Time to Write

An easier way to write your autobiography

Do you want to write an autobiography but you're not sure your life has been eventful enough, or that you want to dedicate the time it would take?

Preparing a course on making short films gave me an idea for how you can tell your story in a different way. A short film typically is about one moment or incident in the life of the protagonist--a moment that changes something. What if you use that as the guiding idea of writing your memoirs?

For instance, last year I wrote a short film that was shot by my friend Kenny Luper about the moment a daughter realizes that her father is starting to suffer from dementia. 

We also shot a black comedy short film about the moment--at a memorial service--that a group of people realize that none of them actually liked the deceased.

And we shot one about the moment a man's relationship with his Alexa-type device changes.

To write your story, instead of the conventional format of starting with your birth and covering your entire life, you could pick out half a dozen or more of the most important turning points in your life.

These could include:

• a major event (for better or worse) in your relationship with your parents
  
  
• a moment or event that made you decide what you wanted to pursue as a career
  
  
• meeting your spouse or partner
  
  
• a key act of friendship
  
  
• what you were doing during a dramatic moment in history
   
• how a particular book or movie influenced your life
  
  
• an incident that made you proud of yourself
  
  
• a moment or action you regret

Taken as a whole, these will give a good idea of who you are and what your life has been like--a great legacy for your children or grandchildren--and they're easy to write one at a time. Much less daunting than thinking you have to cover every year and event of your life. 

You can save this collection on a computer, but be sure to have a couple of print-outs, too--technology changes so fast that there's no guarantee the formats we're using today will still be around in ten or twenty years. Of course, you can also opt to have copies printed. Unless you plan to print a large run, print on demand may be the best way to go.

You could augment these accounts with photos or memorabilia. You could also opt to record it instead of writing it. 

If you decide to do this, let me know how you get on: [email protected].

Why not keep a journal of this extraordinary time?

Someday we'll look back on this extraordinary time, and perhaps the people who come after us may find it hard to believe...hard to believe we were so poorly prepared when we had ample warning that such a thing was likely sooner or later...hard to believe that our leaders dithered while people died...hard to believe that weeks before, the prime interest of much of the populace was the comings and goings of a forgotten family named Kardashian...

And they may wonder what it was like to live in this time, day-to-day.

Well, you're living through it, why not keep a journal of what's happening, how it affects your daily life, and your fears and hopes?

It could be a fascinating account for your children or grandchildren to read someday.

FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DANIEL DEFOE

In 1721, Defoe wrote "A Journal of the Plague Year," about the events of the Year of the Great Plague in London. I'm running some excerpts of it on my Facebook page (sample below) but you may want to read the whole thing. It's available free to read or download at Project Gutenberg.

How People Found Out

"We had no such thing as printed newspapers in those days to spread rumours and reports of things, and to improve them by the invention of men, as I have lived to see practised since. But such things as these were gathered from the letters of merchants and others who corresponded abroad, and from them was handed about by word of mouth only; so that things did not spread instantly over the whole nation, as they do now. But it seems that the Government had a true account of it, and several councils were held about ways to prevent its coming over; but all was kept very private. Hence it was that this rumor died off again, and people began to forget it as a thing we were very little concerned in, and that we hoped was not true."

London Was Soon Changed

"The face of London was--now indeed strangely altered: I mean the whole mass of buildings, city, liberties, suburbs, Westminster, Southwark, and altogether; for as to the particular part called the city, or within the walls, that was not yet much infected. But in the whole the face of things, I say, was much altered; sorrow and sadness sat upon every face; and though some parts were not yet overwhelmed, yet all looked deeply concerned; and, as we saw it apparently coming on, so every one looked on himself and his family as in the utmost danger."

Physicians Could Not Heal Themselves

"I shall not be supposed to lessen the authority or capacity of the physicians when I say that the violence of the distemper, when it came to its extremity, was like the fire the next year. The fire, which consumed what the plague could not touch, defied all the application of remedies; the fire-engines were broken, the buckets thrown away, and the power of man was baffled and brought to an end. So the Plague defied all medicines; the very physicians were seized with it, with their preservatives in their mouths; and men went about prescribing to others and telling them what to do till the tokens were upon them, and they dropped down dead, destroyed by that very enemy they directed others to oppose. This was the case of several physicians, even some of them the most eminent, and of several of the most skilful surgeons. Abundance of quacks too died, who had the folly to trust to their own medicines."

