Write Your Memoir in Six Months offers the support, encouragement, and accountability you’re looking for to write the book that’s in your heart and ready, or almost ready, to be on the page. This fall 2026, Brooke is leading a single cohort of ten writers though this exclusive course, providing you with structure, skill, deadlines, and community.
If you’ve been wanting, trying, or longing to write a memoir, know that you’re not alone. It’s hard work to write in isolation, and sometimes in fear of churning up memories that you might feel are better left buried underground. The inevitable questions of who you might hurt and whether you’re telling the whole truth can niggle their way into your writing process, creating paralysis and self-doubt. Or maybe you’re just a busy person who would benefit from knowing that others are going through the same thing you’re experiencing. There is comfort in hearing others’ stories and knowing you aren’t alone. No matter what has prevented you from completing your memoir, it will be addressed in this course, and you will have the support of the class, an experienced mentor, and your fellow cohort members who are equally passionate and compelled to bring their story into the world.
Where do you get stuck?
There are generally 4 places where memoirists get stuck:
1. Not knowing the scope of your memoir.
This class is for anyone who has an important story to tell. Maybe you’ve considered that you might have two books needing to be expressed, or that your story needs to be pared back. Maybe when you tell people what you want to write about, what ends up coming out is a 20-minute diatribe that you don’t know how to condense. If you have a sense of what you want to write but haven’t been able to wrap your mind around what your book is, you’re dealing with a problem of scope. And will help to solve it.
2. Feeling worried about what others think.
This is a big issue for anyone delving into personal histories that may be fraught with pain, emotion, or intensity. You may come from a family who doesn’t believe in sharing secrets. You may have been hurt in some way and told never to tell. You might be worried about the other people involved in your story, not wanting to misrepresent them in some way, or tell all the truth about them. And yet you know your story is your story. There are ways to handle these issues, and if they’re holding you back, we have solutions!
3. Not having a clear sense of your process.
Process is how you decide to structure your book, create an outline, and develop the arc of your story. Process involves managing chronology, theme, and takeaway. It’s about knowing the milestones of your life and your story and having the skill to know where to weave them into your book. Your English classes were a long time ago, or you might be coming from another type of writing (like academia or business). In this class we focus on supporting you to build your foundation for memoir writing, to get onto the page the story you want to tell, and to work to elevate your craft along the way.
4. Feeling paralyzed, not knowing where to start, or not knowing how to continue.
Falling into this category of writers are any of you who feel you don’t have enough time, energy, or motivation to write or keep writing. Sometimes real time issues come into play, but oftentimes—most times—this is the inner critic at work. It’s just in disguise. This can be overwhelming: knowing you have something to say but not knowing what it is; feeling fuzzy or scared or just plain stopped in your tracks. Getting to the root of this and understanding what’s holding you back will set you free.
Write Your Memoir in Six Months
In thirteen sessions over six months (including an orientation), you’ll be filled with information about process and craft, as well as receive the support you’ve been craving as you delve into your life story, your memories, and the essence of who you are and what you have to say. We honor your voice and your story in this course, and it’s our job to support you to get 60,000 words written—words you can be proud of and words that speak your truth.
You will quickly feel supported in understanding the scope of your book and where it’s going. You will have a community of like-minded writers to give you encouragement that you are not alone. And you will have two experienced mentors who have coached hundreds of memoirists to manuscript completion and publication.
Write Your Memoir in Six Months will support you to get an early draft of your manuscript complete over the course of these six months.
**Please note: Enrollment is open for July-December 2026. If you have any questions about this course, please email Brooke.
Here’s what you’ll learn in these 13 supportive and fun classes. All classes are 1 hour and 15 minutes.
ORIENTATION (June 29 at 4pm PT/7pm ET) 
- Introduction to your mentors
- What a memoir is and the challenges of memoir writing
- Accountability and expectations
- Goal-setting and information on how to make this course work
- How to take advantage of partnering with fellow students
- Confidentiality agreement
Class 1. Structure, Aboutness, and Turning Points (July 8
at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Students introduce themselves and share what they’re writing about
- Turning points and timelines
- The emotional terrain of writing your personal story
- Introducing the inner and outer critic
- Types of structures—linear, braided, framed, and more
- Types of memoir—coming-of-age, spiritual journey, identity and belonging, and many more
Course 2. The Joy of Mapping (July 22 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Turning points and scaffolding
- Scenes—how to anchor your memoir in story
- Time, structure, and how story is created
- Permission to write a first draft, weaving in craft elements
- Content buckets—what are they and how do they work?
Class 3. Write Your Memoir Like a Movie—Scene by Scene (August 5 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
• What makes a scene?
• How to recognize when you’re telling vs. showing
• Types of narration
• Including context and grounding in your story
• Past vs. now reflection
• Scene breaks/line breaks
Class 4. Narration (August 19 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Narration as storytelling
- Understanding the trinity of narrators
- Narrative pacing
- Point of view in memoir
- “You” in memoir — how to use “you” well
- Revisiting scenes to move through the labyrinth
Class 5. Character Development and Characterization (September 2 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Characters—composites vs. real people
- Balance of narrative versus dialogue
- Body language and characterization
- Varying up “she said” and “he said”
- Correct formatting of your manuscript
- Working out the kinks
Class 6. Reflection & Takeaway (September 16 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Theme—big picture, through-threads, and containment
- What is reflection in memoir?
