Every life has a story – what’s yours?
A memoir is a lasting record of your life, a reminder for you and a valuable legacy to pass on as part of your family history, for your children, your grandchildren, your family and your friends. It can be great fun to do, and hugely rewarding too.
I work with people of all ages and stages of life. Some choose to record their whole life story, others choose to focus on a particular time or experience. Sometimes couples or family members choose to tell their story together.
Family History
Everyone is fascinated by the history of their family. Where family members lived, what they did, what their relationships were and their circumstances. Some families have roots deep in one area, some have uprooted from one continent to another and others seem to have been scattered across the world. Some families have been involved in world events and others have lived lives that reflected their times.
To create a memoir in your lifetime is a valuable contribution to the history of your family, something that family members, and generations to come, will treasure.
The Process
Each person's story is different and so are each person's needs and requirements, so I am happy to be flexible and to accommodate individual choices.
In an initial meeting, either in person or via zoom I will discuss with you the tory you want to tel, the kind of book you would like, your timing and the length. After that I will arrange a series of interviews to record the story, we will need a minimum of 20 hours and probably more, either in face to face meetings or via zoom.
At every stage of the writing you will be consulted and involved, and when the manuscript is completed you will have the opportunity to make any changes or amendments you wish. You can also add photographs, letters, documents or illustrations.
A Lasting Record
I can advise you on finding a publisher or alternatively self-publishing your memoir.
Length and Cost
Lengths vary between 40,000 and 80,000 words.
Fees vary according to length and individual requirements and whether additional research, interviews or gathering of material is required.
If you are interested in commissioning a memoir, or would like more information, please do get in touch, by emailing through the website or phoning.'Our thanks to Caro Handley whose painstaking professionalism and sympathetic approach has transformed our long hidden and often forgotten experiences into a readable story.'
Alan and Irene Brogan ‘Not Without You’ 'I wish to thank Caro Handley for her sound advice, and her excellent organisation and overview, which I could never have managed on my own.'
Julia Baird ‘Imagine This’ which became the basis for the film 'Nowhere Boy' about her brother John Lennon.