People’s lives make great stories!

Writing about people’s lives is exciting, lots of fun and, in some circumstances, financially very profitable. It’s also a great place to start your writing career.

People are fascinating – and fascinated by each other. And, it’s not just stories about the rich and famous that intrigue. Tales of adventure, overcoming adversity, a fall from grace, love, scandal, crime, murder – all grip the imagination. Accounts of our forebears and how they lived never fail to appeal.

People’s lives offer a wealth of material and inspiration to writers. So, stories about real people are a good place to start developing your ability as a wordsmith. Unlike a novel, the plot and characters are ready made for you – all you have to do is bring them alive on the page. This is where The Writers Bureau can help.

The How to Write Biographies, Memoirs and Family Histories course we offer you, the personal tuition service and your Guarantees are fully explained in our Prospectus which you can download below. But, for a quick overview browse the tabs above.

Your Course

This specialist course covers three distinct genres of non-fiction writing: biographies, memoirs and family histories. However, your studies are designed to suit your individual needs; so you can focus on one genre or have a go at all three. It’s up to you.

Your course shows you how to:

In addition, your course contains: 18 fascinating study modules and 15 writing assignments – marked by your personal tutor.

Click here to read a full synopsis

Your studies are very flexible. You can study wherever you are – in the UK or abroad. You can adapt your study to suit your timetable. You can work when it suits you and you can start as soon as you are ready as there is no fixed enrolment date.

Your course materials are sent to you as soon as you enrol and the first modules are available immediately in the student community area when you enrol online.

You send and receive your assignments by post or by email – the choice is yours.

And, to make your course really effective you also receive personal guidance and advice from your tutor – a professional writer. To find out more click the 'Tuition' tab above.

Your Personal Tuition

Undoubtedly, the best way to develop your writing is by doing it yourself, under the guidance of an expert tutor. Your tutor’s job is to give you constructive comment, encourage you, but above all to be objective and realistic. Through this firm but gentle approach your tutor will help you develop your writing skills.

You may already have a project in mind and would like assistance with its development. We can advise you on how to plan your research, organise your material and then help you write it. Therefore your assignments are kept very open to suit your individual needs.

However, if you’d like a more structured approach to your assignments simply let us know. Or, if you would like to have a taste of all three genres, so you can decide which is for you, we can cater for this as well. We do our very best to see that you receive the personal guidance that suits your requirements.

You are assigned a tutor who will stay with you throughout the whole of your course. This gives you the chance to develop a good working relationship.

Each tutor is a successful published writer. Each one is an experienced tutor who has been specially trained by us to help you overcome the difficulties, and the pitfalls, that all new writers face. From their own experiences they can help you to start writing, find ideas and produce a piece of work of which you can be proud.

Selling Your Writing

The commercial potential of your work will depend on who you are writing about. But, the financial gain is not everything – there are also the personal benefits to consider.

If you want to make money, though, biographies are for you. Biographies are an important part of the publishing world with thousands being printed each year. This is one of the most accessible areas of non-fiction, creating many opportunities for writers – especially if you’re new on the block. And, as a biographer, there is a very good chance you could achieve a steady income for yourself. There are also openings as a ghost writer, giving you the chance to meet and write about the people you most admire.

Your personal memoirs are unlikely to interest a publisher unless you are a celebrity or you have done something extraordinary with your life. However don’t let this put you off. Everyone’s life is unique and the personal rewards of writing your own life story are priceless.

If you feel you don’t have enough material to write a book, you could make some money from your life experiences by writing nostalgia pieces for magazines. This is a good area to try when you’re just starting out.

Writing your family’s history is a very personal project. You will gain a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction from it as well as creating a treasured family heirloom. Once you’ve written your own family history you could write for other families who don’t have the time or inclination to do it themselves.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to write – be it commercial or personal – you can rest assured that we will do our very best to help you develop your writing to its full potential.

Your Guarantees

We are so confident in our course and tuition service that we offer you a unique Double Guarantee.

This states quite clearly:

1. You have the course on 15 day (in your possession) inspection.
2. We will give you a $15.00 refund for any assignment which is not corrected properly by your tutor.

Your Contribution

We can do a lot to help you but we cannot do it all for you. In fact, the major contribution must come from you.

To get the most out of your course you need perseverance, enthusiasm and a love of words. We cannot give you these qualities; they must come from within you. But if you do possess them then we can give you the best possible chance to develop your writing skills.

Combine your enthusiasm, creative talent and perseverance with our expertise – and you will increase your chances of producing a commercially successful book, fascinating memoirs or an heirloom for your family to treasure. You could even develop a successful writing career.

Your Certificate

A Certificate of Completion is awarded at the end of your course. It is given to students who have completed all 15 assignments.

Half an hour each day is all you need!

All too often people let their ideas and dreams go to waste. Usually it’s because they don’t know where to start, claim they haven’t the time or simply never get round to it. Don’t let this happen to you. With our help you will learn where to begin and how to plan your time. All you have to do is create a small space in your life for your writing. Even with only half an hour a day you’ll be surprised how quickly your writing develops.

How To Enrol

If you really want to write then there is no time like the present to start. It would be tragic to do nothing and then look back in a few years’ time and say, ‘If only…’ On the other hand, you could take action right now by enrolling today.

And remember, anybody can enrol on this course. You do not need any special qualifications or background and you can start whenever it suits you.

So, click the enrol button below, Fax 00 44 161 236 9440 or complete the enrolment form and let’s start working together to help you become a published writer!

If you don’t have a credit card click here to find out how to send your fees to England.

Course Fees:

Full fees: $357

Easy Payment Plan: $40 deposit payable now and $55 a month for the following 6 months making $370 in all.

How To Enrol If You Don't Have A Credit Card