Yes, everything old is new again, but there is hope for a different ending.

[image Creative Commons courtesy of National Portrait Gallery)

Writing Excuses Demolished: "I don't know if my idea is good enough."

Some people never get around to writing because they don't know whether their idea is good enough to succeed in the marketplace.

Welcome to the club!

Every book, poem, short story, and screenplay is a gamble. Even the top publishers are not very good at predicting which books will take off and which will have disappointing sales. The same goes for movie studios, hence the famous William Goldman quote, "Nobody knows anything."

Sometimes writers have a huge success with one project and a huge flop with the next one, or vice-versa. 

All you can do is your best. Write the book or script, do as much as you can to help make people aware that it exists, and move on to the next one while still devoting some time to marketing your previous projects.

Learning from first pages that work...or don't

You pick up a book or check the "look inside" feature on Amazon, and read the first page.

Do you want to continue reading? Enough to buy the book?

On the Writer Unboxed site, there's a feature called "Flog a Pro: would you pay to turn the first page of this bestseller?"

As the title suggests, the feature reveals the first page of a popular book, asks you to decide whether you'd pay to continue reading, and explains why they would or wouldn't. You can vote and see how others voted.

The most recent example was the first page of Glass House by Louise Penny, which held the ninth spot on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list for Sept. 17, 2017.

I opted for "no", as did 54% of the total voters--but since this was a new post, only 17 people had voted.

The post's author, novelist Ray Rhamey, also voted no.

Like Rhamey, I felt that too much of the first page was devoted to the unremarkable musings of a character I don't know yet. The book is part of a character series, so that might not bother people who have read others in the collection. 

Focusing the the first page is an enjoyable way to get yourself to be analytical about what works (or doesn't) to grab the reader, a good source of lessons for our own writing. It's not only browsers who pay attention to the first page, so do agents and publishers. Crafting a strong first page is equally important for screenplays. 

However, avoid the temptation to try to make the first page perfect before you write the second and third. That's better left for the second and subsequent drafts, if you want to avoid driving yourself crazy.

---
Would you like writing advice from the classic and modern greats? You'll find it in my book, Your Creative Writing Masterclass, published by Nicholas Brealey/Hachette, and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.

 

 

Authors, this could be a way to get paid to write your book

How has an author recently raised over $1 million to fund the publishing of a book that tells the stories of 100 inspiring real-life women?

The answer is Kickstarter, the crowdfunding site.

Better known for raising money for tech gadgets, Kickstarter has become a powerful presence in funding self-publishing and independent publishing in the US and the UK.

MANY BOOKS, BIG MONEY

As reported in an article by Richard Lea in The Guardian, in 2015 there were 1,973 successfully-funded publishing pitches, plus another 994 for comic ands and graphic novels. 

That added up to $32.5 million. To date in 2016 another $20 million has been raised for such projects.

There are other crowdfunding sites that raise money for publishing books, but they are dwarfed by Kickstarter. 

HOW IT WORKS

The people doing the pitch set a goal sum and a time limit within which they hope to raise it; if they fail, those who did pledge money are not charged and the project doesn't get any money. On some other sites, if a project raises only part of the goal, the people doing the pitch get that amount.

Kickstarter takes a 5% fee, and payment processing charges. If funding doesn't reach the goal, there are no fees.

THE SECRETS OF KICKSTARTER SUCCESS

Some successful projects have an author who already has a following he or she can tap. Without that, you have to work much harder.

It's vital that the pitch video is compelling and that the goodies on offer are attractive to the target audience. 

There is usually a range of rewards tied to various levels of pledges, from a thank you postcard if you pledge a very small amount, to one or more copies of the publication, to signed copies, to bonus posters, to having a character named after you, to spending a day with the author. 

Even when those elements are in place, the author or publisher has to drive people to the Kickstarter site. This requires a lot of marketing, usually via social media.

The Kickstarter site says, "The majority of initial funding usually comes from the fans and friends of each project. If they like it, they'll spread the word to their friends, and so on."

