Mapping Your Memoir

Course 1: Memory Catching & Story Plotting

Course 2: Breathing Life into Your Memoir

Course 3: Releasing Your Memoir into the World

Do you have a story that only you can tell? Mapping Your Memoir is your guide to writing, marketing, and publishing your memoir.

Mapping Your Memoir will help you collect your memories, gather them into a compelling story, and release them out into the world.

Three thoughtful and practical online courses take you from idea to finished manuscript to published book.

Writing a memoir is a massive commitment. In the Mapping Your Memoir courses, you will receive advice and encouragement from the team at Story Pieces to ensure that you take consistent action towards planning and writing your memoir, in order to get the best value from your investment. You will also have the support of an online community of people just like you who are bringing their personal stories to life. This just may be the motivational boost you need to keep writing and finish your memoir.

Mapping Your Memoir - 1
Mapping Your Memoir - 2

Do you have a deep desire to write about key events or themes in your life, but are unsure how to start?

Course 1

Memory Catching & Story Plotting

This course explores the key themes of your memoir, offers exercises to capture memories, delves into story structure, and clarifies your ideal reader.

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Registration opens: 05 January 2025

Start date: 02 February 2025

Duration: 8 weeks

Course fee: USD 199.00

Discover why your story is important and how to structure it to connect with others.

Memory Catching & Story Plotting will get you started the right way to create a memoir that appeals to your audience. It is an eight-week online course where you will discover the story that only you can tell – the one that keeps you up at night and won’t allow you to settle until you write it. You will learn how to use your memories to create a story with universal appeal that is uniquely personal to you. We throw the rule book out to give you the freedom to creatively explore your story and develop your passion for storytelling.

After completing Memory Catching & Story Plotting, you will have:

  • Clarity around the topic of your memoir and the key themes that will be woven through it.
  • A written collection of memories relating to these themes.
  • A deep understanding of your audience and what they need to hear.
  • Clarity on your role as storyteller, and an understanding of the features that create a compelling story structure.
  • A personalised map outlining the story arc of your memoir.

This course is for you if:

  • You want to write about your life; and you would like to find out more about memoir writing and story structure.
  • Whether you have started writing down your memories or not, you have a deep desire to write the story that will not let you go.
  • You have started brainstorming, writing down some memories, and jotting down notes, but your ideas feel unformed or unorganised.
  • You are unclear on the theme of your memoir or how to structure your memories.
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Course 2

Breathing Life into Your Memoir

This course provides simple, thoughtful exercises to help you inject your unique personality and perspective into your writing, and ensure you avoid the common pitfalls of bad prose.

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Registration opens: 06 April 2025

Start date: 04 May 2025

Duration: 8 weeks

Course fee: USD 199.00

Learn how to tell your story with passion and clarity.

Breathing Life into Your Memoir is an eight-week online course designed to help you create compelling prose that connects emotionally with your readers to keep them engaged. You will learn how to tell your story well using established writing techniques that can be applied by anyone. We will explore ways to help you communicate your story clearly and you will also develop a writing style that is unique to you while capturing details specific to your life.

After completing Breathing Life into Your Memoir, you will have:

  • Developed a writing style and voice that is uniquely you.
  • Conveyed your point of view with passion and clarity, avoiding common writing pitfalls.
  • Brought your scenes and characters to life with detail specific to you.
  • Invited your reader to see the world from a new perspective.

This course is for you if:

  • You are having trouble bringing your story to life.
  • You feel that your writing has not captured the essence of who you are or what you want to say.
  • Your prose feels lack-lustre and you suspect that it may be full of clichés, tired metaphors, and common grammatical mistakes.
  • Your characters seem one-dimensional and aren’t compelling.
  • You want to double-check that your story has been written as well as it could be.
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Course 3

Releasing Your Memoir into the World

This course will help you to design a personalised plan for publishing your memoir, getting it noticed, and dealing with all the emotion this entails.

