MEMOIR LAB!
A year to write your book
The heavy thunk of the large box starts your heart racing with excitement. You thank the delivery person and take a deep, slow breath to soak up the moment, then cut through the packing tape to reveal the treasure inside: a full case of published books. Your published book. You’ve really done it. You pick up a copy and feel the weight and substance of it in your hands knowing that, in this moment, your life is about to change forever.
Imagine you are on a stage, reading from your book to an audience full of people who are inspired by your story and activated by your deep, soulful message.
Imagine knowing how it feels in your nervous system to have accomplished not just your creative or artistic goal, but, as poet laureate Joy Harjo so powerfully describes it, one of your major lifetime tasks: sharing your story as an offering to those who need it most.
Imagine aligning effortlessly with ideal students, clients, and opportunities—without having to spend all your energy on marketing—because your book represents you and your work in the world.
Imagine your book as a magical calling card, granting you access into circles with other writers, creators, and global visionaries.
Imagine just how right it will feel to stand in the center of your story, as Brené Brown says, no longer hustling for your worth around the edges.
Imagine not needing to imagine anymore, because you committed to yourself and to your story. You trusted that if you found the right container and showed up to do the work, your book would come to life. And it did.
You can absolutely get there…but it all begins with a first draft.
We can get you from that vision to actually writing your memoir or personal story-based non-fiction book. And if you complete that first draft in a year, we will support you in finding your path to publishing.
What’s Really at Stake
Are you haunted by a deep knowing that something is missing in your life—something central not only to the world, but to your own well being?
Have you always hidden your brilliance? Spent years tamping yourself down, allowing your genius to be relegated to the background? Been afraid to stand boldly in the center of your story and your value as a person?
Do you wake up on birthdays or New Years to a little voice whispering that another year has gone by and you still haven’t written your book?
Can you feel like the spirit of your book speaking to you, nudging or maybe even nagging that this story needs to be told? That you’re playing smaller than you really are? Is it frustrating? Do you understand that the stakes are high for it, too?
Do you feel trapped in a job that you don’t love? Or, are you struggling in your business as a therapist, healer, or coach without enough ideal students or clients?
And do you know in your bones that a book would radically alter all of this for the better by aligning your public perception with your soul’s purpose and opening the door for you to step into your bigger life?
I Totally Get It
I am a story worker, heart and soul…but I didn’t always dream of becoming an author. My dream (the one that drove me crazy and woke me up, nagging, every morning) was to do a one-person show.
I learned to write so that I could share my story on stage. Which I did! I even received accolades, amazing reviews, and standing ovations. But it wasn’t until I published a book, almost by accident, that my life’s work revealed itself and I was truly seen in the world.
That was 20 years ago, but I would absolutely not be where I am today, offering the work that I do and having supported thousands of people in telling their own stories, without that book having seen the light of day.
Once The Cancer Monologue Project found its readers, I learned just how powerful a personal calling card a book actually is. Although I had written and shared my story onstage in three different original shows, nothing made the kind of impact—on my readers or in my own life—that publishing did.
That’s because it not only showcased my clients, students, and their stories, it also centered my process and revealed something about who I am as a story worker and the work that I do in the world.
I knew the work itself was powerful, but I was shocked by the opportunities that this book opened for me.
First there was the PR.
Yes, I got into Oprah magazine and, yes, I got into NPR and Rosie O'Donnell's magazine, and all the things, but it wasn’t until the publicity hit that I really understood the power that a book was going to give me.
For the first time I was getting offers from organizations all over the country to lead workshops, some of them with six-figure advances. Storytelling organizations, hospitals, wellness centers, visionary conferences like The Bioneers. The reach for my work was suddenly exponentially wider.
And all of this made it possible for me to fully, officially launch my business as a story coach and truly begin the work that I’m still doing to this day.
What Happens in the Memoir Lab?
The Somatic Writing™ methodology is very unique in its approach. I created it—along with my students and the editors and story coaches on my team, who have vast experience in writing, performance, publishing, editing, and storytelling—as a way to access not only your richest stories, but the deepest aspects of your soul.
In the Story Archeology part of our work together, you’ll use your senses to drop into live, shimmering images, the stories that live in the fire and bones of your body. Archetypal stories, turning-point stories that carry the code of meaning and truth that will make your readers catch their breath and see their own lives in a new way.
In the Story Architecture aspects of the program, you’ll work through a step-by-step program designed specifically to support artists, actors, psychotherapists, coaches, facilitators, teachers, and the many depth-based creative people who are drawn to our community in setting and achieving clear, tangible goals.
