The Guided Autobiography

We all have stories to tell. What’s yours?

If you’ve ever wondered about how you might tackle writing your story, the Guided Autobiography Process is here to help. This process is designed to help participants tap into their life experiences and transform them into compelling stories. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, GAB offers a structured, supportive environment to explore your memories, reflect on your life, and create meaningful narratives.

Write your story, two pages at a time.

GAB 101 Course structure

Participants meet weekly for 90-minute sessions over the course of eight weeks. Participants should plan on spending at least one hour outside of class completing their writing assignments.

Benefits of the GAB Process

  • Gain personal insight and self-understanding - discover patterns and explore pivot points

  • Enhance emotional well-being - expressive writing brings clarity and relieves stress 

  • Develop storytelling skills - articulate and share your experience with other writers

  • Bond with others - share experiences in a safe and welcoming place

  • Preserve memories - create a legacy

  • Watch bottom-up history come alive with personal stories from the past

  • Strengthen family bonds - preserve stories and connect generations

Current Course Offerings

My GAB Story

My tenth-grade English teacher once told me:

”You’ll never be a writer. It’s a good thing you’re good at Math.”

As a 16-year-old, I took this to heart and never believed in my writing abilities, until early 2025. A friend of mine mentioned classes being offered at Bellevue College (Bellevue, WA) and I saw the Guided Autobiography offering. In the back of my mind, I had always wanted to write my story, but it sat on the back burner for decades, as I had no idea where to start.

On the first day of class, I showed up, looked around, and wondered if I would return for a second class. But then, we were assigned a simple prompt: ‘Tell me about a kitchen from your childhood’. As I started to write, the words poured out from a place I didn’t know existed. Memories came back. Details I hadn’t thought of in decades came to light.

It was extraordinary. Then came our first homework assignment: write a 2-page essay (800-1000 words) on a new topic. I couldn’t wait to get home to write.

On the second day of class, we shared our essays with our small group members. Their stories and writing styles were so different from mine. I enjoyed every word of them. There was so much to learn.

As we met, week by week, our group became closer, sharing more stories on new topics. By the eighth class, we didn’t want things to end. So we all signed up for a second round to maintain the group. More stories, more writing.

We continued to meet, write, and share new stories over the summer after the second round of classes ended. We’re still together.

I discovered a writer inside of me who had been dormant all this time. I found this experience to be so beautiful, I decided to get certified to teach this process. So here I am. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.