THE BENEFITS (BEYOND THE MONEY)

Of course, not every pitch gets funded. One of the benefits of using the site is that it gives you a good indication of whether there will be enough demand for your book. In many cases the books haven't been written yet when their Kickstarter campaign starts. If there is a lacklustre response, the author may decide not to go ahead with the project. 

For the projects that succeed, it's a great way to guarantee a good number of readers who, if they like the book, may help spread the word. Rebel Girls, the book about inspirational women, will start its life with 20,000 readers in place, from 71 countries. 

WANT TO CHECK IT OUT?

If you have a book that you think might be suitable for crowdfunding, check out this page on the Kickstarter site: https://www.kickstarter.com/learn?ref=nav.

For a more general overview, take a look at their FAQ page.

 

The case for courage in writing

I got an email the other day from an aspiring screenwriter who had an idea for an unusual structure for her screenplay. She asked whether I thought it would be safer to stick to the traditional three-act structure and "maybe just drop in a few more unusual elements."

Of course it's hard to give advice on a specific project when you don't know the story or the details of the alternative structure, but in general I agree with this advice from painter Courtney Jordan about mixed media artwork:

"Mixed media artists can't be faint of heart. You have to be brave to try mixed media techniques that you've never tried before, but I've discovered that you won't get anywhere--and you kind of feel let down--if you don't push it enough to show you are actually mixing media."

I think the same is true for screenwriters and novelists. If you have an unconventional way to tell your story--and you're using it because it's the best way, not just to be different for the sake of it--go for it.

Trying to stick to the rules and be just a little unconventional probably will make your novel or script just as muddy and unconvincing as a mixed media artwork by an artist who lacked the confidence to go all the way.

In the world of screenwriting, scripts that stand out often are not the first ones to be bought, but they capture the attention of those who read them. Those readers know they're dealing with a writer who has the courage to venture out of the safe territory. Ironically, they may then hire you to write something more conventional, but at least you'll have your foot in the door.

(For tips on writing, from inspiration through to publication, get a copy of my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

This post reveals how to be happy. Don't read it, just look forward to reading it.

As reported in The Atlantic, buying experiences rather than things leads to greater happiness, and the anticipation of those experiences can make you even happier than the experiences themselves.

That's not surprising, given that our anticipated experience will be without flaws.

If you're looking forward to a winter break in a villa in the Canary Islands, for example, you don't anticipate the appearance of some cockroaches, a mouse, and a homeless guy you find one morning sleeping snuggled up next to the glass door to the living room. (As you may have gathered, I'm not speaking hypothetically; I'm writing this from a villa in Fuerteventura.)

Not that those little events ruin the experience, but they're just not the kind of things that fill your rosy thoughts about what it will be like in the weeks before you arrive. 

There's a related saying that has always stuck in my mind: "It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive."

Experiences also bring more happiness after the fact, the studies show. That's because even if the experience turns out differently than you expected, at the very least it gives you something to talk (or write) about.

EXPERIENCES VS. POSSESSIONS

Looking forward to acquiring material things doesn't bring as much happiness, maybe because with those you pretty much know what you're going to get, and the odds are low that it will be better than you expect, while there's a good chance that it will not be as satisfying as you anticipated.

Furthermore, in thinking about an upcoming experience you can image lots of different positive outcomes, whereas with a material possession the expectations may be more predictable.

Of course this is why advertisers try to convince you that you're buying an experience when you're buying a product: "Use XYZ deodorant and women/men will flock to you, just imagine all the sexual adventures you'll have!" Actually, the only thing that will happen is that your armpits will smell better, but that doesn't get the merchandise flying off the shelves. 

The studies also found that while people generally will be interested to hear about your experiences, they're not so keen to hear about the material things you have acquired. Since talking about ourselves and having people listen also brings us happiness, that's another plus.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MORE FONDLY?

This rings true when you think about what people talk about fondly in relating their past.

It's relatively rare that somebody will say, "Boy, I remember that great computer I had...so much internal memory and a retina screen!"

They do say thing like, "I remember that time some friends and I drove across the country..."

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

The moral of the story is to embrace having new experiences. That will give you something to look forward to and something to look back on. And that will make you happy. 

 

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Walking for creativity and learning

A quote for you if you're misunderstood

If you're a creative person and are actively expressing your creativity there's a very good chance that there are people in your life who Just Don't Get It.

