Legacy Stories

We all have stories… memories that if left unsaid can never be passed on.

Barbara and her Mother

After both of my parents passed, I wished I had a better record of their stories. 

I longed to know the experiences that shaped their lives and cultivated the wisdom that would inspire me, my children, and the grandchildren yet to come. I wanted something I could hold, something I could see.

Our stories live in all of us.

Some of them rise easily to the surface, and some need to be mined, like pearls. 

As a storyteller, filmmaker, skilled interviewer, and compassionate listener it will be my joy to guide you to the recollections that feel most meaningful. 

We will have conversations that spark memories. I will ask questions. I will give prompts. 

It can be as simple as the first movie you saw as a young girl, how you felt when you held your grandchild for the first time, or your first date, your favorite book, the places you’ve lived, and loved. Stories about hardship, losses, and how you tapped into your resilience. Stories about your parents. Even a recipe that’s been passed down.

Perhaps you want to share advice, your unique words of wisdom, the things you value most, the important lessons life has taught you.

You do not have to be a writer to share your stories.

If you’ve ever written a letter or kept a diary, or made a toast at a wedding, spoken about someone at a memorial service, or written an end of year family newsletter…. you have all you need to create legacy stories.

And each story, whether a paragraph or a page, is a gift for generations.  

What we can create together.

As a story whisperer I will gently (and often with humor) guide you into remembering. 

Pretty Writing Set Up

  • One on One Coaching 

    By Zoom or in person. I will guide you to find your stories through conversation and prompts. 

    $150 per hour, Two hour minimum 


    Coaching Package

    Six private one-hour sessions every other week.

    $1200

  • After one-on-one coaching, I will lightly edit your stories to make them sing!

    $180/hour

  • I will organize, oversee and outsource the design of a bound book for your family. You supply the stories that we’ve crafted, along with photos. Graphic design fee is separate.

    $100/hour

  • These are written as letters to yourself that tell a story, combined with letters to your loved ones. 

    $150/hour

  • Documentary style short film peppered with family photos, and music. Imagine a one-on- one interview in the comfort of your home, that will mine the pearls and capture your personality as you share meaningful memories of your life.  We will film this In partnership with Video Memoir Creations.

    Priced after consultation.

  • An intimate workshop setting with a group of no more than four. We will meet for two hours per week for three sessions. A wonderful experience to share with friends.

    $600

  • Gather your friends for an intimate one-day workshop with no more than six.

    11am-4pm; includes lunch and snacks at the Boulderwood Estate in Stockbridge, MA.

    $575

Barbara Newman, Author

My storytelling career began on Madison Avenue, in NYC where I was a Creative Director on iconic global brands. After hearing a story on NPR about the American cowgirl, I was drawn to her strong, courageous spirit and authentic way of being in the world. I traded high heels for cowboy boots and headed to out West to film a documentary about their lives. I fell in love with the wild landscape, the stars, rivers and rock, the sacred geometry of zinnias and fiddleheads, and the stories and medicine that were shared by tribal elders. It transformed me as a woman and inspired me to write my young adult eco-novel, The Dreamcatcher Codes, which is a love letter to Mother Earth and all her daughters.

I am currently working on my next book, a memoir in letters, and guiding people to share their legacy stories.