May I Tell
Your Story?
Legacy and Remembrance Writing
Before stories disappear, let’s capture them.
“Wow, I wished we’d asked more questions.” “Wow, I thought we’d have more time.”
The memories that shape a life — the funny ones, the hard ones, the unexpected ones — deserve to be heard and remembered. BetsyAnn Faiella works with individuals and families personally to draw out those stories and preserve them as memoirs, narrative biographies, recorded conversations, and personal legacy documents.
No one has to be handed a list of questions that don’t “fit.”
What works is conversation—being asked the right questions, in the right way, with sensitivity and often humor, by a real person who knows how to listen and capture the voice of the subject. It’s a meaningful process for the storyteller and an extraordinary gift for the people who love them.
BetsyAnn Faiella is a writer and interviewer with three decades of experience in communications.
“I’m deeply interested in peoples’ stories and lives, especially the later years when what really matters comes into clearer focus. Through a series of relaxed conversations, I help people shape their memories and stories so they can be preserved for families and friends.
When I sit down with someone to listen, my goal is simple: to help them feel comfortable, seen, and un-rushed. The result is something the whole family or friend group can hold onto—something honest, lasting and treasured.
The many ways to honor a life are as unique as each person. I’m happy to work with you or your loved one to help capture these unique moments.”
BetsyAnn Faiella is a trained end-of-life doula certified by INELDA.
Services
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Your story holds meaning worth preserving. May I Tell Your Story? offers professional narrative biography authorship grounded in deep listening. Working personally with you or loved ones we shape life experiences into a well-crafted narrative, reflecting your true voice. Whether you’re preserving a personal legacy, shaping a professional story, or preparing a work for publication, we help ensure your story is engaging, authentic, and deeply human.
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Create a lasting legacy with an ethical will, designed to help you share your values, life lessons, and personal messages with loved ones. We guide you through a thoughtful, personalized process to capture your beliefs and hopes for future generations, ensuring your story and wisdom endure beyond a traditional legal will. Preserve your ethics, memories, and intentions—in a meaningful document crafted with care.
NOTE: This is NOT a binding legal document. -
When words can feel hard to find, and emotional chaos reigns, writing an obituary or eulogy can add to an already heavy emotional burden. May I Tell Your Story? offers compassionate authorship to help you craft a tribute that captures the deceased’s story, achievements, and personality, as well as what made them meaningful to those who loved them. My goal is to ease some of the stress of this difficult time by providing clear, respectful, and timely writing that results in a meaningful and lasting remembrance.
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Document the food, moments, traditions, and personal stories that made your loved one who they were. With their cherished recipes, photos, or with custom illustrations, we create a beautifully designed keepsake that captures their voice and legacy, to be treasured and shared for generations.
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The little ones need attention when a loved one dies, too. We work with kids on projects to memorialize a beloved relative, friend or pet with personalized memory books or cards.
How It Works
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Each type of service (memoir, bio, obit, etc.) has a slightly different framework and unfolds differently, but all begin with a complimentary 20-30 minute conversation to determine your needs and our chemistry.
If it feels like a fit, we schedule our sessions.
For Narrative Bios, Memoirs, Ethical Wills, Obits in advance:
This isn’t a questionnaire or a template. It’s a real series of conversations, shaped by a real person.
Through comfortable, thoughtful conversations, we draw out the stories, the memories, the important values you wish to leave behind.
I do the writing; you don’t have to “prepare” anything.
You review and shape it with me.
The final piece is something you can keep, share, or pass on. It’s a lasting memory for your family, friends or community.
Children’s Projects, Family Cookbooks, etc., are also personally written, with structure, timetable, etc. TBD
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The work is meaningful for:
• Parents or grandparents who want to share their life stories
• Families who wish they had asked more questions sooner
• People reflecting on the experiences that shaped them
• Adult children looking for a meaningful gift for a parent
• Anyone who wants their family to understand their life more fullyYou may have a particular story you want to tell, or many stories!
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Each project is unique. These stories and remembrances become something families return to again and again — a record of a life, a voice, and a perspective that might otherwise be lost.
Families often choose one of these formats:
A personal memoir — a thoughtfully written life story
Recorded story conversations — edited audio recordings of key memories
A legacy letter — reflections, values, and life lessons for loved ones
A family story collection/recipe collection — meaningful moments gathered into a keepsake document
For Kids: A special memory book or art project remembering a family member or friend, human or animal.
Formats are determined during the discovery conversation. -
Life Stories & Memoirs
Options:
Narrative Biography (3–4 conversations)
A focused narrative—childhood, career, a turning point, or “what matters most.”
Typical range: $1,500–$2,500Short Memoir / (4–8+ conversations)
A more complete life story, or capture of a significant event, shaped with care and structure.
Typical range: $3,000–$7,500+Full Length Memoir / TBD
Ethical Wills & Personal Reflections / About values, lessons, and what you want to pass on. Often written as a letter, sometimes as a narrative. These are among the most meaningful pieces I work on.
Typical range: $1,000–$3,000Obituaries & Final Tributes / Written in advance or at time of need. Straightforward, reflective, or even humorous—depending on the person. Always personal. Never generic.
Typical range: $800–$1,500Children’s Projects: TBD
Written estimate for all works are determined after initial conversation. Invoice will reflect, in detail, the request.