Tell me what you remember about place where you grew up?

Take me on an imaginary walk around your home when you were a child.

Describe your family gatherings. Tell me about religious observances in your family.

Who was your biggest influence? Who did you admire and why?

Who made you laugh? Who made you feel important and why?

3. Listen Attentively

The aim is to get momentum going, to establish a natural rhythm in conversation. Once you've started interview rolling, except for an occasional question to keep it rolling or steer it in right direction, most efficient thing you can do is listen attentively.

4. Add Unique Questions to Wrap Up

The very best questions are ones you make up as you go along, which are specific to individual you are interviewing. These will be determined by person's responses to those basic questions you ask. Make a note as you are interviewing and return to these at earliest possible opportunity or ask them in a wrap-up interview.

Before you know it, interviewing will become second nature to you and you will have collected a treasure-trove of material for your unique family memory book! www.memorybooks.ca.

"I can't locate all facts - birth dates, immigrant ship landings, military regiments, etc."

If you need help with research, Information Desk Librarians at local libraries are a great help! A personal historian can also point you in right direction. Often, all it takes is a visit to right website or location of right genealogy book or magazine.

"I've got everything written down, but I'm not sure it makes sense."

This is where a good writer/editor, one who specializes in memoir and personal history, can come in. An editor can tidy up your work in a practical manner, assist with sentence structure and flow and otherwise make your words sing! The difference between a jumble of dry facts and a personal history is as near as your telephone. If you want to do your own editing but aren't sure how to go about it, an editorial consultation will help point you in right direction.

Are you feeling stuck in some way that hasn't been covered here? Please don't be discouraged! There are many resources available to help you capture your family memories and those of your relatives - in print, on audio or video. I sincerely hope this is your year to begin such an important project!

Copyright (C) 2004 Carol M. Upton