the 90-day memoir®
SPRING SESSION | APRIL 20TH - JULY 27TH, 2026
The 90-Day Memoir® is a Live-on-Zoom workshop with Alan Watt that will take you from initial idea to the completion of your memoir’s first draft in 90 days.
“What was impossible to accomplish in ten years becomes possible in 90 days, by accessing your subconscious.”
tell the story of your life
The 90-Day Memoir® is a day-by-day investigation into a particular series of events that in some way shaped you. We all have the story that we tell ourselves, and although the facts may be indisputable, our interpretation of those facts is often based on long-held beliefs that we have had about ourselves or the world. This means that our idea of our story is never quite the whole story. It isn’t incorrect, but only incomplete.
. . . so, how can you write your memoir if you don’t know the whole story?!
In The 90-Day Memoir® you’re going to learn to trust your subconscious. Your subconscious is the seat of your genius. Genius isn’t a noun, it’s a verb — something we all have access to if given a safe environment and a seasoned guide to walk you through the process of marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure.
Your subconscious is able to make connections and uncover meaning in areas that you might not have otherwise explored. The 90-Day Memoir® isn’t interested in protecting your ego — it’s after much larger game — it wants the truth. It understands, on a fundamental level, that when you gain perspective on the events of your life, you’re liberated from the limiting beliefs that held you hostage.
Some of the most impactful memoirs depict challenging experiences as a means of tracking their protagonist’s journey to some kind of deeper truth by reframing the meaning they made out of their struggle.
This truth is your birthright — and by claiming a coherent narrative for your life, you are always led to freedom, to an absence of shame, and to a deeper connection to yourself and the world.
“You’re not the author, you’re the channel.”
about the workshop
live on Zoom
We meet once a week in a LIVE Zoom call on Mondays from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. (Pacific Time), for 14 weeks, followed immediately by a live Q&A to answer any questions that emerge. The workshop is a combination of craft lessons and stream-of-consciousness writing exercises where writers read their work and I work with a number of writers one-on-one to illustrate the principles.
watch the class anytime
You are not required to take the workshop live. Many writers have day jobs or commitments during class hours, or sometimes life just gets in the way, therefore all of our sessions are recorded and are available for three weeks, respectively.
Q & A
Every workshop ends with a review of the homework, followed by a Q&A where I answer all of your questions. This is a time to gain clarity on the principles discussed. The goal is to leave each session with a basic confidence in where you are heading for that week.
daily letters
Every morning a daily letter lands in your inbox. The letters were developed over the course of several years, and are a day-by-day guide through the process. Writers often comment on the synchronicity of the letters — on how they seem to meet you right where you are. While the letters focus on craft, they are also a response to the uncanny uniformity of experience shared by the many writers who have taken the 90-day journey before you.
community
The group forum is where you connect with your fellow classmates to share your experiences, hold yourself accountable, and take part in the daily discussion topics. Over the course of 90 days we discover that we’re not alone – that our private struggles are universal and often provide clues into the world of our story.
one-on-one story consults
Over the course of the 90-day workshop I offer one-on-one story consults to current students where you can send me your three-page outline and I review it, make notes, and help you explore the most dynamic and compelling way to tell your story. There are a limited number of spots for this service. One-on-one consults are available at a special 50% discount to writers registered at the full workshop price. Story consults are $325 (regular price: $650).
want a breakthrough right now?
In this free 90-minute video, I’ll lead you to a deeper understanding of your story, by guiding you through the process of marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of story structure.
“Over 80,000 writers have taken the 90-day journey.”
why writers love the 90-day memoir®
“This is the best class I’ve ever taken, and I’ve taken many in my time. I went from ‘writing a memoir is impossible’ to completing my first manuscript. Al has a genius method to unlock your subconscious and get you writing. I’ve been able to drop all of my fears and get it done, which is remarkable.”
“I already had an MFA and I teach and direct a college creative writing program, but I really didn’t have an organic understanding of story. Al’s ability to merge intuition and structure is unique and invaluable. I was able to work through my outline-phobia because of the way he approached structure as a holistic approach, rather than a rigid box. Al encourages the writer to live within the questions of the story, not the answers.”
“Al Watt is a story guru. Plain and simple. His writing prompts encourage you to dig deep and allow your subconscious to show up on the page. I’m always amazed at what I produce in Al’s class and also how connected to my story he makes me feel. If you are willing to let go of plot, Al will help you find the heartbeat of your story. And then, he’ll drill story structure into your head! I’ve taken a lot of writing classes, but working with Al provided the roadmap to complete my debut novel – the one I’d been thinking about writing for years, and now, finally, the first draft of a memoir, a story I never thought I could tell.”
“The workshop was without a doubt the key to getting my travel memoir about living with the poor in Vietnam out of a rut. Al is brilliant and has an uncanny ability to draw out of your issues and angles you didn’t know you had in you. It was also fascinating to hear the work of other writers and then learn from Al’s comments to them. I finished my book and had offers from two publishing houses.”
“I have two Masters Degrees, one from an Ivy League University, and I must say The 90-Day Memoir® is one of the most thought-provoking courses/workshops I have ever taken.”