You’ll be guided and held in a principled container that makes intentional space for the linear and the nonlinear, the concrete and the liminal, the creative work and the analytical process of crafting your story as an offering to the world.
It’s all about writing at the speed of your nervous system to complete your first draft in one year.
As Above, So Below. As Within, So Without.
Writing a book will likely be one of the most significant and meaningful experiences of your life. At Somatic Writing™, our purpose is to support you in writing not just any book, but one that is born from your soul to connect powerfully with the audience that needs it. A book not as an object, but a living gift with a spirit in its own right.
The work that you’ll experience in this container is nothing short of magic.
In active relationship with the spirit of the book that lives inside of you, you’ll alchemize your lived truth into a powerful offering in story form. As you fulfill the deep soul contract to complete this work, you will also be actively shifting the energy in your life, making space for whole new possibilities to present themselves.
Once the book is published the magic continues, calling external reality into alignment with your newly claimed agency, authority, and identity. The path is different, of course, for each author and each book, but our clients have been thrilled to report experiences like:
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Generating more income;
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Making new, more soul-centered connections;
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Feeling aligned with right livelihood;
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Receiving opportunities for visibility, like speaking engagements, interviews, and more;
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Standing in the deeper stories of their own lives with the artistry;
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Celebrating the fulfillment of a life’s dream.
But the greatest magic of all might be seeing how your story will shift, inspire, and activate the lives of others.
Join our 12-month Program
What You’ll Get
Memoir Lab: First Draft
$10,000.00
-
Structured curriculum for manuscript completion;
-
Group workshop sessions to receive constructive feedback;
-
Weekly writing circles to strengthen your voice and hone your craft;
-
Monthly writing retreats with Tanya to break through blocks to becoming an author;
-
Monthly group session on story structure with a guest teacher/author;
-
Magical writers accountability
sessions on the new and full moons; -
Written feedback on up to 5,000 words per month in a private Slack channel;
-
Lifetime membership in our Facebook community of Memoir Lab alumni and current students.
-
One private “Mapping Your Memoir” follow-up session (75 mins), to be used anytime during your program;
* Pay-in-Full Bonus *
Invitation-only access to our August 2022
Book Proposal Weekend with special guest publishers, editors and agents.
Memoir Lab Group Coaching Package
(Pay in Full)
Memoir Lab Group Coaching Package
(3 Month Payment Plan)
Memoir Lab: Guided Author
$15,000.00
-
Structured curriculum for manuscript completion;
-
Group workshop sessions to receive constructive feedback;
-
Weekly writing circles to strengthen your voice and hone your craft;
-
Monthly writing retreats with Tanya to break through blocks to becoming an author;
-
Monthly group session on story structure with a guest teacher/author;
-
Magical writers accountability sessions on the new and full moons;
-
Written feedback on up to 5,000 words per month in a private Slack channel;
-
Lifetime membership in our Facebook community of Memoir Lab alumni and current students;
-
Access to the program recordings and curriculum for one full calendar year after completion of the program;
-
Twelve editorial feedback/accountability coaching sessions (40 mins) with a one-on-one Story Coach from our team of professional editors, published authors, and graduate-level writing teachers;
-
One private “Mapping Your Memoir” coaching session (75 mins) to start the year;
* Pay-in-Full Bonus #1 *
Invitation-only access to our August 2022
Book Proposal Weekend with special guest publishers, editors and agents.
* Pay-in-Full Bonus #2 *
A private, one-hour session with Tanya to help you map your publishing strategy, including referrals to agents, publishers and/or editors.
Memoir Lab Private Coaching Package
(Pay in Full)
Memoir Lab Private Coaching Package
(3 Month - Payment Plan)
Is Memoir Lab for Me?
At Somatic Writing, we’re devoted to supporting powerful, culture-shifting stories. We’ve designed Memoir Lab to be a crucible in which the books most needed in this time can be brought artfully and intentionally to life.
Our students share in this vision, whether they’ve published in the past or are just beginning their very first book. Not only are they inspired to offer their personal stories as a medium for meaningful change, they are also:
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Dedicated to a regular writing practice;
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Aligned with our values of inclusion, anti-racism, decolonization, and liberation for all;
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Willing to do the tough inner work of dismantling systemic oppression necessary to make their books relevant in our culture;.
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Far enough along in their personal healing journeys to write from a grounded, self-empowered place;
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Well resourced, however they interpret that for themselves, with a solid support system in place so that, if trauma does get triggered in the course of this deep work, they know they won’t be harmed.
