Do It Yourself Publishing Software for a Book on Your Life Story

A True Life "Fawlty Towers" - Humorous Life Story About Running a Hotel - Author Says Guests Often Rate Hotels But He Rates the Guests

Using a Tape Recorder to Make Hurricane Katrina Memoirs - "Heart Like Water"

"Not Quite What I Was Planning, Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure," from Smith Magazine and Harper Perinneal

Video from CBS on Writing Your Life Story, Natalie Goldberg, "Old Friend from Far Away"

Perspectives in Life Story Telling

Out of that jumble of ideas that may come pouring out when you think of writing your life story there will be many perspectives. For example, you could tell your story from a spiritual perspective, a career perspective, or a family perspective. Values you hold to be very dear will be reflected in your story. Perhaps it will turn out to be a story of how you triumphed over a difficult start in life and went on to career success. Or, it may be a tale of overcoming a childhood with a disfunctional family and having a family life as an adult that you cherish.

A perspective or angle of viewing your life will emerge as you tell it or write it, and it's a chance to learn more about yourself. In a way, a life story sometimes functions like a mirror, reflecting your life back to you in a way that is not easy to see without telling your life story.

A theme often emerges, a calling in life, or a lifelong passion. Events unfold, but underlying those events there can be a steady stream of choices that reflect some consistent perspectives.

How to Use Google's Genealogy Toolbar

Five Steps to Set Up a Life Story Video Interview

If a full-length book of memoirs is not practical, a life story interview can be made on video. Here are the steps.

1. ORGANIZE. Gather photos, memorabilia, timelines, and family members.

2. OUTLINE.. Write an outline of topics and questions.

3. VIDEO CLIPS. Make a series of brief video clips, from a minute or so long to 10 minutes long. Shorter clips are easier to upload on the computer or send to family and friends.

4. TOPICS. Each video clip can focus on a special topic, such as "Pictures of My Childhood Home" or "The Story of Christmas Holidays in 1950."

5. MAKE CD'S. Copy the video clips onto CD's and share them with family members.

Video: Reasons Why People Enjoy Genealogy and Family History

My Life Story - I'll Never Forget the Day....

It was like a scene straight out of Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon.

"Harvard Milk Day" in Harvard, Illinois, had arrived, with it's parade and festivities to promote dairy products. The year was 1970 and it was a hot June day. I was one of the contestants in the "Milk Day Queen" contest. We had all been photographed by the local papers many times while drinking glasses of milk.

I sat on the back of a red mustang convertible in last Spring's prom dress and rode in the parade as our high school's representative.

I graduated from "Big Foot High School," of Walworth, Wisconsin. It was named after a native American chief who had lived near Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. I was our school's representative.

The Harvard Milk Day parade went down the main street of town and various festive floats made a long line. We milkmaids sat on the backs of the convertibles and waived at the spectators.

There were also floats pulled by tractors, hay wagons with local kids, and local school bands marching.

As the representative from the above named school my car's banner read "Miss Big Foot." The other milkmaids had names like "Miss Lake Geneva" or "Miss Williams Bay." Of course the banner on my car drew some attention.

I've always enjoyed humour so I just rolled with it, smiling and waiving. Occasionally some kids would yell something like, "Hey Miss Big Foot, what size shoe do you wear?" We all shared some good laughter and it was a day I'll never forget.

Triggering Memories for Life Story Writing

Getting started with writing when faced with a blank computer screen or piece of paper can sometimes be a challenge. Below are some ideas to trigger memories that can be part of a life story.

