Document stories. Preserve a voice. Honor a life. All with virtual, affordable legacy writing services.
Obituary writing and legacy books are available for yourself or on behalf of a loved one.
A substantial part of death care involves questions of meaning-making: did I make a difference? What was the point of my life? Who was I? Did I make the most of my time? How will I be remembered?
Through the documenting of stories, legacy work gets at the heart of this essential, beautiful process.
“Niki has been incredible to work with in creating a life story about my dad…I really appreciate her patience with our family throughout this process….”
“I came across Niki’s website by chance, and I’m so grateful I did. She has been incredible to work with in creating a life story about my dad! We were finding it difficult to gather stories on our own, but Niki’s suggestions provided alternative and effective ways to collect these memories.
I really appreciate her patience with our family throughout this process. She has a wonderful way of asking questions that prompts conversation and also allows us to share stories naturally. She’s been so kind and patient, and it’s clear that she’s very talented and passionate about creating these meaningful stories. I highly recommend her for this type of project!”
-AIMEE
Pass down the record of how you came to be who you are.
When you document your life stories, you give future generations the gift of your history, messages, philosophies, wisdom, and lessons.
Writing your story enables you to leave a legacy for your children or grandchildren – friends and loved ones. All legacy projects are an intimate record sharing the essence of who you are and were long after you’re gone.
Obituaries
Timeline: between 1-3 weeks
Tell the story of a life with a custom-crafted obituary. This is not your cookie-cutter funeral home special. My obituaries are highly personalized and written in a way that allows the person’s voice to shine through.
- A shorter tribute that uniquely summarizes a life
- 1-2 live Zoom sessions to gather information about the honoree
- Can be done well in advance of death (with the optional involvement of the honoree!) or after death has occurred
- Timeline can be accelerated if necessary; short term project with quick turnaround
- Ready for local newspapers and/or funeral homes
Life Books
Timeline: varies
Life books are longer, deep-dive versions of obituaries. They can range in scope from comprehensive, novel-length manuscripts, to elegant coffee-table-style photo books with the stories embedded alongside the photos. These books are my signature offering and can be tailored to suit a wide variety of circumstances.
- Ideal for capturing a life story and/or multiple stories in intricate detail
- Multiple live Zoom sessions to capture as many stories as possible
- Long term project completed over several months
- Printed book shipped to you upon completion
Other Projects
Timeline: varies
There are many beautiful legacy project ideas that are outside the scope of an obituary or a book. Below are a few (non-comprehensive!) ideas to get you started. I am able to provide legacy guidance for all listed examples.
- A collection of family recipes
- A scrapbook, photo album, or photo collage
- Legacy letters
- Recordings of yourself (or the honoree) addressing loved ones with custom messages
- Altars or other mementos
- Memory jars or boxes
- Playlists/albums of noteworthy songs
- Video photo collages containing images, footage, and quotes
- …and more! The options are endless.
"We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded. We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived."
Natalie Goldberg
Hi, I'm Niki, your death doula & legacy guide.
My obituaries & legacy projects are one-of-a-kind, unforgettable tributes.
I blend my writing expertise with my love of story + listening to create bespoke obituaries, life books, and other legacy projects that create portraits of a wild and precious life.
I’ve always been a listener. I have a keen desire to understand: about the person, about whatever situation they’re going through, and how everything fits together.
And so, as someone who has always been fascinated by people, helping my clients capture their incredible stories is the work of my soul.
It would be an honor to be a part of this storytelling process with you.
I offer legacy services through two distinct avenues: obituary writing and life story books.
Through a series of interviews, I get to know the honoree by providing questions and prompts that will be used to write the story of a life.
Think of this as a virtual coffee session where we write your memoir or obituary together.
How it works: my process for documenting stories
If you are hiring me immediately following a death, I seek to make the process as simple as possible during this painful time.
Even if you’re working with me way ahead of anyone’s death, I aim to distill this overwhelming-feeling task into something not only easy, but empowering.
We will meet on a Zoom call where I interview you about your person. In this meeting, I’ll ask many questions, but mostly, I’ll listen and bear witness as I absorb all you can share with me about your person.
I usually don’t require an additional meeting, so after this, I will get straight to work penning the first draft.
The turnaround time will be flexible depending on the urgency of the project. I will provide you an expected due date, and will send my first draft for your review on or before that date.
You will review the draft and either accept as-is, or we will schedule another Zoom meeting to talk through any requested changes together.
We then rinse and repeat until it is perfect. I pride myself on client satisfaction, so it takes as many revisions as it takes!