“Memory is the personal journalism of the soul.”
- Richard Shickel
Our Services
StoryMatters will help you explore and record your stories, whether a full life story or a smaller story about an important event or area of a life. The story can be about an individual, a group, a family, an event, a company or a community. We have assembled the stories into four categories: life stories, family histories, special memoirs and company histories.
Our services include:
Life Stories
A full life story embraces a person’s complete life and can include the good and the bad, the challenging and the uplifting. Whatever an individual feels is important belongs in the broad picture that a life story will capture.
StoryMatters will help you to look at your connections with past and present relatives; your birth and childhood; school experiences; your career path; family homes and communities; family relationships (spouses/ partners/ children/ grandchildren); travel; friends; hobbies and recreation; retirement/later life; personal philosophies, religion/spiritual beliefs, etc.
We will meet with you and plan the outline for the book and then begin the taped interview sessions. These sessions will be transcribed and the text edited into a narrative form, making sure that we keep the ‘original voice’ intact. Once you have accepted the draft, we will work with the designer to include any memorabilia (photos, certificates, recipes, etc.). Your heirloom book will then be printed and custom bound.
Family Histories
In a family history, one or more members talk about their memories of that family – its origins, movements, traditions, legends.
StoryMatters will meet with selected family members who want to share their stories and together we will decide which topics to include in the interview sessions. Family members will be interviewed separately, so that each person’s memories have an equal opportunity to be valued and recorded. The interview tapes are then transcribed and edited, with each participant having input into the editing process. The final story is illustrated with family memorabilia and then custom-bound into as many heirloom books as desired.
Company Histories
We are all interested in personal stories, but stories of companies can be just as compelling. Rags-to-riches stories. Against-all-odds stories. Human interest stories. Stories of innovation and creation and fortitude.
StoryMatters will interview selected members of companies, be they founders or partners or employees or relatives. We will ask you to look at the original vision, the goals, objectives, turning points, changes, obstacles and successes. These stories will be augmented by documents such as reports, promotional literature, news clippings and photographs. The final draft will be returned to you for your input and then custom bound into as many company history books as desired.
This unique book will be a powerful means of sharing a company’s history with present management and staff. It will become a part of their ongoing story with the company, and will help them feel more connected with the organization. It can also be a very effective promotional tool, to incorporate the history of this particular company into the larger community.
Special Memoirs
Special memoirs are shorter than life or family histories and usually illustrate a particular event or area of a person’s life. Examples include:
- summer holidays
- an unforgettable person
- a special group of friends
- a chosen career
- a hobby or sport
- a struggle with an illness
- a favourite home/cottage/farm
- a beloved pet
- an unusual trip
- a retirement tribute
- a special celebration such as:
- a birthday
- an engagement
- a wedding
- an anniversary
- the birth of a child/grandchild
- Christmas
- Hanukkah
- Valentines Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- etc
We will meet with you and plan the outline for the book and then begin to record the story on tape. It may involve interviewing one person or several. The taped sessions will be transcribed and the text edited into a narrative form. Once you have accepted the draft, we will work with the designer to include any memorabilia (photos, sketches, certificates, etc.). We will present the final draft to you for your approval and then your memoir book/s will be printed, custom-bound and returned to you.
