Forever Young Autobiographies

Case study: The Moonsamy family’s The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family

The amazing story of how one family of Indian heritage survived life under apartheid and moved to America

This week’s case study is The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family, a fascinating compilation of life stories by Reverend Samuel Moonsamy and his family.

It tells how the family of Indian heritage, navigated the system of apartheid in South Africa – amid racial tension plus economic struggle – and settled in northern California, United States of America.

Certainly the book’s anecdotes are sometimes hilarious, sometimes serious and invariably thought provoking.

However, they ultimately aim to highlight a strong, faith-based legacy for future generations.

Recently Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Priscilla, the eldest of Rev. Moonsamy’s six children.

And she explained more about the book, how it evolved plus offered helpful tips to those keen to sit down and record their own family stories …

Print run: Decide how many books to print like a boss

Ask Nicola Q&A: What a life-story coach knows about book print run numbers + print numbers

Hello and welcome to Forever Young Autobiographies – Ask Nicola.

As a life-story coach I get many queries about planning, creating, polishing and publishing.

And in this series my answers aim to help new creators just like you!

This edition of Ask Nicola starts with the question:

I have finished writing my autobiography but don’t know how many books to get printed? Who and what should I consider before placing a print run order?

Wow, how exciting you are getting ready to print your life story – congratulations!

Now keep reading to find out how many books I suggest …

Writing characters: If you’ve already tried creating characters, don’t read this. It’ll break your heart

Quick and easy ways to character build, write character traits and show not tell

I love Mother’s Day and not just because I am one!

It is an important time of the year.

Certainly mums shape our character, especially when we are young.

And in turn they can also shape the way we care for our children and grandchildren.

So as you sit down to create an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project think about how to portray characters like VIP mums.

Next, keep reading as I show you ideas for creating characters that sparkle …

Birth stories: How to write birth, baby and pregnancy stories

Everything you need to know to write about the birth of a child or giving birth

At this time of year my family finishes a mega run of birthdays.

And coupled with Easter recently it has felt like a time of new beginnings.

As a result, this got me thinking about how we sit down to record birth stories in our autobiographies, memoirs, biographies and other life story projects.

Obviously an autobiography by its very definition requires a birth story!

But there are other births we can record such as parents, siblings, children or grandchildren.

So in this article I’m going to go over key information you might like to include when recording birth stories …

out

What makes a good story: Dialogue writing, suspense writing and other writing techniques

How to make your writing more captivating (AKA not boring!) in 3 steps

When I’m talking too much my husband gives me a smile and a hurry-along signal.

Indeed sometimes we all tell a story with too much background information or detail and the other person is waiting for us to get to the point.

Of course a conversation like this can be boring and so too can a life story.

So what makes a good story and what writing techniques can we use when we sit down to create to keep our audience’s attention?

Keep reading to find out … I promise to get straight to the point!

Case study: Solo travel memoir Untethered: A Woman’s Search for Self on the Edge of India

The amazing travel story of a motorbike trip from New Delhi to find the Hindu goddess Kali

Get ready for a wild ride with C. L. Stambush in this latest case study about her bold and honest self-published book Untethered: A Woman’s Search for Self on the Edge of India – A Travel Memoir.

The life story tells of her five-month, nearly 7000-mile (11,265km) solo journey in 1997 as a young woman on a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle and her quest to prove to herself she “can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone”.

Indeed Stambush had never ridden a motorbike and named her Bullet Kali after the badass Hindu goddess of rebirth, hoping to gain some grrrr.

But her mission was to discover the 51 Hindu shakti peetha temples, containing pieces of the goddess — lips, wrists, heart — believed to possess the power to transform.

However, along the way Stambush was reshaped as she encountered friendly families and ominous men, confronted culture clashes, hijras, and bandits, experienced monsoons, scorching deserts, and homicidal drivers plus crashed her motorcycle and much more.

So keep reading as the long-time traveler and journalist explains the story behind the memoir, the creative process and her tips for new writers.

Life-story format ideas: See how easily you can record family stories or a life history

Ways you ought to know to gather your family stories and family history

Easter this year was much better than Easter 2020 when most of the world was in lockdown.

Certainly coronavirus outbreaks are still occurring but the situation is improving now vaccines are being distributed.

But COVID-19 has reminded us to appreciate our freedom, health, family and friends like never before.

So this week I’m encouraging everyone to record family stories.

Because life changes so fast and we never know what we are up for next!

Therefore read on to discover super life-story format ideas.

Book review: Love, desire and biography bestseller Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

The easy way to understand the New York Times bestseller released by Bloomsbury

Three Women is a life-story collection that can’t be ignored.

It was written by American journalist and author Lisa Taddeo and published in 2019 by Bloomsbury Circus.

In short, the biography “is a record of unmet needs, unspoken thoughts, disappointments, hopes and unrelenting obsessions”.

However, notably the Sunday Times and New York Times No. 1 bestseller has garnered sweeping endorsement from authors Elizabeth Gilbert to Marian Keyes and actor Gwyneth Paltrow.

And it has won numerous prizes including the British Book Awards Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year 2020.

Indeed the 320-page book is the result of eight years of reporting by Taddeo and has much to interest readers plus those sitting down to write life stories …

How to write a story: Burning questions about inspirational stories, writing tips + writing mistakes

Ask Nicola Q&A: How to write a story for beginners who want to write well

How to write a story is the most common query I am asked as a life-story coach.

So to kick off this year’s Ask Nicola series, I’m highlighting six readers’ questions that deal with this theme!

They include how to create inspirational stories, writing tips, good writing ideas, writing mistakes, writing problems and the process of writing a book.

Certainly these questions and responses will help you plan, create, polishing and publishing an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project.

Now let’s dive in and learn how to write a story …

Case study: Daughter’s podcast with her 83yo poet laureate dad

Creative memoir of emeritus professor of English Eugene B. Redmond

This week I have a radically honest and touching case study to share with you!

It is the story of how Dr Treasure Shields Redmond started a podcast with her well-known father Dr Eugene B. Redmond, age 83.

The show, The Memoir My Dad Wouldn’t Write, began in 2018 and has no topics off limits.

“It is a limited series of conversations between a daughter and a father about the things that make us family and the items in my dad’s life that have helped to shape who he is today,” Treasure said.

“You know he has had this incredible life as a cultural worker, poet, professor, activist and mentor but he wouldn’t write a memoir.

“So this podcast is a way to get those conversations onto tape and to find out exactly what shaped this incredible, complex – and far from perfect – man that I love.”

Let’s discover more about this fascinating life-story project plus Treasure’s tips for doing something similar of your own …