If this speaks to who you are–as a person, a creator, and at the heart of your author’s identity–we would be honored to welcome you into our container.
“Tanya has been the ancient midwife of my story. She cradled me, wept with me, sang me through my grief, coaxed my words, and gently guided me to the courage to birth my voice.
She once said to me, ‘I can’t promise you safety here.’ In its place, she supported me in the ultimate radical soul liberation - the telling of my story.”
– Melissa Kaplan
Author & Somatic Therapist
So many unexpected gains from my work with Somatic Writing – so much to thank you for. The steady support all year, encouragement, view-from-without, and inspiration, all made writing my book finally possible. I have learned so much about myself, have become a better writer, and have embraced parts of myself I did not even see until I started working with you, and practicing somatic writing with others online. I am eternally grateful!"
– Dr. Stacey Kerr
M.D, Author
“Tanya gave us the space to open up and believe that we all have an important story to tell. She gave us permission to be our truest, messiest, and most magnificent selve and then helped us get it all written down. Tanya also has a knack for attracting high-frequency, extraordinarily successful people from all walks of life - from doctors to therapists to well known actors on TV- and it has been a gift of a lifetime to become part of a community of writers with all of them.”
– Eva DeVirgilis
Actor, playwright, TED speaker
Tanya has a gift and that gift is to help you find the deepest truth, and then she holds your feet to the fire until you tell it to the best of your ability.
Being in the group is so supportive -- taking the isolation out of being a writer, and also out of the past I’m writing about in which I felt so alone. It's helping me find the voice I lost as a child, or probably more accurately never had or developed, and giving it the space to develop now."
– Diana Lightmoon
Psychotherapist & Writer
“Tanya gave us the space to open up and believe that we all have an important story to tell. She gave us permission to be our truest, messiest, and most magnificent selve and then helped us get it all written down. Tanya also has a knack for attracting high-frequency, extraordinarily successful people from all walks of life - from doctors to therapists to well known actors on TV- and it has been a gift of a lifetime to become part of a community of writers with all of them.”
– Eva DeVirgilis
Actor, playwright, TED speaker
– Sara Vos
Creative Director at Vos Holistic Services
Tanya has a gift and that gift is to help you find the deepest truth, and then she holds your feet to the fire until you tell it to the best of your ability.
Being in the group is so supportive -- taking the isolation out of being a writer, and also out of the past I’m writing about in which I felt so alone. It's helping me find the voice I lost as a child, or probably more accurately never had or developed, and giving it the space to develop now."
– Diana Lightmoon
Psychotherapist & Writer
“Tanya Taylor Rubinstein is the Story Shaman. Let us not use this word lightly. What she does, better than anyone I’ve met, is weave your calling, God’s purpose, and the mundane trivialities of life into a vibrant tapestry, called Story. These stories heal, inspire and ignite in ways you never imagined. When you receive the call to be with her, listen.”
– Susan Crowther
Author & Editor
“I have been coached and trained by over 50 writers across the world, some with huge international recognition, and not one has ever opened me to myself the way Tanya does. Tanya is a powerful guide through the chaotic and often painful journey of writing and discovery.
If you've decided to write directly toward the truth no matter where it goes and you've found it challenging, lonely or scary... this is the answer. If you are a writer or aspiring to be, and you want a safe and powerful container to find your voice in writing, I can't recommend Tanya enough.”
– Andraya Allen
Founder of Vox Verba & Writer
“Tanya gave us the space to open up and believe that we all have an important story to tell. She gave us permission to be our truest, messiest, and most magnificent selve and then helped us get it all written down. Tanya also has a knack for attracting high-frequency, extraordinarily successful people from all walks of life - from doctors to therapists to well known actors on TV- and it has been a gift of a lifetime to become part of a community of writers with all of them.”
– Eva DeVirgilis
Actor, playwright, TED speaker
Join our 12-month Program
What You’ll Get
Memoir Lab: First Draft
$10,000.00
-
Structured curriculum for manuscript completion;
-
Group workshop sessions to receive constructive feedback;
-
Weekly writing circles to strengthen your voice and hone your craft;
-
Monthly writing retreats with Tanya to break through blocks to becoming an author;
-
Monthly group session on story structure with a guest teacher/author;
-
Magical writers accountability
sessions on the new and full moons; -
Written feedback on up to 5,000 words per month in a private Slack channel;
-
Lifetime membership in our Facebook community of Memoir Lab alumni and current students.
