The most important question of all:
WHY?
You tell stories. We all do. That's what makes us, us. You've probably heard, more than once: "You should write a book!"
Your story is the best, most important book of your life.
Your story is also the one story that should endure. What questions did you always want to ask your parents, but never had the chance? Our children and grandchildren want to know who you are, who you were, and what you meant to the people in your life. Memoirs leave a note to them that they mean a lot to you, too
Still, most of us aren't aware of what it takes to do what we've always wanted to do.
Here are some answers to the other questions.
Questions & Answers
Click the questions or scroll down
1. Are memoirs hard to write?
2. Are memoirs hard to start?
3. Aren't memoirs just an exercise in self-absorbed navel-gazing?
4. It all takes so much time!
5. What's the hardest part of writing a memoir?
6. What should I put in? What should I leave out?
7. You have to have a great memory.
8. Can we work together by Zoom, FaceTime, phone or email?
9. I can do this with AI for free!
Are memoirs hard to write?
They can be. Here, writing isn't required. We sit together, one-on-one, and record your stories. If you already have pages or chapters, we incorporate those. In other words, simply tell your story! You are the Author!
Are memoirs hard to start?
Typically, yes. You have a lifetime worth of stories. Where does your memoir begin? We start with an outline. You're already halfway there.
Aren't memoirs just an exercise in self-absorbed navel-gazing?
Everyone loves to talk about themselves, but sitting down to write or record your story can feel a little ... narcissistic. That's because that process can be lonely. The truth is, we all want to be listened to. AUTHORED LIVES is also a professional listening service.
It all takes so much time!
When you go it alone, it feels like that. When you work with a professional memoirist, you're giving your children and grandchildren a gift that stands the test of time.
What's the hardest part of writing a memoir?
Finishing one. People often give up, not because they want to, but because they need more help than they realized and they need lots of encouragement.
What should I put in? What should I leave out?
It's your story. You're not only the author, you're also the editor. We're talking all the way through, and the decisions rest with you.
You have to have a great memory.
We all remember things differently. We're allowed to. On a personal note, my wife tells me I got a LOT wrong in my memoir. I would I just got "some stuff different." Then she told me our wedding anniversary was off by a month. Getting wedding anniversaries wrong isn't negotiable! What we remember is as much as part of our story as what we don't.
Can we work together by Zoom, FaceTime, phone or email?
Where's the fun in that? It's also impersonal. Sitting with another person and talking together creates spontaneity, which stirs memories, which makes better and richer memoirs. I prefer to work with clients within a 1-hour radius of Greenville, South Carolina. (Unless we can arrange travel!)
I can do this with AI for free!
Of course, you can. You would have to type hundreds of words to get the machine to return essentially everything you just wrote. It would write you in its voice. Telling a person your story, in your words, in person, in a recorded interview, makes your story come alive, it's authentic. And you'll recall things a machine could never know.