May I Tell

Your Story?

Legacy and Remembrance Writing

Before stories disappear, let’s capture them.

The memories that shape a life — the funny ones, the hard ones, the unexpected ones — deserve to be heard and remembered. I work with individuals and families personally to gently draw out those stories and preserve them as memoirs, narrative biographies, recorded conversations, and personal legacy documents. It’s a meaningful process for the storyteller and an extraordinary gift for the people who love them.

Services

BetsyAnn Faiella is a writer and interviewer with three decades of experience in communications.

“I’m deeply interested in peoples’ stories and lives in the later chapters— a time 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 unrushed. The result is something the whole family or friend group can hold onto—something honest, precious and lasting.

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  

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • When words can feel hard to find, 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.

  • 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.

  • 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  

  • Every story unfolds differently, but the process is simple and relaxed.

    We begin with a conversation on Zoom or similar, phone or in person if you are in the New York area.
    We talk about the memories and stories you want to capture, the format that feels right, and the pace that works for you or your loved one.

    Guided storytelling sessions
    Through comfortable, thoughtful conversations, I help draw out the stories, the memories. 

    Shaping the story
    I organize and shape the stories into the format you choose — a memoir, recorded story collection, legacy letter, family document, etc.

    A lasting piece for your family

    You receive something tangible and meaningful that can be shared with family and friends, and keep as part of your family history.

  • The memoir work is often 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 fully

    You may have a particular story you want to tell, or many stories! 

  • Each project is unique, but 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

    The format is determined during the discovery conversation. 

    These stories become something families return to again and again — a record of a life, a voice, and a perspective that might otherwise be lost.

  • Written estimate is determined after initial conversation. It will reflect, in detail, the request.