-
One private “Mapping Your Memoir” follow-up session (75 mins), to be used anytime during your program;
* Pay-in-Full Bonus *
Invitation-only access to our August 2022
Book Proposal Weekend with special guest publishers, editors and agents.
Memoir Lab Group Coaching Package
(Pay in Full)
Memoir Lab Group Coaching Package
(3 Month Payment Plan)
Memoir Lab: Guided Author
$15,000.00
-
Structured curriculum for manuscript completion;
-
Group workshop sessions to receive constructive feedback;
-
Weekly writing circles to strengthen your voice and hone your craft;
-
Monthly writing retreats with Tanya to break through blocks to becoming an author;
-
Monthly group session on story structure with a guest teacher/author;
-
Magical writers accountability sessions on the new and full moons;
-
Written feedback on up to 5,000 words per month in a private Slack channel;
-
Lifetime membership in our Facebook community of Memoir Lab alumni and current students;
-
Access to the program recordings and curriculum for one full calendar year after completion of the program;
-
Twelve editorial feedback/accountability coaching sessions (40 mins) with a one-on-one Story Coach from our team of professional editors, published authors, and graduate-level writing teachers;
-
One private “Mapping Your Memoir” coaching session (75 mins) to start the year;
* Pay-in-Full Bonus #1 *
Invitation-only access to our August 2022
Book Proposal Weekend with special guest publishers, editors and agents.
* Pay-in-Full Bonus #2 *
A private, one-hour session with Tanya to help you map your publishing strategy, including referrals to agents, publishers and/or editors.
Memoir Lab Private Coaching Package
(Pay in Full)
Memoir Lab Private Coaching Package
(3 Month - Payment Plan)
Your Story. Your Book.
One Life-Changing Year.
If you know deep-down that you have a story that needs to be told...
If you’re tired of abandoning your projects and your dreams, or if you’ve published before but want to write your next book in a different, more aligned and authentic way….
If you’re finally ready to claim your Author’s Voice, write the book that’s burning inside you, and step into a bigger version of your life than you’ve dared to live before…
Memoir Lab was created for you.
Join us in a magical container, where you’ll make meaning of your life’s experiences and turn your story into an offering to the world. You’ll be nurtured as a writer, challenged to delve deeper, and guided every step of the way toward completion of your first draft over the course of one intense and intentional year.
If this invitation stirs something in you that’s been aching to be expressed for longer than you can remember, the choice is yours: This time…what if you say yes?
Join our 12-month Program
What You’ll Get
Memoir Lab: First Draft
$10,000.00
-
Structured curriculum for manuscript completion;
-
Group workshop sessions to receive constructive feedback;
-
Weekly writing circles to strengthen your voice and hone your craft;
-
Monthly writing retreats with Tanya to break through blocks to becoming an author;
-
Monthly group session on story structure with a guest teacher/author;
-
Magical writers accountability
sessions on the new and full moons; -
Written feedback on up to 5,000 words per month in a private Slack channel;
-
Lifetime membership in our Facebook community of Memoir Lab alumni and current students.
-
One private “Mapping Your Memoir” follow-up session (75 mins), to be used anytime during your program;
* Pay-in-Full Bonus *
Invitation-only access to our August 2022
Book Proposal Weekend with special guest publishers, editors and agents.
Memoir Lab Group Coaching Package
(Pay in Full)
Memoir Lab Group Coaching Package
(3 Month Payment Plan)
Memoir Lab: Guided Author
$15,000.00
-
Structured curriculum for manuscript completion;
-
Group workshop sessions to receive constructive feedback;
-
Weekly writing circles to strengthen your voice and hone your craft;
-
Monthly writing retreats with Tanya to break through blocks to becoming an author;
-
Monthly group session on story structure with a guest teacher/author;
-
Magical writers accountability sessions on the new and full moons;
-
Written feedback on up to 5,000 words per month in a private Slack channel;
-
Lifetime membership in our Facebook community of Memoir Lab alumni and current students;
-
Access to the program recordings and curriculum for one full calendar year after completion of the program;
-
Twelve editorial feedback/accountability coaching sessions (40 mins) with a one-on-one Story Coach from our team of professional editors, published authors, and graduate-level writing teachers;
-
One private “Mapping Your Memoir” coaching session (75 mins) to start the year;
* Pay-in-Full Bonus #1 *
Invitation-only access to our August 2022
Book Proposal Weekend with special guest publishers, editors and agents.
* Pay-in-Full Bonus #2 *
A private, one-hour session with Tanya to help you map your publishing strategy, including referrals to agents, publishers and/or editors.