“Al Watt is extraordinary. Having had many powerful teachers, creative and otherwise, in my journey, I’m thankful to have had my share of amazing, often world-class instruction. Al is in a league all his own. His well-homed and well-earned mastery of the craft of writing, his awareness of the human condition, and his own very apparent evolution as a person, among many other qualities, coincide to create an experience like no other. If you have the opportunity to study with Al, don’t miss it. I give both Al Watt and his workshops my highest recommendation.”
“A line of heat and propulsion carries readers through the best memoirs. Al Watt, somewhat miraculously, has located all the levers and portals into that flow. With deep wisdom and compassion, he guides writers to the way it courses through their stories. A master technician, he’s also part-mystic, part-soothsayer. Take his class, write your memoir and be transformed. What a ride!”
“Al’s memoir class is part structure journey, part shamanic tracking of self and part healing ceremony.”
“Alan is the best writing instructor on the planet. He shines a light and steps out of the way. He honors the creative process and he respects the writer’s soul. He is insightful and caring and generous. I feel lucky to have crossed paths with such an inspiring person.”
“I had been unsuccessfully trying to tell my story for six years when I registered for Al’s class. Not only did I find a way forward, I was able to complete my first draft! I felt safe to share my story with others, to take a risk and be vulnerable. Everyone was very accepting, kind, and caring. It was a wonderful writing experience.”
“A friend told me about Alan’s online memoir writing course and she spoke so enthusiastically about it that I signed up–not really knowing what to expect. I’ve been a writer all my adult working life in a variety of different professions, but I had never considered writing a memoir. Alan is an exceptional teacher/mentor. I think that is true, first of all, because he knows his subject so well, but beyond that he is an intuitive, compassionate person who allows everyone to feel safe, accepted and “heard.” He creates a learning environment that is encouraging and motivating. It has been a transformative experience, not just as a writer, but on a very personal level, and that is because of Alan’s ability to work within the complexities of a very diverse group of people and make each and every one feel unconditionally accepted and encouraged throughout the writing process.”
“In 90 days, I grew as a writer—not just learning about structure, but in content. Al’s thorough understanding of story in each act gave new meaning to my writing, allowing me to create a compelling narrative.”
“Al Watt’s marvelous courses have helped me in every aspect of writing. When you’re thoroughly confused by plot advice and character how-to’s, drop it all and run fast to alanwatt.com. From in-person to telecourses, you’ll find something to clear the way to your novel, screenplay, play, memoir . . . whatever is your path, you’ll have a guide.”
“It’s the rare teacher who successfully does what they teach at a high level, while simultaneously inspiring others to do their best work. Al’s encouragement, guidance, and insights into my manuscript were pivotal, compelling a deeper and truer exploration. He invited me to face all those things in myself that I would have preferred to keep secret. He never let me off the hook, but his notes always rang true as he gently challenged my ego to step out of the way. The result is a book I am proud of, and that I couldn’t have imagined existing without his insight and skill.”
“The 90-Day Memoir® is a masterful guided tour to that interior world, structured perfectly. And, amazingly to me, it ends with a mostly completed rough draft in just three months. That’s something many of us have spent years trying to accomplish. The secret is Al’s empathy and teaching methods—asking his students to address the episodes they most want to resist. Few teachers can get their students to really think through the dark night of their soul and how that led to their eventual success and indeed transformation.”
the 90-day memoir®
suggested donation – $1,500
minimum donation – $750 until April 6th
on a budget? audit The 90-Day Memoir® – $500
why the 90-day memoir® is donation based
I’ve taught the 90-Day workshops for thousands of writers over the last couple of decades. I’ve been told by some that the workshop changed their life, or that they’d been stalled on a project for years and the workshop finally got them to the end of their draft, or that they had finally found a sane and comprehensive method for trusting their subconscious to get the story from their imagination to the page in a repeatable way.
I’m always grateful to hear this.
But here’s the thing: most writers aren’t rich, and some, especially younger writers often don’t have the means to receive, frankly, world-class instruction.
When it comes to cost, writing is the most democratic art form – you need a pen and paper. So, this is an experiment in democratizing the cost of the workshops as well.
The suggested price for the 90 day workshops is $1,500 and I trust that if you can afford it you will pay it. But if you’ve ever had the dream to write a novel or memoir and don’t have the means to take a workshop that will guide you through the process in a clear, concise way, that will support you in developing a method that will lead you to the end of your first draft…now you do.
If you think because it’s “donation based,” that it can’t be worth much, please read the testimonials and look at the track record: hundreds of 90-day alumni have now been published, some are New York Times bestselling authors, some have won or been nominated for major literary awards.
This workshop is for everybody. It is a process that works whether you are a first-time writer or a seasoned pro. The fact is, when you put process ahead of results, the results seem to take care of themselves.
One last thing: the workshop is “donation based,” but it isn’t free. And even if I could afford to make it free, I wouldn’t. Here’s why: in the past, I have, on occasion, offered scholarships to writers in need, and guess what: They rarely ever finished the course!
A donation is an exchange: if you don’t have skin in the game, you won’t be committed, which is why there is a $750 minimum donation.
I will do my part. Through writing exercises and one-on-one work to illustrate the principles, I will teach you how to marry the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure. There will be days of euphoria and days of doubt. But you will not be alone. You will be working shoulder to shoulder (virtually, of course) with a group of dedicated writers with the sole intention of writing a compelling and dynamic first draft in 90 days, and I will be guiding you every step of the way.
See you in class!
Alan
