Frequently Asked Questions
What types of writing do you do?
How does a memoir differ from a biography or autobiography?
Why should I write my memoir?
How much will a memoir cost?
What process is followed to write a memoir?
How much of my time will writing a memoir take?
What topics and times should my memoir cover?
What about things in my life I'd rather not write about?
How many copies should I print?
Are you available as a guest speaker?
What types of writing do you do?
I have experience writing a wide variety of information. For individuals, I write memoirs and family newsletters. For businesses, I write newsletters, company histories, and marketing material. For the Generations of TODAY magazine, I write human interest articles.
How does a memoir differ from a biography or autobiography?
Biographies and autobiographies are exhaustive, typically covering a person’s entire life. Memoirs, on the other hand, can be selective. They can focus on a subset of a person’s life; certain years, events, stories, and people.
Why should I write my memoir?
Memoir writing is for those want their future generations to know what life was like “back then.” Families today are scattered and children have access to so much information about the world, but so little information about their own roots and family. We have an obligation to tell about our pasts, because history disappears if we don't record it. As William James said, “The best use of life is to spend it on something that outlasts life.” Your memoir will do just that.
How much will a memoir cost?
Though I'm not trying to be evasive, “It depends” is my best answer. There are many factors that determine a project’s cost:
- The length of the memoir (number of chapters and pages)
- How much interviewing/talking is required
- How much written material exists that can be used
- How many photos will be included
- The number of copies to be printed
- The quality of paper on which to print
- The book size (5 ˝” x 8 ˝” for example)
- Whether the book is printed in color or black and white
- Whether the book cover is soft or hard
A typical project involves my interviewing/writing, a thorough edit, one or more customer reviews of the material, the book design/layout, and the book printing. A memoir’s total cost for design, writing, editing, photo scanning, copy layout, and printing can range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
I work with my customers to make sure they are aware of all costs before we begin.
What process is followed to write a memoir?
Many people who would like to write their memoirs have trouble knowing where to start, how to focus, and what steps to follow. They typically have many photos, newspaper clippings, and mementos in multiple places, important historical dates jotted down on various sheets of paper, and favorite stories to share that have never been written. The thought of taking on a writing project is so overwhelming that most people never begin.
DESIGN: I lead each of my customers through a process that makes memoir creation fun. We begin by determining the memoir’s audience, purpose, and scope. Who do they want to read the memoir, why are they writing it, and what years/topics/events do they want it to cover? These elements may seem basic, but they are important stakes to get in the ground at the beginning.
To document the memoir design, I help my customers create a high-level outline, a family events timeline, and a family tree. I also have them write the book’s Preface, which covers the who, what, and why of the memoir’s contents. I also ask if there is a date by which they want their memoir complete (a birthday, anniversary, family gathering, etc.)
GATHER INFORMATION: Following the book design, I begin gathering source material - by tape recording conversations (typically in their home) and obtaining photos, newspaper articles, letters, and other “items of meaning” they want in the memoir. These sessions are fun. I let my customers know in advance what topics we'll discuss, then it’s a matter of letting them share stories. I ask a few guiding questions along the way, but I mainly listen. Customers are amazed at how quickly time passes when they step back into their own pasts.
WRITE FIRST DRAFT: I transcribe conversations, scan photos and other items, and write a first draft that weaves material together while conforming to our high-level outline. The manuscript is professionally edited.
Note: Some customers prefer to write all or some of their manuscript, which is fine. This process accommodates whatever amount of information they would care to create themselves.
REVIEW DRAFT: My customers read and review a first draft – making whatever additions or corrections are required. I encourage them to have others read the draft, too. The more reviewers the better. I incorporate comments and return a confirmation draft.
BOOK LAYOUT: At this point, the book layout phase begins, which involves bringing the text and photos together to create the way the book will look when it is printed. At this point, I discuss topics with the customer such as the number of copies they want printed, book size, cover (hard/soft), type size of font, type of binding, etc. These are items that relate to the final look of the book and details the printer will need for providing a printing estimate. An editor also does a final copymark of the manuscript. At this point in the process, we check for details such as capitalization, spelling, formatting, etc.
PRINTING AND PROOFING: The printer creates a digital proof for the customer’s confirmation. Upon customer signoff of the proof, copies are printed.
CELEBRATE: When the copies return from the printer, we celebrate our efforts!
That’s it. I've followed this process many times with my customers. It structured. It’s repeatable. It’s fun. And it produces results.
How much of my time will writing a memoir take?
I typically interview my customers a total of 8 - 14 hours, with each interview lasting no longer than two hours. I also ask my customers to review drafts of the manuscript and the digital proof from the printer. Each of those reviews can take several hours, depending upon the number of pages in the book. Customers also spend time looking through their photos to select which ones to include in their book.
What topics and times should my memoir cover?
I begin working with customers by asking them who their audience is, what their purpose is for writing, and what they want the scope of their material to be (i.e. what should it cover). What topics and times you cover typically depends on your audience and purpose. We'll determine this as part of the design phase.
What about things in my life I'd rather not write about?
Memoirs need not cover every detail of one's life. My customers decide what to include and what not to include.
How many copies should I print?
Typically, my customers print 100--150 copies.
Are you available as a guest speaker?
I enjoy talking to groups about the types of writing that I do. I have been a guest presenter at various service clubs, churches, senior citizens centers, professional organizations, and conventions in Rochester and around Minnesota. I would welcome the chance to speak to your group about memoir writing.
