Think about the stories that changed your life, the ideas and hard-won lessons that only live in one person's head.
Unless someone writes it down, it disappears, just because no one got around to it.
Your Story
Maybe it's the lessons about your career or experiences you've been meaning to put into writing. Maybe your idea is still taking shape.
Think about the stories that changed your life, the ideas and hard-won lessons that only live in one person's head.
Unless someone writes it down, it disappears, just because no one got around to it.
The oldest human tradition
Whether you call it a memoir or simply a collection of stories, it's one of the richest and most rewarding things a person can do. For thousands of years, people have passed down what they know through speech, letters, and books written for the people who come next.
Hebrew tradition
A letter or book passing your values, stories, and wisdom to future generations. Jacob gathered his children to his bedside. It's been happening ever since.
Japanese tradition
A thousand-year-old form of personal writing that flowed between observations, reflections, lists, and truths. Sei Shōnagon started it in the year 1000.
Stoic tradition
Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations for himself — never meant for anyone else. It became one of the most influential books in history. He was just writing down what he knew to be true.
Your book doesn't need to be a bestseller. It doesn't need to be "commercial." The real value of the book is that it exists — for the stranger who discovers it in thirty years, and for you, right now, in the act of finally putting it all down.
Some people want to write it themselves and need structure and company. Some would rather talk it through and have someone else do the writing.
Path 1
You have the stories and you want to be the one who writes it. You might need structure, momentum, feedback on your drafts, or someone to help you see what you've actually got.
Just starting?
The five-day writing sequence is free and designed to help you find your material. The Weekend Writing Marathon ($29) gives you a full weekend of guided structure to produce raw material.
Want company?
The twelve-week practice mentorship provides regular conversations and written reflections as you build the manuscript. Most people produce around 20,000 words of raw material.
Already have a draft?
Then you're ready for a developmental edit. Send me a sample and we can see what it will take to get your book publish-ready.
Path 2
You have the knowledge, the stories, the experience, but not the time or desire to write it yourself. Or the book is about someone else, like a family member whose story you want to preserve, and you want the book to be written in their voice.
How it works
We have conversations. You talk, I listen, paying attention to what you value and the way you tell a story. I'll write the book for you.
Preserving a family story?
I can work from recordings, letters, notes, photographs, and your own memories, or conduct the interviews myself. The companion book Hey [Loved One], I Have a Question for You has 173 questions to help draw out the stories.
The final result
You'll get the finished book. Professionally designed, typeset, printed and bound.
"He was able to draw out of me what I wanted from the story without setting any terms for me. He would listen, ask questions and reiterate until it became clear."
Gina C.
"Stephen's discussion questions brought ideas and memories out of me that had been hidden or buried for years."
Rachel M.
"He helped me feel confident in my ideas, to hone in on them and trust their interplay and organic development as a valuable and interesting process."
Amick
"Stephen masterfully guided the creative process and helped reconnect my inner voice with its outer expression."
Justine R.
"He provided much needed clarity to writing and to life. I was able to write a piece that I'd been unable to write in the busyness of my home."
H.S.
"He said, 'What do you want? What are your goals?' So we got to set the terms. There were no set parameters, no limitations."
Spannocchia Participant
Every project is different. A short family book is a different scope than a years-spanning memoir, and a set of interviews shaped into a manuscript is a different engagement than writing the whole book from scratch. I price each one after we talk, as a flat fee agreed before anything starts.
If the project matters, we'll find a way to make it work, whether that's adjusting scope, working in phases, or finding the right starting point for your budget. The first conversation is free and carries no obligation. Tell me what you're thinking and I'll be honest about what's possible.
Free Guide
A short book with seven exercises to help you find the material that's already inside you or someone you love. These work whether you're thinking of writing a memoir or personal book or gathering material for a collaboration.
Whether you want to write it yourself, have it written, or you're somewhere in between, let's start a conversation. There's no obligation.
If you'd prefer to talk rather than type, send a quick voice note. Hit record and tell me about your project.
I respond to every message within 24 hours.
"Stephen helped reaffirm my belief in my work and the maintenance and preservation of its integrity."
Anissa
Not ready to reach out yet? Download The Stories You Carry, a free guide with exercises to help you get started.
Member
MFA, New Mexico State University