Memoir Foundations

Shape Your Story into a Book That Makes a Difference

Book A Call The Book Marketing Strategy Canvas

You've Been Carrying This Story for Years

The betrayal that blindsided you, the burnout that knocked you sideways, the illness that kicked you in the shins. Or maybe just the Tuesday afternoon when you finally chose yourself because, frankly, giving everyone else your last Rolo was getting exhausting.

You know what you went through could actually help someone. Not in an ‘everything happens for a reason’ way – absolutely not.

But in a ‘here’s what nobody told me and I had to figure it out the hard way’ kind of way. You’ve imagined someone reading your book at 2 am when they can’t sleep, thinking, ‘Oh, thank god, so it’s not just me then.

But right now, your story’s all over the place. It’s bits and pieces in your head – stuff that hits you when you’re washing your hair, anger that bubbles up at traffic lights, insights you can’t quite put into words yet, even though you bloody well lived through them.

You’ve tried to start. Opened a blank document, stared at that blinking cursor for twenty minutes, then closed your laptop feeling like more of an idiot and confused than when you started. Because shockingly, there’s no GCSE in ‘turning your messy breakdown-breakthrough into a book that doesn’t just waffle on about your feelings.

What's Actually Stopping You

Why Most Authors Fail at Book Marketing (and How to Avoid It)

It’s not the writing bit. You can write; you do it all the time. Emails, texts, rage-filled journal entries at 11 pm. Blimey, you’ve probably already written thousands of words about what you went through.

What’s missing is structure. I’m not talking about the rigid, paint-by-numbers kind that squashes your messy journey into tidy chapters. But the actual structure that shows how the transformation really works, while still giving readers something they can follow and love you for.

You need to know:

Which bits of your story actually belong in the book (and which bits don’t)
How to organise them without losing what really happened
Where the useful stuff is hiding in your experience
How to mix story and insight without sounding like a self-help guru standing on one leg at the top of a mountain

You need the freaking map before you write 60,000 words down a dead end.

What Foundation Actually Gives You

Eight weeks to go from ‘I think I might have a book in me’ to ‘I know exactly what I’m writing.

We start by digging up your raw material

The evidence of a life lived.

Not the polished version you think you should share. The real stuff -the memories that still sting, the moments your body remembers even when your brain’s trying to move on and those moments that hurt your heart to acknowledge.

You’ll brain dump everything.

In a creative and intuitive way. Record voice memos for the bits you can’t type out. Notice when your shoulders creep up or your jaw clenches as you write. Chase what genuinely pulls at you, not what sounds like it should be in a book.

Then we take all that messy material

And map it to The Wild Heart Journey’s eight phases: Dark Beginning, First Wild Steps, Meeting Resistance, Deepening Understanding, Truth Revealed, Becoming the Guide, Releasing the Old, Transformed Return.

Isn’t that delicious?

Your story decides

The direction.

Which phases get multiple chapters, which ones can be combined, where to put the emphasis. I’m not squashing your experience into my framework. We’re using the framework to spot the structure that’s already sitting there in your story.

By week six

You’ll find where story and wisdom naturally overlap. Not lessons you’ve shoehorned in or any sanitised suffering. Just the bits where your particular experience shows something that’s universally true.

By week eight

You’ll walk away with a complete chapter-by-chapter outline. You’ll know exactly which scenes land in which chapters, what each one’s actually about, and how it all hangs together.

This isn’t the writing. This is what makes the writing possible without losing your mind.

What You Get

Included

8 weekly 90-minute group calls (max 8 women)
All chapter frameworks and unearthing questions for the 8 phases
AI prompt library for organising your thoughts (not writing for you)
Private community space for sharing breakthroughs between calls
Workbook for capturing your raw material as it surfaces

Deliverables you’ll walk away with:

Complete 8-phase map of your transformation
Chapter-by-chapter outline with scene and story lists
Understanding of where your wisdom emerges organically from your story
Clarity about which book you’re actually writing

Is This For You?

This Program Is For You If…

You’ve got a transformation story that’s ready to become a book. In fact, you are more than ready. You have a calling to make a difference. You have seen how the world is evolving, and you know this is your time. You need structure, but you also want flow and someone who will hold space, hear what you aren’t saying and hold you through the vulnerability of telling your truth.

You’re willing to write from where you actually are, not from some fake ‘I’ve got it all sorted’ place. You can handle honest (with love) feedback about the bits you’re still figuring out. You know that being in the middle of it all is exactly what gives you strength.

You thrive with group energy and shared vulnerability. You want to hear other women’s transformations because it helps you understand your own better.

This Programme Is NOT For You If:

You’re looking for therapy through writing. That will happen naturally, but it’s really important that you work with your therapist first if you’re still in the middle of it.

You’re still in acute trauma and need healing before sharing. Heal first. Write later. I mean this with love.

You want someone to write your book for you or tell you exactly what to say. This is your story, your voice, your work.

You can’t commit to showing up for eight weeks or doing the work. Missing calls means missing the foundation that makes everything else work.

You want an AI-driven solution. We work with creativity, heart and intuition first, then AI as a tool, not a replacement.

You have a history of abandoning projects when they get hard. I’m here to support you, but I need to know you’re genuinely ready to see this through.

What Happens After The Foundation?

Some women take their outline and crack on alone. Others join Tier 2 (the 6-month writing programme) to get weekly accountability, feedback on drafts, and group support all the way through.

No obligation to continue. But you’ll be ready if you do.

Ready To Rock?

The Details

Investment: £997

Next cohort starts: Date TBA

There are 8 spots. When they’re full, that’s it until the next round.

Please book in for a call to see if we are right for each other and for me to learn more about you and your book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I'm not a good writer?

You don’t need to be. This part isn’t about writing, it’s about getting your story and self-help ideas out.

Most people find that when they have a great outline writing becomes easy. And truthfully, writing gets better the more you practice,

Do I need to have it all figured out?

Absolutely not. That’s the whole point. Your messy middle IS your strength. You don’t need to pretend you’ve got it all sorted.

I wrote my book, Words From The Wild, from the messy middle.

How is this different from therapy?

Therapy is for processing. This is for shaping what you’ve already processed into something that helps other people. If you’re still in the thick of acute pain, you need therapy first. And that’s ok.

What if my story isn't interesting enough?

This question comes up so often, and it’s like pre-show nerves. There are many similar story themes, but no one has your lived experience or knows how you got through it.

It doesn’t need to be dramatic to be valuable. What makes a memoir work isn’t how big the crisis was; it’s how honestly you tell it.

What about my family reading this?

This is a great question which we address properly from many perspectives, including the legal one. You’ll learn how to share in a way that creates boundaries and protects you. This is your truth, and you get to decide how to tell it.

Still Not Sure?

Either email me at dd@daledarley.com or book a discovery call. Tell me where you are with your story and what you’re struggling with. I’ll tell you honestly whether Foundation is right for you or if you need something else first.