Memoir Coach

Check out this piece on my FREE Substack, called “31 Questions Answered: How to Start A Memoir”

What’s the difference between Autobiography and memoir?

I’m so glad you asked, as I hear this question more than anything else. Both genres share your life with readers, but unlike autobiography — which is a linear account of the facts — memoir offers your personal perspective (and lessons learned) during a particular snapshot of your life.

What makes Your approach unique?

While many coaches can help with prose, structure, and copyediting, I help you get to the emotional heart of your story — and all the authentic feelings that resonate with your readers.

When writers — new and established — attempt memoir, they often give up when faced with experiences too painful, too confusing or as-yet unresolved. I serve as your witness and act as a guide as you explore, navigate, document and organize your vast range of memories into a compelling narrative.

What does your “typical” client look like?

I don’t have a “typical” client, and that’s why I love my work so much.

My clients have included (or currently include) published authors and first-time writers. To date, I’ve coached several attorneys and mental health professionals as well as stay-at-home parents, retirees, a winery owner, and tenured professors. I’ve coached an FBI agent, a metaphysical minister, a birth doula, civic and not-for-profit leaders, a sex worker, artists, legislators, cancer survivors, students, victims of trauma, entrepreneurs, historians, ordained members of the clergy, and activists for anti-racism, women’s rights, and immigration reform.

I can’t believe how fortunate I am to work with such a vast range of writers. When asked how it is that I connect with people from so many walks of life, I point to my experience as a journalist: I believe that the more curious we are about others and their lives, the more easily we’re able to find common ground. And so, when it comes to helping writers, it doesn’t matter if they spend their days on legal briefs or changing diapers or managing spreadsheets or preaching to congregations. Every one of them has a story to tell, and it’s my job — and my honor — to ask the right questions, provide honest feedback, and help them shape a narrative arc that holds readers’ interests.

Writers and readers alike are often drawn to memoir to make sense of their lives, but when trauma, grief, and unresolved feelings and emotions are involved, it’s particularly difficult, emotional work for writers. This effort, while necessary, can be heavy and quite overwhelming.

For example, when we’re in the midst of trauma, we often can’t process what we’re going through. We’re really just trying to survive, living moment-to-moment, not thinking about how we’re feeling. That emotional work, if we’re willing to take it on, comes later, and the act of writing a memoir is just one way to accomplish it.

Once you decide to write your memoir, it’s common to feel a barrage of unexpected emotions that may include grief, sadness, anger, hurt, self loathing, self-doubt, anguish or loss. With a list like that, why would anyone subject themselves to this process? Because, as you probably already know, it’s essential to process emotions you were unable to metabolize earlier. And because writing heals. And because your story can help to change the world — and perhaps another life. And because you deserve to finally exhale.

Writing memoir requires a commitment beyond the act of putting words on a page. Memoir demands a willingness to unravel the stories we think we know, to examine all their components, and to allow ourselves to see it all anew.

That’s where I can help.

Click Here To Get In Touch

If we work together, I meet you wherever you are in the process. Whether you’ve finished a draft — or have just a kernel of an idea — you can expect me to help you structure your writing process, ask you fearless questions, help you reflect on your answers, and encourage you to dig deeper than you ever thought you could.

I’m grateful to apply what I’ve learned during the Treating Trauma Master Series as well as the Expert Strategies for Working with Traumatic Memory course — both presented by the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM). I’m also delighted to share the learnings I’ve acquired from my time spent researching and interviewing Dr. James Pennebaker — the pioneer of a remarkable tool called Expressive Writing.

I also make your self care my priority. Did you know that two of our most important memoir-writing tools are tear ducts? As such, I recommend clients consider scheduling occasional (if not regular) check-ins with a mental health professional. Memoir writing, while ultimately empowering, can stir up a lot. The great news is that this sacred work often helps us gain forgiveness, compassion, and understanding for our younger selves and others in our lives.

Some clients describe my coaching as compassionate, supportive and therapeutic. I am not a licensed therapist. I’m a published writer with a Master’s degree in Teaching and direct experience with the evidence-based architecture of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR, and Exposure Therapy. This combination of experiences and skills helps me design individualized, actionable writing plans to support you as you move your story from the heart to the page.

By talking about CBT and DBT in particular, we work together to raise your awareness of negative, inaccurate or distorted thinking patterns, discuss methods to improve mindfulness, assess your level of distress tolerance, identify strategies to help with emotional regulation, and increase your understanding of interpersonal effectiveness. In other words — we talk about ways to strengthen your voice.

What does your process look like?

We’ll sit down for a brief, initial consult to talk about your goals, your work-in-progress, and your desired timeline. The first 20 minutes are free. If you’d like to extend this first meeting to an hour, I offer a discount off my hourly rate, and many clients find this 60-minute Zoom session all they need to refocus, gain clarity and step out of the weeds. I love helping writers to feel empowered and re-inspired!

If we agree we’d like to continue working together, we sign a client agreement which outlines our mutual responsibilities. I require an initial, 4-hour commitment, to be paid upfront. These 4 hours are used to dive into your history and your challenges and the details of your narrative — and to craft a 3-Act Structure Template, Working Calendar and Personalized Resource Portal.

Throughout the process, your efforts are seen and supported by someone who honors the brave work you’re doing. I’ll provide accountability, a compassionate ear, honest feedback, and the structure to keep your project on track. When your draft is complete, I’ll introduce you to industry experts

Whether you write memoir to process your experience, to share lessons learned with the world, or both — I wish you the best in this courageous undertaking and look forward to learning how I might help you bring your story to readers everywhere.

