Your Life, Your Story – Darrell Gartrell.

Your Life,
Your Story

A memoir-writing workshop for young writers

Every student has a story — they just need help finding where it begins.

In this hands-on workshop, students turn real memories into short, meaningful memoir pieces through storytelling, guided discussion, and simple writing exercises. They’ll move beyond what happened and start discovering why it mattered.

“A memory is not just something that happened. A memoir is what you discovered because it happened.”

Students will learn to:

01 Tell the difference between memoir and autobiography

02 Choose a meaningful memory from their own life

03 Find the "small moment" inside a bigger experience

04 Bring a story to life with sensory detail, dialogue, and setting

05 Shape a personal story with reflection and voice

Workshop Options

Introductory Presentation

60–90 minutes.
Perfect for classrooms, assemblies, libraries, and youth programs.

Half-Day Writing Workshop

2–4 hours.
Ideal for enrichment days, private and charter schools, and homeschool groups.

Multi-Day Memoir Residency

3–5 sessions.
With an optional final reading, classroom anthology, or parent showcase.

BEST FOR: All age groups· English Language Arts · Creative Writing · Summer Enrichment · Libraries · Homeschool Groups · Youth Organizations

WHY IT WORKS: Students are naturally curious about real life. Memoir writing gives them a way to explore family, friendship, change, culture, humor, mistakes, and courage — while building confidence, empathy, structure, and a stronger personal voice.

About Darrell

Darrell Gartrell is an author, educator, and international entrepreneur whose life and work have taken him across the United States, Japan, and China. He is the author of 21 Years of Wisdom: One Man’s Extraordinary Odyssey in Japan and holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership. As founder and director of Wisdom21 Language Schools in Japan, he trained teachers, developed curriculum, and built an educational business serving international learners.

Available for schools, libraries, youth programs, homeschool groups, and enrichment organizations. Bring a working author and international educator into your classroom to help students discover the stories only they can tell.

Workshops for high school, college, and adult groups are also available — reach out to discuss your audience.