The Process

The Interviews

The first step in creating your Memoir is a series of recorded interviews. The interviews are informal and conversational; they are planned to meet your schedule and ordinarily are conducted in your home. Each interviewing session lasts for about three to five hours and there may be one or two sessions in a day.

We, Paul and Carol, work together in creating each Memoir, but Paul conducts the interviews alone. Each interview is recorded on an Olympus digital recorder, and is backed up by an audiocassette recording.

The total amount of time you will spend in the interview process depends on the length of the manuscript you have in mind, and is generally determined prior to any interviewing. A total of eight to ten interview-hours will produce a Memoir of about 200 to 225 book pages in length.

It is always possible, after interviewing commences, that you will decide there is more to tell than you originally thought, and we will adjust the interviewing schedule — and length of the Memoir — accordingly.

The Interview Process

The interview process focuses on more than having you merely talk about “What I did in my lifetime.” Our goal is to bring forth the story of “How It Feels to Be Me.” Having an extended opportunity to talk about yourself, and your feelings about the events in your personal history, will provide the rare opportunity for you to step outside your life and see yourself in a way you’ve never seen before.

Before the interviews commence, we will spend some time with you determining what parts of your life you want to have emphasized — or omitted. One of the benefits of a Memoir (as contrasted with an autobiography) is that it need not equally emphasize or include all parts of your life. If you say things in the interview which you later decide to change or omit from the manuscript, that is not a problem. We will make those changes and omissions as instructed. You are always in control of the content of the Memoir. It is your book.

Preparing the Manuscript

After the interviewing is completed, we prepare a transcript of the interview-recordings. After the interview-transcripts are completed we arrange the transcript material for effective story development. During that process, the text is organized sequentially and by subject, and the material is then grouped into chapters.

At that point the manuscript is what we consider a rough draft. We, Paul and Carol working together, then polish that rough draft into its finished form as a final manuscript, ready for publication.

No matter how poised and articulate the client may be, this polishing process usually involves substantial rewriting and editing in order to change spoken English into felicitously written English; however, throughout this process we strive mightily to maintain not only the factual content of the interviews, but also your distinctive voice and vocabulary as well as the feelings and emotions you expressed during the interview process.

Client Review of the Manuscript

When we begin to write your Memoir, we will submit a few sample pages to you so you can review the writing style we have chosen to express your thoughts. If you approve, then that is the style we will use in the entire manuscript.

After we have completed the organizing, rewriting and editing of the interview material, the manuscript is in what we consider its tentatively-final form. The entire manuscript is then submitted to you to review for factual accuracy and spelling of names. Also, at that time you determine if any material is included which you would like to have omitted. We make such changes as you may suggest, then we again present the manuscript to you for review so that you may be assured that all your suggested changes were properly accomplished.

Turning the Manuscript into a Book

At this point you will have a good idea of whether you want to have the manuscript made into a printed and bound book. If you decide to have a book produced, then we are available to help locate professionals who will handle the design and layout of the book as well as arrange for and supervise its printing and binding.

With respect to book production, you remain in full control of the nature of the book itself. You determine, for instance: which — if any — photographs are to be included, whether the photos are to be on photo-montage pages or are to be interspersed throughout the book; the page dimensions of the book; the quality of the paper on which the book is printed and the simplicity or elegance of the material with which the book is bound.

Although we do not participate directly in the design/layout, printing or binding of books, one of the services we offer is to act as an intermediary to assist you in working with the professionals who are producing the book. We will receive no commission or fee from any of the professionals involved in book production, and our interest is in helping you receive a book that satisfies your taste and meets your budget.

back to top

Last Modified: May 18, 2005

copyright © Raintree Memoirs - all rights reserved