All in Biography Writing Tips
Congratulations on partaking in one of the most meaningful and challenging journeys of your life as you write your story down on paper. You know you want to write about your life, and you may, or may not know if your end goal is to have a private record for your family/ friends, or a published book. Regardless it is nice to be able to explain to those closest to you exactly what is eating up all of your time. Naming your project will also help you find more relevant advice on how and where to start.
If you are looking for funding for your oral history project there are quite a few options available to you:
1. Apply directly to Grants or Fellowships
2. Fundraise
3. Develop a partnership with an institution or group
It is easy for individuals to take a look at that total, think I don’t have $10 000 lying around, and assume that their dreams of getting their story written down are over. If you are of a like mind then please hear me out before you swear off ever hiring a ghostwriter. My goal, at the end of every conversation, is for the individual to feel as though they can get their story written down, whether the primary investment is time or money.
If you have any interest in preserving your grandparents, parents, or loved one’s memoirs, I highly encourage you to start as soon as you can. While most people are aware of how easy it now is to take a photo, not everyone realizes it is just as simple to record an audio file. In fact most smart phones can create a high quality audio file.
I had previously written a post Saturday Night Dancing in 1950s London, and Rick was intent to correct some details. Dance classes were never on a Saturday evening; instead they were on a Saturday afternoon. During a dance class you would have men lined up on one side, and women lined up on another. They would have arrived separately and be asked to pair up in order to practice the dance. It is during a dance class that Rick and Joan were paired up to dance and subsequently started dating, grew to love each other, and got engaged on a rainy day while sheltering in a phone booth.
Imagine a couple of professional dance instructors going over the steps with both the ladies and men before asking them to pick a partner and practice the routine. The atmosphere must have been one of thrill and excitement, as boisterous teenage energy sent hearts thumping, and feet stumbling. With a strong attempt at outward manliness and confidence the young man would attempt to sweep the lady he was partnered with through the steps of the dance, while inwardly using all of his power to avoid stumbling over his own feet.
