Autumn trees by the river near my home in the Peak District

Laura J Billingham

writer · creator · human

The person
behind the page.

I’m Laura. Ghostwriter, memoir specialist, and someone who took the long way round to finally doing what she was always meant to do.

my story

Born and bred in Sheffield — the Steel City — where I also raised my two daughters. In 2015, when my girls flew the nest, I moved to the Peak District with my partner, and honestly, I can’t see myself wanting to live anywhere else. I’m now a very proud grandmother to four little boys, ranging from almost five to not quite one. They are, without question, the reason I want to build a legacy — I want them to remember Granny long after I’m gone!

Laura with her four grandsons

Me and my four boys!

My career has taken some interesting turns. Civil service, the NHS, high-tech organisations — I spent years helping other people run their businesses until 2016, when I finally took the plunge into self-employment. I started as a virtual assistant, quickly realised I’d just swapped one boss for many, and in 2018 did what I should probably have done years earlier: I followed my heart and started writing.

Since then I’ve written blogs and articles for a wide variety of clients, published my first novel A Time for Grace in 2019, followed by Living in the New Paradigm and a collection of 31 short stories written during a single month of lockdown in 2020. That last one still surprises me — one story a day for a month, just because the words needed somewhere to go.

The memoir work came naturally from the other writing.  And The Memoir Maker came from a realisation that genuinely frustrated me — that only people with significant income could afford to have someone like me write their story for them. I wanted to change that. Everyone’s story deserves to be told, not just those who can pay for a ghostwriter. So I built something that makes it possible for anyone — a web app that guides you through your own story, one question at a time, at your own pace.

The rest of what you’ll find on this site came from the same place — if something isn’t there, find a way to make it so. I’m 62 and I have no intention of being 72 and relying solely on a state pension. So I’m building income across multiple streams, giving me the freedom to keep doing work I love on my own terms and for as long as I choose.

If you’ve read this far, you probably have a sense of who I am — someone who took the scenic route, made it work anyway, and is now building something that reflects all of it. The writing, the curiosity, the stubborn refusal to do things the conventional way. Whatever brought you here, I’m glad you found me.

why people come to me

They have a story but not the words

They know what they want to say — the experiences, the memories, the things they want to leave behind — but when they sit down to write, nothing comes. That’s where I come in.

They want it done properly

Not just a collection of memories dumped into a document. A real piece of writing — structured, shaped, with a voice that sounds like them and a narrative that holds together.

They’ve been putting it off

For years, sometimes. Waiting until they have more time, more energy, the right moment. They come to me when they finally decide the right moment is now — before more of the story is lost.

They want someone they can trust

Memoir is personal. You’re handing over your memories, your family, your life. People come to me because this site, my voice, my honesty — tells them I’ll look after their story.

why this, why now

“I’m 62. I have no intention of being 72 and relying solely on a state pension. So I’m building something — thoughtfully, honestly, across multiple income streams — that gives me the freedom to keep doing work I love, on my own terms, for as long as I choose.”

— Laura

what I’m building

Memoir Writing

Ghostwriting, memoir work and The Memoir Maker — helping people tell their stories since 2018.

Find out more →

Curated

A carefully edited beauty and skincare storefront — only what genuinely earns its place.

Shop the edit →

Freedom

The travel income opportunity I looked into properly and couldn’t find a reason to walk away from.

Read the honest version →

Want to say hello?

Whether you have a story to tell, a question about something you’ve read here, or just want to get in touch — I’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch