Although most of my writing energies these days are directed towards creative writing (I am working on my fourth novel), I began my writing career as a biographer. No, not a well-known A-list kind of biographer, the opposite, in fact. I helped everyday people who wanted to write their life story but didn't know how to go about it. The idea started with a university assignment - to record the life story of any person. It didn't have to be an "exciting" life, the assignment was more about how you recorded and collated the information. The person I chose was so enthusiastic about the project, I couldn't help but be the same. It was the first assignment I can say I loved from start to finish and, realising what a powerful thing the recording of a life (any life) was, I knew that at some point I wanted to do more of it.
Fast forward a couple of years and I found my first paying client. It was a learning curve for both of us but the end result was an amazing story in a "real" book format. Looking back there are many things I would do differently now, but for both of us it was a major achievement. And as I did more biographies I realised just what a powerful thing it was to tell somebody's story. The other great reward was the joy my clients expressed as they watched their book take shape. For some people it was simply an A4 printed document with wire binding, for others an A5 book with a stapled spine and for a select few it was an offset printed hardcover book. While the end result may have been different for each customer, the universal sense of achievement and pride in telling their story (whatever that entailed) was the true reward. These days technology has advanced and it is now extremely affordable to produce a paperback book using Print On Demand (POD) technology that allows one book or hundreds to be printed for the same unit price (generally under $10 per copy). This is a major step forward and one that has seen me re-visit some old clients and upgrade their books to a paperback. Again, this is a wonderful gift to see people hold their own "real" book in their hands.
If you, or somebody you know, has ever mentioned writing their life story, my advice is to just do it. It is not an "easy" thing to do but it is also not that difficult. Like anything, you need a plan and you may need some expert advice along the way but it is an achievable goal. I do understand it can seem like an overwhelming task and, for that reason, I wrote a book to help anybody who wants to write their story get started. How Do I Write My Life Story? starts at the beginning and moves through the process of writing your story. It is available as both a paperback and an e-book. You can also contact me for more information and advice, just click on the contact tab on the menu bar.
If you, or somebody you know, has ever mentioned writing their life story, my advice is to just do it. It is not an "easy" thing to do but it is also not that difficult. Like anything, you need a plan and you may need some expert advice along the way but it is an achievable goal. I do understand it can seem like an overwhelming task and, for that reason, I wrote a book to help anybody who wants to write their story get started. How Do I Write My Life Story? starts at the beginning and moves through the process of writing your story. It is available as both a paperback and an e-book. You can also contact me for more information and advice, just click on the contact tab on the menu bar.
