there comes a time
when the decades behind us
stretch further than the years ahead of us
for many the decades pass in silence
telling stories changes that
through a series of gentle conversations I create
Memoir
Legacy Letter
& Last Words
Echoing your own voice
Begin while the story is still yours to tell
Inside the stories
Your questions answered
What’s Telling Stories all about?
Telling Stories is a private writing studio committed to recording the parts of our lives that are too precious to disappear. Stories that were never fully spoken. Memories that still ache decades later. Conversations families never knew they needed until it was too late to ask.
My work focuses on four literary offerings: Memoirs, Legacy Letters, Last Words & The Unspoken
With the optional additions of Audio Narration and Print Editions.
Do I need to have my thoughts organised?
Of course not. We begin with fragments. Memories rarely return on call and often emerge unexpectedly — a song that comes on the radio, lying awake at night or catching sight of somebody in the street who reminds you of someone.
Sometimes memory hides itself inside ordinary things. An old birthday card tucked into a drawer. Wrapping paper kept for no reason. A faded newspaper clipping. Receipts from places long gone. The colour of a kitchen wall. The scent of perfume on an old coat or leather handbag stashed at the back of a wardrobes
Memories surface gently around real life, allowing stories to return in their own way and in their own time.
How does the process work?
It starts with a complimentary 30 minute clarity call — a quiet first conversation to explore your story, no preparation needed.
From there, if you choose to begin, you will be guided on the next steps whereby memories are gathered gently. Guided conversations then help uncover the deeper stories beneath the surface — the people, places, the joy, the turning points, the humour and significant turning events that shaped your life.
Are the conversations formal interviews?
Not at all. They are relaxed, guided conversations designed to gently uncover the moments and memories that matter. Many people describe the process as reflective, emotional and considered. If you prefer you can have a trusted loved one present to support you!
Can I review the draft?
Yes of course. You will receive a draft copy to refine details, add memories, request edits and ensure everything feels completely and unmistakably yours.
What do I receive?
All projects include a professionally prepared digital copy ready for private keeping, printing or sharing with loved ones.
Optional additions include hardback books, premium keepsake printing, audio narration and memorial presentation copies.
How long does the process take?
Every story moves differently. Generally speaking: Memoir projects take about 10–14 weeks depending on the pace and depth of the story. Legacy Letters within 2–3 weeks. Last Words within 3–4 weeks.
The Unspoken within 2-3 weeks. The process is not rushed — it is considered and adaptable.
Stories evolve naturally
Investment
Memoir $2890 Your life, gathered and given back to you as a book.
Guided recollection and conversations
Your memories gathered, organised and shaped into a beautifully written narrative
Edited hardback book of 55–80 pages, professionally printed with cover design
Completed over 12–14 weeks
Legacy Letter $670 What you'd say, if you finally let yourself say it.
A beautifully written letter for children, partners, family or dear friends, written in your voice
Approximately 2–5 pages
Presented on premium archival paper, in calligraphy or your own sampled handwriting
Completed over 2–4 weeks
Last Word $880 Your voice, carried by the people you leave behind.
Your final reflections, memories, guidance and personal messages, preserved in your own words
Includes a professionally written obituary, eulogy and order of service, final inscriptions and a will-reading preamble
Presented in a personalised A5 colour folder for guests to receive and be guided by
Completed over 4–6 weeks
The Unspoken $680 For what you've never felt safe enough to say aloud.
A gentle, allied-support writing service to sit alongside therapy, reflection or personal healing
For the stories around grief, estrangement, trauma, regret, survival and identity
Approximately 3–7 pages, presented on parchment in calligraphy or your own sampled hand
Completed over 2–3 weeks
Audio Narration, on request. Your voice, kept for those who come after.
Professional narration or voice recreation where possible
Captures accent, dialect, humour, personality, tone and emotional presence
Whether you tell your story in your own voice or create a lasting recording for future generations, narration adds what words alone can't
Are payment plans available?
Yes. If cost is holding you back, please still reach out. Your story doesn't lose its importance simply because life becomes financially difficult — wherever possible, every effort will be made to help preserve what matters.
How do I begin?
Book a complimentary 30 minute clarity call to get started!
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What I know now
Is that most lives end up reduced to a few lines, a handful of memories, fragmented versions of who someone was.
It doesn’t have to be that way
I grew up in Ireland, where silence was a virtue and secrets were taken to the grave. For all the gift of the gab, the craic, the warmth and the wit — the silence was sometimes deafening. Beneath the surface ran a veneer of respectability, and beneath that, shame. Things happened that were never spoken of. People who existed, erased. Because the truth was considered too dangerous, too costly, too much. Their memories and experiences taken to the grave. The story of who they were, gone. Forever.
That's where I come from. It shapes everything I do.
I raised my family in Aotearoa New Zealand and spent years writing at the heart of government — formal, structured, human-centred work that taught me exactly what words do when they're considered and restrained and what's lost when the wrong ones are used.
I don't rush it. I'll meet you wherever you are — even in the "I don't know where to begin" and gently guide you until the words come. And when they do, they're yours, not mine.
If you don't tell your story, someone else will, inaccurately, briefly or not at all.
