Do you think the first step to writing a life story is...writing? If so, you're in for a surprise. In this episode of the Writing for Immortality podcast, Barbara explores the topic of writing a life story book and tells us that getting started doesn't mean sitting down to write--at least, not right away. Barbara emphasizes preserving personal experiences and capturing narratives for future generations. She also discusses the time commitment required for writing a book and advises listeners to set realistic goals. (A book in six months? Maybe. A book in 6 days? Probably not.) Then, she gets into the preparation and research process, including identifying the subject, conducting interviews, and verifying facts. And finally, Barbara stresses the importance of organizing and cataloging research materials to help writers keep their sanity and facilitate the writing process.
Takeaways
Writing a life story book allows individuals to preserve their experiences and create a lasting legacy.
Setting realistic goals and considering the time commitment required is crucial for completing a book.
The preparation and research process, including identifying the subject and gathering materials, is essential before starting the writing process. Conducting oral history interviews and verifying factual information adds depth and accuracy to the book.
Transcription platforms:
We could do a whole episode on AI vs. human transcriptions--maybe we will! In the meantime, here are our top 3 picks:
https://www.rev.com/ (Offers AI and human transcriptions. Barbara uses Rev--voted best transcription service of 2024 by PCMag)
https://gotranscript.com/transcription-services (low-price human transcriptions)
https://otter.ai/ (AI transcriptions)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Writing a Life Story Book
02:20 Considerations Before Starting the Writing Process
04:40 Approaching the Writing Process
05:10 Preparation and Research
11:19 Gathering Research Materials
13:44 Conducting Oral History Interviews
16:37 Verifying Factual Information
18:28 Organizing and Cataloging Research Materials
20:49 Conclusion and Next Steps
About Barbara: As the founder of In Ink Ghostwriting and DIYBook Barbara has dedicated her career to helping people preserve their stories in print. This podcast is an extension of that work. Everyone has a story to tell--remember that!