Click Here To Get In Touch

Where have you been published?

Politics, Partnerships, & Power: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church by Jay Pridmore and Christine Wolf

I’ve also been featured in…
Best Life
BetterHumans
ChicagoNow
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun-Times
Evanston Review
Evanston Round-Table
Evanston Woman
Invisible Illness
Noteworthy - The Journal Blog (A Medium Publication)
Patch.com (Regional and National coverage)
Pioneer Press
P.S. I Love You
Runners World
The Ascent
The Post-Grad Survival Guide
Women This Way

what are some of your article credits?

“How EMDR and CBT Can Help to Navigate Trauma and Its Impact”
Invisible Illness
4/6/2021

“So You Want to Walk a Marathon in 2021”
Medium
3/31/2021

"I Wanted to Take Action in the Fight for Black Lives, So I Walked the Virtual Chicago Marathon"
Runners’ World
12/7/2020

"What's Really Behind New Trier High School's Controversial Reopening Plan?"
Medium
10/5/2020

"Travel with Teens: How to Prepare for an Adventure Everyone Will Enjoy"
BetterHumans
2/16/19

"I had dinner with a racist last night. This is how it went."
Medium
8/27/18

"What I Learned While In Treatment for Anxiety and Depression"
Medium
6/8/18

"The Groping and The Boy Across the Hall"
Chicago Tribune/ChicagoNow
10/12/16

"Sometimes Luck Is All In The Numbers" (Surviving a fatal Amtrak collision)
Chicago Tribune
3/9/15

"Haven Middle School Bans Leggings and Yoga Pants -- Too Distracting for Boys"
Patch
3/15/14

Other Media

"Christine Wolf, a longtime Evanston resident, describes herself as an author and enterprise journalist. She wasn’t always a writer. She’s previously worked in advertising and spent years teaching. About 15 years ago, she decided to write and jumped in with both feet, often exhibiting a good deal of emotional bravery in the kinds of topics she tackles. In this episode, we talk about her writing path, stories that matter to her, and how she engages the community through a career that is now focused on storytelling and making connections that can make a difference. The Evanston Public Library has played an important role in her writing life.”

“Pioneer Press welcomes new columnist Christine Wolf, who talks about what she learned from a social media mistake and the nature of public apologies.”

As Featured In…

Nevertheless
A Documentary Film by Sarah Moshman

The National Council on Crime and Delinquency
Evident Change — Featured Articles
2/10/15

“A Kinder, Gentler Dress Code at Evanston High” by Heidi Stevens
Chicago Tribune

The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech
(I’m called out in this book for having spoken up for women’s rights)
by Kirsten Powers

Home for the Holidays, Farnsworth?
A Collection by The Wesley Writers Workshop

Memberships & Affiliations, Past & Present

Consider getting involved with these and other organizations that appeal to you!

• Owner, Writers' Haven LLC, Co-Working Spaces for Women Writers, featured in Condé Nast Traveler, September 2023

• Moderator/Panelist, AWP 2024 Conference

• Instructor, Story Jam Studio

• Faculty, The Infinity Foundation

• Champion, The Moth's StorySLAM (Chicago 6/20/22, "Birthdays")

• Member, Alliance of Independent Authors

• Former Columnist, The Chicago Tribune / Pioneer Press

• Professional Member, American Society of Journalists & Authors

• Professional Member, PEN America

• Curated Writer, Medium.com

• Member, The Authors Guild

• Member, Society of Midland Authors

• Member, Gotham Ghostwriters

• Member, National Association of Memoir Writers

• Member, Association of Writers & Writing Programs

• Member, Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)

• Professional Member, American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA)

• Member, Women's National Book Association

• Former Board Member, Society of Professional Journalists Chicago Chapter

Books, Podcasts, and Shows I Highly Recommend for Memoir Writers

READING

Books on Craft:

Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book
by Allison K. Williams

Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir
by Beth Kephart

Fast-Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Life Story in 45 Hours
by Rachael Herron

The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life
by Marion Roach Smith

On Writing
by Stephen King

Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life
by Dani Shapiro

Bird by Bird
Anne Lamott

Successful Self Publishing
by Joanna Penn

Before and After the Book Deal
by Courtney Maum

Green-Light Your Book: How Writers Can Succeed in the New Era of Publishing
by Brooke Warner

Memoirs:
Group
by Christie Tate

Educated
by Tara Westover

Wave
by Sonali Deraniyagala

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
by Dani Shapiro

Three Quarters, Two Dimes and a Nickel: A Memoir of Becoming Whole
by Steve Fiffer

Slow Motion
by Dani Shapiro

The Year of Magical Thinking
by Joan Didion

Blue Nights
by Joan Didion

Baptized by Love: How I Found Present Joy and Never Let It Go
by Danét Love Palmer

LISTENING

Podcasts:

The Moth Podcast & The Moth Radio Hour
by themoth.org

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
by Bianca Marais

High Income Business Writing
by Ed Gandia

Heart of the Story
by Nadine Kenney Johnstone

The Writers’ Haven Podcast
by Christine Wolf

Writers on Writing
by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

The Creative Penn
by Joanna Penn

QWERTY Podcast
by Marion Roach Smith

WATCHING

Turn Every Page

America’s Next Great Author

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