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Registration opens: 06 July 2025

Start date: 03 August 2025

Duration: 8 weeks

Course fee: USD 199.00

Create your personalised plan for publishing your memoir and getting it noticed.

You have a finished (or almost finished) manuscript and it feels like the end of your journey, but it’s really just the beginning of a new phase. Releasing Your Memoir into the World is a practical eight-week online course that supports you on your journey to putting your memoir in front of your readers. This course will teach you the ins-and-outs of publishing so you can make informed decisions about the right way for you to release your memoir into the world. We will also explore book marketing in order to help you reach more of your target audience.

After completing Releasing Your Memoir into the World, you will have:

  • Decided the best route to publication for you.
  • Developed an individualised plan for letting others know about your memoir.
  • Gathered a knapsack of resilience tools to help you deal with the emotions of putting your very personal creation out into the world.

This course is for you if:

  • You are close to finishing your memoir and are ready to create your marketing plan.
  • You want to explore publishing options, so you can choose the one that is best for you.
  • You want to self-publish, but you don’t know where to start.
  • You want to work with an agent, but don’t know what the relationship will entail.
  • You want to work with a publisher and are ready to create a book proposal.
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This course includes:

An abundance of practical exercises that will help you plan, write, publish, and market your memoir.

Insightful interviews with others who have written memoirs or published personal stories.

Illustrative examples from published memoirs that bring the advice and exercises to life.

Invaluable support from and connection with others like you who are in the process of writing their own memoirs via a private class forum.

A beautifully designed ebook for each module, including bonus material, for you to download and keep forever.

Lifetime membership where you have unlimited access to course materials and can join the class each time it is offered for no extra cost.

FAQs:

How is this online course different; can’t I just get all this information from a book?

There are many excellent books out there on how to write a memoir. The problem is that it’s hard to maintain motivation and self-belief when you are writing alone at home. Memoir writing requires a substantial commitment of time and energy. The Mapping Your Memoir online course provides encouragement from Sue, along with support from fellow students who are on the same journey as you are. This may just be the boost you need to keep writing.

What do I need?

You will need access to a computer and the internet, along with an email address (for registration and email updates). You will also need an idea of what you want to include in your memoir, although this can be vague and unformed. You might also find it helpful to have a notebook or notecards for jotting down thoughts and memories. Or you could use the record function on your phone so that you can speak your memories.

I have never taken an online course before; how does it work?

Mapping Your Memoir is divided into three courses, which you purchase separately. You will be able to access each course from your Story Pieces account on the start date. Lessons will be posted in the online classroom at the beginning of each week during each of the eight-week courses. You can access the lessons at any time that best suits your schedule. In addition, you will have lifetime access to all course materials. This also allows you to join in the classroom each time the course is offered at no extra cost. Finally, you will receive an ebook of each course that you can download and keep forever.

Will I be able to communicate with others during the course?

Yes, you will have access to the private Mapping Your Memoir Community class forum through your Story Pieces login, which is available to all students across the three modules. Here you can connect with others, gain support, brainstorm ideas or problems, discuss exercises, and share extracts from your memoir. The community space is open to current members of any of the modules of the Mapping Your Memoir online course (more students will continue to join the group with each new iteration of the course). This community space will remain open indefinitely.

Can I ask questions directly to Sue?

You can ask questions directly to Sue in the private Mapping Your Memoir Community class forum during the eight weeks of the course. Sue will check in with the community daily. Some questions may require simple responses and can be answered at that time; others may be more complex and have a wider relevance. These will be compiled into a written Q&A document that will be made available to all participants.

For any technical or logistical questions, the Story Pieces team will be available to help during working hours Monday to Friday (New Zealand time).

What is your refund policy?

If the course does not meet your expectations, we are happy to give you a full refund within one week of the course start date. After this time, there are no refunds or extensions for this course. Thank you for your understanding.

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