Hi, I’m Kayla. I’m a story consultant who helps writers craft memoirs that read like fiction. I am obsessed with story structure (Save the Cat, I’m looking at you), and I believe that seeing a book from a reader’s perspective is the secret to great writing.

My story curation method is called The Memoir Map. It’s a five-step framework for selecting, shaping, and structuring memories into a coherent narrative with momentum, emotional clarity, and purpose. The Memoir Map helps writers identify themes, through lines, and narrative turns, transforming lived experience into a story that knows where it’s going.

I earned a degree in screenwriting and film studies from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em!) and have spent my life studying story structure in film, books, television, and life around me. I also published three children’s books.

Houston is home with my husband, teenage daughter, and two guinea pigs. When I’m not reading or working a puzzle, I’m snuggled on the sofa watching whodunnit movies with my fam.