Usually they are well-meaning when they give you annoying advice like, "Maybe you should pursue something more sensible." Or "I don't think there's really a market for what you're doing." Or even "I hate to see you wasting your time on this."

Usually it's a waste of breath to argue with them. The best answer may be, "You may be right, but this is my passion. I need to do it, if only for myself." They still won't get it, but they may stop imposing their viewpoint on you. Maybe.

What they say to you isn't as important as what you say to yourself. Unfortunately, sometimes their doubts are infectious. If you feel that starting to happen to you, this could be a good quote to remember:

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T. S. Eliot

You may be risking going too far.

You may be exceeding what you can do.

You may be coming up with something that is ahead of its time. 

You may be creating something nobody wants.

On the other hand, you may be creating something people have been waiting for without knowing it.

The only way to find out is to risk it.

What if the outcome isn't what you hope for?

Will you enjoy the process, or at least a significant part of it?

Will you learn something valuable along the way?

Will you be stronger for having--and surviving--the experience?

If so, will it have been wasted?

Now...go for it! T. S. Eliot and I are on your side.

(For friendly guidance on taking your project from idea through to publication get my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Ncholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

 

 

 

 

 

Living with the shadow

Want to get a better grasp of your protagonist or other character--or yourself? Consider this quote from Carl Jung:

 "The shadow is the negative side of the personality, the sum of all those unpleasant qualities we like to hide. ... There is no light without shadow and no psychic wholeness without imperfection."

One of the most revealing questions you can answer about a character is what darkness he or she is trying to hide. It's not necessarily anything they have done, it could be something they are afraid they might do. Of course it's your duty as a writer to throw temptation in their path.

If you are trying to figure out the character arc for your protagonist (the kind of transformation he or she will undergo) a story in which they learn to accept their shadow side usually is worth telling.

 

Plotting a novel or screenplay? Here's a new, useful free tool!

Amazon Studios is the part of the company that is producing original series and movies. They have just unveiled a new free tool that writers of novels or scripts will find useful. It's called Amazon Storybuilder, and it's a virtual corkboard that you can access from your computer, phone, or tablet.

Many writers use index cards with one phrase or sentence per scene or story beat. It's easy to move them around and add or subtract them as you develop the story. I do the same thing with sticky notes on a whiteboard. On Storybuilder you can have up to 1000 cards per project, many more than you'll ever need. On a typical feature film or TV movie, I seldom use more than 100.

The advantage of something like Storybuilder (similar apps are available) is that you can access the virtual cards wherever you are--as long as you have a wifi signal, that is. The cards live in the cloud, not on your device. 

Your cards are private unless you invite someone (e.g., a collaborator) to have access to them. 

Since I'm going to be travelling quite a bit in the next few months I'm going to give Storybuilder a try. If you want to as well, go here (you may need to sign in to Amazon first):  https://studios.amazon.com/storybuilder

(Do you want friendly, practical guidance in writing your book or screenplay? You'll find it in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

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Does your novel or screenplay plot look like this?

What are your novel's or screenplay's 3 magic words?

Don't have time to write? Do this!

If you don't have time to write, that doesn't mean you have to ignore your book or screenplay. Here are a few things you can do to keep the project alive in your mind (this is for works of fiction, but I bet you can think of similar things you can do if you write non-fiction):

* Imagine one of your characters is with you as you go through your day. How would he or she react to all the things that happen? You'll get to know the characters better and when you do sit down to write again you'll find it much easier to know what they'll do and say.

* At the start of your day, decide on one scene or part of the story to think about, and then just get on with your day. You will find that your subconscious mind keeps working on it anyway and new ideas will pop out at unexpected times.

* Take five minutes a day to think about the project and jot down any new ideas. Don't try to force it, some days you'll have lots of ideas, other days you may not have any. That's fine, just make it a habit and I think you'll find it useful.

As well as producing ideas you can use when you have time to get back to writing, these will banish guilt about not writing every day. 

HOW TO FIND MORE TIME TO WRITE

Along with using these methods, you may want to try to find some more time to write. A few ideas:

* If you normally eat lunch at your desk, once or more a week go to nearby coffee shop where you won't be disturbed.

* If you regularly watch some TV series, give up one of them.

* One or two days a week get up an hour early (or stay up an hour late).

