my pain, yet be balanced and fair in the end.

I wanted to show what happened–the good, the bad, and the insane–and let the reader make their own judgment.

Now I want to help you write your memoir in a much more timely manner.

That's why I've created for you this 7-week LIVE ONLINE CLASS, MEMOIR TO LEGACY.

- Carolyn V. Hamilton, Success Coach for Memoir Writers

WEEK #1 - Your Story Arc & Outline: Getting Started the Easiest Way

In our first week we lay out the keys to success to create a strong story outline that flows in a way that keeps your reader engaged. You’ll learn how to see the big picture of your story so that you’ll know what to leave in and what to take out. We’ll address:

• How to create a chronological list of events that show your story
• How to work the right way from diaries and journals
• How to think in scenes

WEEK #2 - How to do a Fast First Draft & Hook Your Reader

Now we’ll flesh out your memoir and discuss the format in which you want to tell your story. We’ll also consider fast ways to get your words on paper. In this module, we'll also consider:

• Advantages & Disadvantages of writing in Present Tense versus Past Tense
• To Prologue or Not to Prologue
• How to consider Introductions and Epilogues

WEEK #3 - Your Story, Your Feelings: Writing About Strong Emotions

One of the most sensitive challenges that memoir writers face is how to write about strong emotions and painful memories. You’ll learn how to avoid emotional flooding and how to express your feelings in constructive ways. In this module, you’ll learn:

• The Role Emotions Play in Your Story
• The Vocabulary of Emotions
• When It Can Be Okay to Use Swear Words and Politically-incorrect Language.

WEEK #4 - Scene Purpose & Structure: Showing Instead of Telling

This module begins with learning how to break your story into scenes, and how to tell which ones are critical, and which ones you could leave out. You’ll gain a clearer picture of the strengths of your memoir as you begin to see it in an almost-movie-like format. You’ll discover:

• How to use the five senses to make your scene come alive
• How to build tension to keep your reader engaged
• How to describe what happened in a way that will make your reader be able to instantly visualize your story

WEEK #5 - The Importance of Dialogue: Who is Speaking & What Are They Saying?

Strong memoirs–just like best-selling novels–include dialogue in scenes to bring the story alive for the reader. This module will cover how to learn to write dialogue when you can’t remember exactly what was said, and how to make it sound natural and move the story forward. You’ll learn:

• A sure-fire “trick” to learn to write snappy, memorable dialogue.
• When you can break writing “rules” in dialogue
• The best way to write attributions

WEEK #6 - The Power is in the Details: Adding Color and Imagery to Your Writing

Details are a major contribution that makes your story come alive for your reader. She wants to know what things looked, sounded, and smelled like. She wants to know how long it took to get from point A to point B. She wants to know where you are. In this module you’ll discover:

• How to tell which details are important and which are superfluous
• How to correctly use similes and metaphors to "color" your writing
• How to keep track of all those details so you don't contradict yourself in your story-telling

Week 7 - Universal Connections: Finding Your Theme

When you learn about themes, you’ll have a strong foundation of support - like a mission statement for a business - for your entire book. When you have a clear idea of what your story is about, it will be easy to focus on the individual scenes. You’ll know right away if a certain scene supports your story and moves it forward. When readers can relate to a particular theme, they will be more interested in your personal story. In this module, we’ll look at:

• The universal themes we all respond to
• How to discover the theme that will take your story to a higher, more emotional level.
• What to do if a theme isn’t readily identifiable

Your Title & Subtitle: Letting Your Reader Know in an Instant What Your Book is About

Besides an attention-getting title, you want to take advantage of the valuable “real estate” in a subtitle, including key search words and more information about the subject of your story.

Finding Your Target Audience

Who is going to be most interested in buying and reading your memoir? Knowing this going in will help the right readers find and appreciate your story.

What Makes a Best-Selling Memoir?

A detailed analysis of some great memoirs, why readers love them, and how you can model their success.

• 7 LIVE Teaching Sessions
• 7 LIVE Interactive Coaching and Q&A Sessions
• Private Course Website
• Private Social Media Community
• Downloadable Course Materials
• Audio + Video Recordings of All Sessions
• ALL the Special Bonus Content