Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and others.
Index of Questions
1. Why is it important to record life stories?
2. What if your life seems boring and ordinary? Who will
want to read it?
3. What is the best way to capture the story? Video, oral
tapes, written narrative etc.
4. What is a story? Definitions of different types of life
experiences and how they are captured.
5. Who’s who in the capture of a life event: Story teller,
listener, interviewer, historian, audience, transciptionist,
archivist etc.
6. What is the role of a listener? How should the questions
be phrased so that bias or personality is subdued and the
storyteller is in charge?
7. Is the role different if the storyteller is facing a life
threatening disease?
8. How do you handle it if in telling of the story emotions
and repressed feelings surface?
9. How do you get enough information? When do you turn
to family members or public records?
10. How much time does it take to complete a story?
Everyone is so busy and life goes by so quickly, how can
I ever squeeze this in?
11. What is truth? Why would two different people
present at the same event see it entirely different and
which version do you believe and record?
12. How should you convey the story? First person, third
person, lots of photos with captions, small easily read
sections or one long letter?
13. What are the main types of personal anecdotes, life
events, experiences, tragedies and triumphs that make a
good memoir?
14. How do you narrow it down to the “real” story? What is
hidden beneath the iceberg?
15. What are some questions to jog memories?
16. What about editing, spelling, composition etc? What if
others judge your work and find it less than perfect?
17. How do you structure the narrative so that it is
interesting, believable and leaves the message the story
teller wanted to convey?
18. What do you do with the narrative when you have
finished writing it?
19. Who does the finished work belong to?
20. Where can you find additional assistance on personal
historians or story telling issues?
21. Where is the paper and pen?
If you are interested in getting the answers to these and other
questions about life story writing, please contact us at
and sign up for a tele-class
and our FREE e-zine: “The Artichoke” – finding the heart of the
story in the journey of life..
Judy H. Wright, Personal and Oral Historian –
