Memoir is the art of telling the story of your life—how you got here from there, how you became who you are, and the lessons you learned along the way. It's an art grounded in what it means to be human, and mastering it means asking and answering life’s big questions in an entertaining, engaging, and ultimately enlightening way. This is a tall order for any writer, whether you are writing about your difficult childhood, your summer romance, or your recent trek up Mount Everest.
In this one-of-a-kind Agent One-on-One boot camp, literary agent and author Paula Munier draws upon her extensive background in publishing, her intimate knowledge of the marketplace, and her personal experience writing her own memoir to give you the tools you need to write and sell your life story.
*Please note that all attendees should have the first 10 pages (max first 2500 words) of their memoir finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event.
THURSDAY
AUGUST 14, 2025
On August 14, 2025, you will gain access to a special 90+-minute recorded online tutorial presented by literary agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary.
SATURDAY
AUGUST 16, 2025
After listening to Paula’s tutorial, you will submit the first ten pages (max first 2500 words) of your memoir on Saturday, August 16, 2026, by 10 am (ET).
SUNDAY
AUGUST 17, 2025
The Talcott Notch Literary agents will provide initial feedback on August 17, 2025, by 10 am (ET).
SUNDAY
AUGUST 17, 2025
On Sunday, August 17, the agents will be available for a live chat discussion session in the Community area from 1-3 pm (ET). During this time, writers will be able to ask your assigned agent critiquers questions related to revising your materials.
TUESDAY
AUGUST 19, 2025
No later than 10 pm ET on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, attendees will submit their revised first 10 pages (max first 2500 words)Â again to the agent instructors. Submissions will again receive feedback directly from the boot camp literary agents.
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025
The agents will provide a final brief one-or-two sentence critique of your progress. (The agents reserve the right to request more materials if they feel a strong connection to the work and want to read more; note that multiple agents have signed writers before from WD boot camps.) No later than Tuesday, September 16, 2025, attendees will receive their final agent feedback.
Meet the agents
Gina Panettieri
Talcott Notch
Gina Panettieri is President of Talcott Notch Literary Services, and has worked as an agent for 25 years. She currently represents a full range of adult and children's fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis in fiction on YA, MG, mystery, women's fiction, historical fiction, and book club fiction. In nonfiction, she is particularly seeking memoir, cooking, health and fitness, pop science, medicine, true crime, military history, and current events. Some of her clients include award-winning Young Adult author Beth Fehlbaum (Big Fat Disaster, published by Merit Press), horror and futuristic sci-fi author Wayne Simmons (Plastic Jesus, published by Salt, UK) and popular advertising and selling psychology guru, Drew Eric Whitman, author of Ca$hvertising (Career Press) and Brainscripts (McGraw-Hill). She currently represents an eclectic range of writers, encompassing everyone from a former head of Security and Intelligence for NATO Europe, to CEOs of major corporations and Deans of major medical schools, to stay-at-home writer moms and amazingly talented teens. Gina speaks at many conferences and writing events throughout the country on the craft of writing and the publishing industry. Her agency website is www.talcottnotch.net
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Paula Munier
Talcott Notch
Paula Munier is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. Over her 20-plus years in the business, she’s conceived, created, produced, and marketed exceptional content in all formats across all markets for such media giants as WGBH, Fidelity, Disney, Gannett, S&S, Quarto, Greenspun Media Group, among others. She represents both fiction and nonfiction; her clients run the gamut from debut authors to New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors who’ve won/been shortlisted for such honors as the Edgar, Thriller, Agatha, and Anthony awards as well as the Pushcart Prize, AWP, and PEN awards. Many of her clients’ works have been adapted for stage and screen. She’s the author of three popular books on writing: The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings That Sell, Writing with Quiet Hands: How to Shape Your Writing to Resonate with Readers, Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene, and the acclaimed memoir Fixing Freddie. The latest book in her Mercy Carr series, HOME AT NIGHT, was named Library Journal’s Mystery Pick of the Month. Her next book, THE NIGHT WOODS, debuts in October 2024.Â
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