- How to use reflection in memoir
- What is takeaway in memoir?
- How to use takeaway in memoir
- Examples of reflection and takeaway
- Metaphor, simile, and analogy to build a fictive dream
Class 7. The Psychology of Memoir Writing (September 30 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Dealing with your inner and outer critics
- Doubts about memory and truth
- What to do about memories and truths that are emotionally jarring
- Secrets, lies, and shame
- Affirmations—the antidote to the inner critic
Class 8. Voice and Narration (October 14 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Who is the narrator?
- The voice—what is it and how to find yours.
- Breaking through silence—the labyrinth of truth, memory, and trauma.
- Working through the kinks—what gets in the way.
- Revisiting your scenes—how they get you through the labyrinth.
Class 9. Recapping Craft (October 28 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Scenes, dialogue & transition
- Theme & through-threads
- Common conflicts in memoir
- Flashback and memory
- Direct and indirect dialogue
- Takeaway & reflection
Class 10. The Long-Range Vision of Your Book (November 11 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- You’re in the thick of it—what do you do now?
- Problem-solving to the finish line.
- Revision
- Where are you stuck? What do you do when it’s not working?
- Your finished product.
Class 11. Becoming a Author from the Inside Out (November 23, held on Monday due to Thanksgiving week at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
• The author mindset
• The writer’s life, and living as an author
• The spiritual tending of your story
• Sharing your work with others—rules of engagement
• Why you need comparative title research early in the game.
• Building and maintaining a platform
• Social media and blogging
Class 12. All the Way to the Finish Line (December 9 at 4pm PT/7pm ET)
- Getting published—is it on your horizon?
- How far to your finish line?
- Closing sharing
Bonuses!
- Two one-on-one half-hour coaching calls with your mentor—one early in the course and one halfway through (in the Muddy Middle).
- Opportunities to develop support groups with your fellow students.
- Download of “Mastering Scene,” a 4-hour course to watch at your own pace so you’re prepared to learn about scene and story-writing. For those wanting to get a taste of our teaching, watch Structure: The Backbone of Your Memoir.
- Download of Breaking Ground on Your Memoir, which is a great way to get started learning about structure and other craft points we cover in this course.
- Community! There is nothing like a group of like-minded fellow writers all on track with a single goal to help you over the finish line.
Premium Bonus
Sometimes you need or want one-on-one individual support, guidance, and coaching. Do you anticipate feeling extra stuck? Do you want to share something too personal to share in the course? Want focused attention just on you? Want to go beyond the course into other territory? Individual sessions with Brooke may be just the remedy. You’ll get discounted one-on-one coaching as a student in this course.
Your “Lock-It-In” Resources
The following resources fill in the support system to get you through this class:
- “Crafting Your Memoir” free PDF download.
- Memoir-writing partner. You’ll be set you up with a class buddy with whom you can meet on off weeks, or as often as you feel comfortable with and/or need, for the purpose of sharing insights, writing, tips, and support.
- Two half-hour coaching calls to discuss particular craft and process questions you may have with your mentor.
If what’s presented here feels like something you want to be a part of, join Write Your Memoir in Six Months this fall with Brooke and nine other students!
Please register below by paying the deposit if you’d like a spot in the July-December 2026 course, or if you’d like to be on our “interested student” list for a future class, please email Brooke.
The cost of the course is $2495 (payment plans are available once we send you the class contract). Claim your spot now with a $500 deposit. Enroll now!
At the point of registration, Brooke will contact you to establish the details of your payment plan, which entails your credit or debit card being be charged the difference:
$2495.00
-$500 deposit (nonrefundable)
= $1995.00 (which will be divided by 6 payments over the 6 months of the course for a total of just $332/month)
If you’re interested in the premium bonus of one-on-one coaching, sessions during class are billed at the discounted rate with your mentor. We are happy to weave this into your payment plan if you’re interested.
Course Expectations
The goal of this course is to write 60,000 words in 6 months. You will submit 12 assignments and receive detailed feedback on each assignment. Feedback is due the weekend before each class and delivered back to you prior to each class. The expectation is that you will show up, turn in your homework, participate, and write—and that you’ll be in touch if and when you are struggling.
Course Discounts
Discounts are available to alumni and students in our free classes and online. Each student only qualifies for one discount per course.
Cancellation Policy
After the course begins, there is no cancellation policy unless there’s a serious emergency; exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis. Consider your down payment to the course as a full commitment to this course. There’s a rationale to this. People get stressed about their writing and the inner critic can come up to tempt writers to stop. But experience shows that if you keep going, you will be glad you did. The structure of the course is built on supportive partnering with each other, along with the biweekly workshops and sharing the writing. It’s important to maintain the stability for the course so you can move forward and get that first draft of your memoir done in six months!
