The Narrative Project

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story within you." ~Maya Angelou
;

You have a story to tell…

and you know your story will be meaningful to others—perhaps to your family, perhaps to a much wider audience. You’ve attended writing classes, workshops, and conferences. You’ve bought books on the writing life and set intentions to get your writing done. So where is that book? We will give you EVERYTHING YOU NEED to complete a draft of your memoir that is ready for its final developmental edit in nine months!

The Narrative Project is for you if…

  • You are serious about writing your book
  • You know your story must be told
  • You’ve gotten stuck in the starting and stopping loop more than a few times and know you need help

FREE — Mastermind Your Book

WRITERS! Are you stuck? Can’t figure out what to do with a character, untangle a plot, identify the beginning or ending, or something else entirely? Come MASTERMIND YOUR BOOK for FREE with The Narrative Project! During this hour bonus class you will have the opportunity to crack your story open and find the “What” and the “So-what” and get clear on where to go next.

Join us on your lunch break every second Thursday of the month, from 12-1 p.m. Pacific Time.

SIGN UP HERE

Get Your Book Done! Program Overview

  • Nine-month program in a virtual classroom. All sessions are recorded.
  • Narrative skills-building classes monthly (virtual) and two in-person retreats in the Pacific Northwest.
  • Editorial group of no more than FOUR writers guided by a published author. Meets twice monthly.
  • A private Facebook group to stay connected and share resources.
  • Five individual coaching sessions to work with mindset, organization, skills, and stuckness.
  • Publication in an anthology of your peers!!!
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Philosophy

One becomes a good writer by becoming a good reader. The Narrative Project requires writers to read and critique the work of others in a very specific way. This is part of the skills-building process. We are committed to helping you get your book written and to you building the skills, schedule, and support you need to that end.

Schedule a free consultation

Schedule a free consultation

Your Chief Story Warrior

Cami is the author of the quest memoir Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents and the co-editor of two anthologies of memoirs. She has coached hundreds of writers of all ages through the completion of projects varying in length from short poems to very, very long books. She has a passion for story! As a psychotherapist and as a writer, Cami excels at helping people figure out what it is they REALLY have to say. Her gift is to break down the daunting tasks in life into manageable bite-sized pieces for people so they can experience success.

More About Cami

Testimonials from students

"Cami’s keen instructions, insights, gentle guidance and authentic caring for my writing woke my writer up! I have more enthusiasm for my writing now and more knowledge with which to approach my projects. I am more confident and joyous in my writing thanks to Cami!”

—JJ Joshua, Intuitive Coach and Self-help Author

"I was #1 in Russian Travel and I've won the Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award for 2014! I even had the chance to do a book reading at the Kazakh Embassy in DC. My book journey is going well and Cami made that happen."

—Janet Givens, author of At Home on the Kazakh Steppe: A Peace Corps Memoir

"When I hired Cami as a developmental editor for my memoir, my manuscript felt like a massive ball of tangled yarn. With her years of experience as a therapist, Cami has a keen eye for identifying themes, motivations, and resolutions, which allowed her to masterfully pull the threads of my story out of the mess. She laid them across the arc of my book with precision. Cami helped me to produce the book I truly wanted to write.”

—Colleen Haggerty, author of A Leg to Stand On

"Cami is a talented writer with a special devotion to bringing out the best in other people's work. I contributed an essay to her book, Beyond Belief, and communicated with her on developmental edits for my piece. Her direction and notes were so valuable to bringing my storytelling to greater heights, and I am impressed at the level of care and detail she showed for each of her many contributors. I highly recommend working with Cami, and I recommend her books too!"

—Erin Seaward-Hiatt, contributing author in Beyond Belief

"If it had not been for finding Cami and the Narrative Project, I would still be limping through a terrible first draft, picking at line edits. Instead, in two and a half years I have transformed the narrative of the memoir I have been dinking away at for decades. The Narrative Project has provided me with more tools than I even knew I needed. Instead of dreading the writing that goes nowhere, I am enjoying the ride, creating new possibilities and diving in to discover more ways to share with the words that are just right."

—Lora Hein

"I started with half a dozen personal essays. After eighteen months of hard work along with the smart feedback, keen eyes, and pertinent, invaluable critique from this program's leaders and members, I finally had the first draft of my memoir!"

—Renee DeMont

"I participated in the first Narrative Project program in October of 2016 after returning from a three-week solo backpack trip in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains with the specific intention of using that trip as the basis for a memoir I hoped to write. I had absolutely no idea how to start this project, but by the end of the program, I had a structure within which to write and a full  140,000-word rough draft! I can say with certainty that I would not be where I am with my memoir were it not for this well-structured and accountability-based phenomenal program."

—Kathie Tupper

"After I suffered a traumatic brain injury, I wanted to explore the experience in a memoir. I started working with Cami Ostman in her nine-month Narrative Project course, and I followed up with her Next Chapter course the following year. I wrote somewhat slowly because of my injuries, but Cami supported my work, offered numerous suggestions for getting through the draft, and gave me many tools to understand what I was trying to express and how to do it. If you have a story to tell but have not been able to get yourself started, I cannot recommend highly enough the Narrative Project program as a way to push yourself, as well as create the best possible version of your story."

—Seán Dwyer

"The Narrative Project gave me everything I needed to shape mountains of research into the book I envisioned. More importantly, I have made lifelong friends and we have continued to support each other as we bring our stories into the world."
—Anne
"Dabbling for over twenty years at writing the stories of my life with my husband and four children in Africa and Asia, I realized I did not know what I was doing when it came to writing my memoir. I attended one of Cami’s free writing workshops and committed my time and energy to her nine-month program. Cami Ostman and my critique group helped me find the threads that pulled my stories together and see myself as a writer. "
—Tori
"On a chilly September day in 2018, I entered Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park to attend a free one-day seminar held by Cami Ostman. Having never attended a writing workshop, I had preconceived notions that I would write. While I didn't write that day, the kindling within my soul was sparked and my desire to write my story ceased being a dream and began to be a reality. I joined the 9-month program and went from 0 words on the page to over 70,000. I learned about the writing process, themes, and gained new confidence in my ability to write. The best is yet to come!"
—KristiLyn

"In my 18 months with the Narrative Project, I have learned that a writer doesn't write alone. TNP fosters a community of value beyond payment or description. The support is that of a healthy family, and the critique is that of an inspiring Masters program. The Narrative Project has provided me with an all-inclusive roadmap for how to live my dream as a published writer, and the confidence to get my butt in the chair."

—Anni

"Over the past 50 years, I have made many attempts to write my story, but my unhealed trauma would rise whenever I tried. Cami Ostman created a safe enough space...Before I knew it, I had the beginnings of a book that I now feel I am meant to complete. This program offers the necessary support for becoming a writer who tells the truth. It's not for the faint of heart, and both requires and nurtures courage. Cami and her highly-skilled and tenderhearted coaching team do their level best to make damn sure you don't fall between the cracks."

—Renee

Get Your Book Done!

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