[Phase 1: Discovery & Trust Building]

Duration: 2-3 sessions over 2 weeks

Initial Consultation (90 minutes)

Setting the Foundation I begin every memoir consultation by acknowledging what it takes to share your story. "Maria, deciding to write your memoir is an act of courage. We're going to approach this as a collaboration—you're the expert on your life, and I'm here to help you shape that expertise into a story that serves your goals."

Key Questions I Ask:

• What's driving you to write this now?

• Who do you hope will read this?

• What do you want readers to feel or understand?

• What parts of your story feel most important to you?

• What aspects worry you about sharing?

Maria's Responses:

• "My daughters only know pieces. I want them to understand the whole journey."

• "Other immigrant women need to know they're not alone."

• "I'm afraid people will judge the choices I made to survive."

Creating Safety: I establish ground rules: Maria controls what we explore and when. Nothing goes on paper without her explicit consent. We can always revisit boundaries. The goal isn't therapy, but healing through storytelling is often a natural byproduct.

Story Mapping Session (2 hours)

The Timeline Exercise Using large paper, we create a visual timeline of Maria's life, marking:

• Major events (immigration, marriage, divorce, business launch)

• Emotional turning points (moments of despair, breakthrough, triumph)

• Recurring themes (resilience, family, identity, belonging)

• Sensory memories (the smell of her grandmother's kitchen, the sound of helicopters)

Identifying the Through-Line Through conversation, we discover Maria's central theme: "How breaking apart taught me to build something unbreakable." This becomes our North Star.

Addressing Concerns When Maria worries about exposing painful details, I explain: "We can write about difficult experiences without exploiting them. The goal is meaning-making, not sensationalism. You'll never be asked to share more than feels right."

[Phase 2: Structure & Scope Development]

Duration: 3-4 sessions over 3 weeks

Narrative Architecture Session (2 hours)

Choosing the Framework Together, we explore different memoir structures:

• Chronological (birth to present)

• Thematic (chapters organized around themes like "Leaving," "Surviving," "Building")

• Pivotal moments (structured around 6-8 key turning points)

Maria chooses the pivotal moments approach, identifying:

1. The night they fled El Salvador

2. First day in Los Angeles

3. Meeting her ex-husband

4. The worst night of domestic violence

5. Leaving with her daughters

6. Starting the catering business

7. Her daughters' graduations

8. Returning to El Salvador as a successful businesswoman

Chapter Outline Development (90 minutes each)

For each pivotal moment, we explore:

• What happened (the events)

• How it felt (the emotional experience)

• What it meant then vs. what it means now (perspective evolution)

• What readers need to understand about this moment

• What details make this moment uniquely yours

Example: Chapter 4 - "The Worst Night" Maria initially says: "I can't write about this. It's too much."

My response: "We don't have to write it today, or even this month. But I want you to know that if you choose to include this chapter, we'll approach it with enormous care. The question isn't whether it was terrible—the question is whether sharing it serves your larger purpose of helping other women."

After reflection, Maria decides: "If one woman reads this and leaves sooner than I did, it's worth it."

Audience & Purpose Refinement (60 minutes)

Primary Audience: Maria's daughters and their future children
Secondary Audience: Immigrant women facing adversity
Tertiary Audience: General readers interested in resilience stories

Core Messages:

• Survival sometimes requires choices others won't understand

• Building a new life is possible at any age

• Strength isn't about never falling down—it's about getting back up