Map Your Memoir:

Learn how to turn your experience into a story that sells 

You’re writing a memoir, but…

  • Sometimes, while writing, you stop and think, What the heck am I even writing? What am I trying to say?

  • You’re struggling to identify how exactly your personal experience will relate to others.

  • You've read books like Save the Cat and then reworked your entire storyline trying to fit all of the true events into fictional checkboxes and now you feel even more confused.

  • You’re a great writer; you love stringing words and sentences together and studying your craft, but you don’t know how to turn it into a cohesive narrative that flows.

  • You’re writing toward infinity. You don’t know where your story ends because life keeps going on.

  • You’ve heard your story needs things like an arc, conflict, desire and stakes, but you' aren’t sure how to apply them to your unique experience(s).

  • You’ve completed a messy first draft, but something about it just isn’t working.

  • You’ve completed your manuscript and tried to pitch literary agents but aren’t having any luck.

“Map Your Memoir was exactly what I needed to make fast progress on my manuscript. My confidence and pride - in my query letter, synopsis, and overall arc and themes of my memoir - feel astronomically different. It feels like many years of work condensed into a short few months.”

~NATASHA BUFFO

The Exact System I Use with 1:1 Clients

When I begin working with a new book coaching client, I start with my Map Your Memoir process. Whether they’re coming to me with just an idea or a finished draft, this process helps them align the story they want to tell with the story they need to tell, and gives them clarity on exactly how to tell it.

This process does NOT ask you to create a detailed outline of all your plot points or to spend hours writing and rearranging sticky notes on a whiteboard. It won’t ask you to fit your lived experience into a specific formula.

Instead, it WILL help you break your story down to its simplest form so you can understand and talk about it on a fundamental level. Once you understand the very core of what makes your story unique and how best to connect it to readers, you’ll be able to see how all the elements work together and exactly how to make it flow onto the page.

 

“The Map Your Memoir process really helped me to dig deep into the heart of my story, uncover my motivation for writing it, and reveal the gaps in my narrative, including ideas for best opening and closing scenes.”

~WILEY WEI-CHIUN HO

When you complete the Map Your Memoir course, you’ll walk away with:

  • Clarity on the most interesting parts of your experiences and how to turn them into a story others will want to read.

  • The confidence to finally answer the question, “So what’s your book about, anyway?” in a clear, concise way.

  • Clear direction for how to write forward (or revise) with purpose.

  • Renewed motivation and commitment to your writing practice.

Meet Your Instructor

Hi, I’m Jessica! I’m a writer, certified book coach and developmental editor with a master’s degree in creative nonfiction and a lot of experience in the publishing industry.

I’ve used this memoir mapping process with dozens of authors, and I’ve used it for my own book. I know it works. I also know not everyone has the time, funds, or desire to work with a book coach, and I want to help as many writers as I can. That’s why I turned my process into a new, self-paced course for those who want a DIY approach.

Learn more about me

How it Works

In a combintion of video and text lessons, you’ll learn the key elements you need to understand to turn your personal experience into a story others want to read.

As you work through each lesson, you’ll be asked to apply it to your own book idea using the accompanying workbook.

In the end, you’ll analyze your answers to see where there are holes or inconsistencies in your narrative so you can revise until everything aligns.

Ready to turn your memories into a manuscript?

 

  • $295 USD

  • Start whenever you’re ready!

  • Access for the lifetime of the course

  • "I have clarity on how to move forward with my manuscript."

    ~KATHRYN VIGNESS

  • "I now have a clearer idea of what the purpose of my memoir is."

    ~BRITTANY JAMES

  • "Jessica is a master at this process."

    ~LESLIE B. SCOTT

Frequently Asked Questions

  • This is a self-paced course so you can work through the lessons at your own speed. Some writers breeze through it in a few days, others work slowly over several weeks.

  • You're invited to ask questions about the course inside the course platform and Jessica will answer them. There are also opportunities to purchase more support if needed.

  • You’ll have access for the lifetime of the course.

  • No. There are no refunds.