1. If you had to divide your life into "chapters" what would they be?

2. What have been your favorite interests or hobbies throughout your life, and when did they start?

3. How did you happen to choose your career path?

4. What were the ups and downs you felt during the teen years?

5. What major historical events have taken place in the world during your life and how did these events effect you?

6. What was your elementary school experience like?

7. Are there some causes that you have passionate feelings about and how did you first become interested in them?

8. If you wrote a brief timeline or outline of your life, what would be ten major highlights?

9. What were your favorite places to live and why?

10. Which people influenced you the most in your life?

Ten Ways to Use Multimedia To Tell Your Life Story and Family History

There are a variety of ways you can use multimedia to tell your life story. These days you can be very creative with multimedia and choices include some of the following.

1. CAMCORDER. Use a camcorder to record a video of some aspects of your life story, or all of it. If you are new to using video software try an easier program such as windows movie maker, since it comes with your computer.

2. SCAN PHOTOS. Scan childhood and family photos into the computer and add them to the storyboard in the video software.

3. SUBTITLES. Add subtitles to the photos and video clips. If you are new to making videos this might sound complicated but it's just more click and choose types of steps.

4. RECORD. Make a vocal recording of a reading of parts of your life story, that plays while showing photos or video clips.

5. VIDEO CLIPS. Visit your childhood home or other important places from your life and make video clips showing them today. Research on the internet to find vintage photos of places or things from different historical eras in your life. For instance, if you grew up in the 1940's you might want to have photos of automobiles from that time.

6. INTERVIEWS. Make lists of questions and interview your family members about shared memories, perhaps of holiday times or other events.

7. HISTORY. Add historical material to give additional interest and perspective to your life story. For instance, if you were a teen-ager during the 1960's describe the national or world events that were taking place. What were you doing on the night the astronauts landed on the moon?

8. TAPE RECORD. Tape or use a digital recorder to record your memories when something triggers them. Try telling your story to a recorder and then transcribe it for a more spontaneous flow.

9. COMBINE. Combine video, music from eras of your life, photos scanned into the computer, subtitles, and more in a series of life stories from different parts of your life.

10. GRAPHICS. Add a graphic of your family tree to the video, and/or photos and videos of the family members.

Genealogy 101 - Your Life Story and Your Family Tree

Olive O'Riley, 108 Years Old, Visits Her Childhood Home in Broken Hill, Australia, and Tells Her Life Story and Family History on Video

How To Make a Life Story Video - Making a Film of Your Memoirs and Family History

How to Publish Your Life Story Using Online Software from Blurb.com

Storytelling Tips from Brian Sturm at the University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill

This is an excellent 45 minute long video on "Storytelling Theory and Practice" from Brian Sturm at the Univeristy of South Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tying together all the facts, putting information into a sequence, adding characters, and structuring a story are some of the topics. Enjoy.

Life Story Bloggers - This Video Shows How To Publish A Book From Your Blog

Are you writing your life story on a blog? Would you like to publish a book made up of those blog posts? The video below shows you the steps to do this.

Video - Novelist Joyce Carol Oates Talks About Writing

Award winning novelist Joyce Carol Oates talks about the importance of starting your story with people.

Dividing Your Life Story Into Stages

Starting a life story can be a little like opening a closet you haven't looked at for awhile, and having everything fall out in a heap. Taking all those experiences and organizing them helps separate them into smaller, easier to handle chunks.

There are many different ways to divide the life story experiences into groups. One way I found recently used "The Eight Life Stages." Seeing how one stage, and it's experiences, led to the next stage, helps make the story meaningful. I learned some new things about myself by looking at my life story this way.

You can also visit the webpage for the Cuesta Community College Adult Emeritus class I take on Your Life Story for tips from instructor/facilitator Myla Collier.

A theory of Developmental Stages of Life, by the reknowned Dr. Eric Erikson, have long been accepted worldwide and taught in college classes. A glance at these stages can also help clarify your life story as you strive to put all those details into a timeline or groups of short stories.

Life Story Writer - Pulitzer Prize Winner Frank McCourt, Author of "Angela's Ashes"

Inspirational Video for Life Story Telling

Need a creative, inspirational uplift for your life story writing? Watching the video below is one way to get the story rolling.