* If you have kids, swap babysitting times with a friend or neighbor so each of you gets a couple of hours at a time undisturbed.

(Do you think you might profit from having Mark Twain, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald and a hundred other classic and modern masters of writing giving you their advice about writing? You can find it in my book, Your Creative Writing Masterclass, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

Ricky Gervais on what to write about

In the video I've linked to below, Ricky Gervais talks (after a few giggles) about the moment he came to understand what to write about.

http://www.fastcocreate.com/3016916/creation-stories/ricky-gervais-tells-a-story-about-how-he-learned-to-write?partner=newsletter

There's a bit of contradiction there, in that his experience with the old lady's flat was not something he found particularly interesting, it wasn't something he was passionate about; however, it seems that perhaps writing about it is what made it interesting.

It's an approach reflected in his most successful show to date, The Office, which mined the day to day pretensions and conflicts in a very ordinary setting. 

Austin Macauley Publishers : update

Austen Macauley is a publisher that advertises for manuscripts. They describe their set-up this way: 

 "Initially, our editors look at every new manuscript with a view to offer a Traditional Mainstream publishing deal. Once our editors have reviewed the work thoroughly, only then will we be able to decide which avenue would be more suitable for each individual book. A traditional partnership agreement entails the same benefits as a mainstream agreement. However, as the writer you may be asked to cover part of the cost of publishing the book. We follow all traditional mainstream etiquettes with regards to the promotion and marketing as well as all other avenues involved in the process."

 Austin Macauley is only one of many publishers who have this two-mode system; there's nothing inherently wrong with that. Since I haven't had any personal experience with Austen Macauley, I decided to check with an expert who keeps tabs on writers' experiences with publishers.

WHAT DOES WRITER BEWARE SAY ABOUT AUSTIN MACAULEY?

I contacted Victoria Strauss, who runs the excellent "Writer Beware" blog to find out whether she knew anything about this operation. She told me, "I've gotten scores of complaints about Austin Macauley." 

The Writer Beware "thumbs down" list has now added Ashwell Publishing, doing business as Olympia Publishing (has shared staff with Austin Macauley) (London UK).

AUSTIN MACAULEY'S LEGAL THREATS AND MONEY OFFER

 I've had several letters from Austin Macauley threatening legal action over the previous version of this post.

First they accused me of being "a professional provider of self-publishing services" who therefore would benefit from making "disparaging references to publisher's work" (sic).  

I don't provide any such services. 

AUSTIN MACAULEY'S INTERESTING OFFER

Next, I had an email from an Austin Macauley consultant asking me "amicably" to remove this post. Here's what he wrote, using his spelling and punctuation: 

This is Patrick who currently is working for austinmacauley.com

Buy this time you should be knowing the reason for why I'm here. As,I would like to get an review removed from your site. Good reviews comes and goes, but a small, single negative review doesnt disappears.

 

I'm happy to discuss about this even if money is involved.

 

Let me know if we can discuss about the same.

 

Thanks,

Patrick

No, Patrick and Austin Macauley, I don't post reviews for money, and I don't take them down for money.

 THE LATEST LEGAL NOTICE

The most recent notice (September 9, 2015) accuses me of publishing defamatory material--namely, a fuller quote by Victoria Strauss, and the permalink for this post, which includes the words "how to avoid scams." So let me be clear:

Victoria's thoughts and experiences are her own. I've shortened her quote and invite you to make up your own mind about the Thumbs Down list at Writer Beware.

Secondly, the simple presence of the words "how to avoid scams" does not mean that any publisher mentioned in the article is being accused of scams.

Actually, my advice is to treat ALL publishers with caution, including Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins, Pearson, Simon & Shuster, and all others, including Austen Macauley.

Many publishers are totally aboveboard, with contracts that are fair to authors. Some have contracts with provisions you may not find acceptable (and in some cases you may be able to negotiate changes). A small minority are scamming people. 

When I use the phrase "how to avoid scams" I am advising you to do your own research, take a close look at the contract any publisher offers you, use the internet to check what other people's experiences have been, and only then make up your own mind before you sign up.

Just in case that's not clear enough for the solicitors that Austen Macauley is keeping busy: nothing in this post should be interpreted as an accusation that Austen Macauley is scamming people; instead, it suggests that those who read this post gather their own facts and come to their own conclusions, just as you would with any company before you sign a contract. 

 

Publishers to Beware: Noble Romance, Vanilla Heart, Iconic Publishing

Writing Contests: Almost Everything You Need to Know

 

When is the best time to write your memoirs or autobiography?

If you've led a particularly interesting life, your memoirs or autobiography could become a popular book. For most of us, though, it's a way to leave something for our descendents. You may think they wouldn't be interested, but wouldn't you love to have such a record of your great-grandparents' or grandparents' lives? Your descendents will feel the same way about you.  

Many people assume the best time to write their memoirs is toward the end of their lives, when they'll have time to reflect on what it all meant and to get it all down in beautiful prose. There are several problems with that approach:

1. We don't always know when we're nearing the end of our lives. As you look up and see that anvil somebody has thoughtlessly dropped from their tenth-story window you may think, "Darn! I wish I'd written my memoirs already!"

2. You might get to a very advanced age and still never figure out what it all meant.

3. By then your memory may not be what it was.

4. You could still very busy. Old age seems to be a lot more active affair than it used to be.

A better time to start writing your memoirs or autobigraphy is now. You can start by recording the key points about your past. (By the way, the difference between memoirs and an autobiography is that usually the latter covers your entire life, whereas memoirs often are just about one or more aspects of your life.)

GETTING STARTED

* If your grandparents are still alive and in good enough shape, interview them about their lives. Probably they never got around to writing their autobiographies, either, but you can help preserve some of their memories. If they're self-conscious about being recorded, don't stick a microphone in their face, just put a recorder down (you can use the one on your smartphone) and start chatting. Make it a conversation rather than an interrogation. As you discover the topics you find the most fascinating about their lives, you'll get ideas for what you should cover in the story of yours.

* If your parents are still alive and in good enough shape, do the same with them. Be sure to ask them about the events that took plance in your childhood--and don't be surprised if they don't remember them the same way you do. Interviewing them separately can be very interesting because often they'll have different memories of the same event. 

* Decide which way you feel most comfortable recording your memories: writing them down, talking about them into a recorder or a video camera (or webcam), having somebody else interview you.

* You don't need to account for every moment of your life. Three kinds of information will be of particular interest to your descendents: the most dramatic moments (when you met your significant other, your first job--in fact most "firsts" in your life); what a typical day was like for you when you were a chld, a teen, and at different points in your adulthood; and your strong opinions about anything about which you have strong opinions. 

* Be specific. Instead of just saying, "I loved going to the movies," for instance, mention the movies you loved the most and why. For me, it was Westerns starring Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys. I thought someday I'd inherit that title. Unfortunately the fact that the Wild West wasn't around anymore and the fact that I was scared of horses got in the way.

SOME PROMPTS TO GET YOU GOING

    What's your first memory?

    Who was you best friend growing up and what was he or she like? 

    What was the most memorable vacation you took with your parents?

    What did you want to be when you grew up? Why? 

    If you had siblings, what was your relationship like?

    What do you remember about your parents when you think of your chldhood?

    Did you have a hero when you were a kid? Who and why?

    What did you love to do when you had free time?

    What did you like about school? What did you dislike? 

    Who was your most memorable teacher?

    What do you remember about the places you lived as a child?

    Who was your first crush?

    What kind of music did you like when you were a teen-ager? Was there one song you really loved?

    Were you into sports? Which ones? 

    Did you have a have favorite book? TV show? Movie? 

    What was your first job?

    What was your first date like?

MAKING IT AUDIO-VISUAL

* If your parents took a lot of photos when you were young, get copies--they're a great way to prompt memories, and you should include them in your memoir or autobiography.

* If they shot 8mm or Super8 or video, you can have those transferred to digital format.

* The same goes for audio recordings on reel-to-reel tapes or casette tapes.

HOW MUCH TO REVEAL?

Should you reveal family secrets, or your own? That's up to you. One option is to have an extra chapter or extra section that you keep private--you can give it to your lawyer and specify in your will that it is not to be read or distributed to any family members until, say, ten years after you've passed away. 

WHY NOT GET STARTED NOW?

In future posts I'll go more into the kinds of things you may want to cover about your current life, as well as useful tools and the variety of formats you can use.

For now, how about committing to doing this and setting aside a few hours a week to get started?