memories
Family Memoir
Family Stories, Cherished Memories
How did your grandparents meet?
What was your father’s youth like?
What dreams did your mother have as a little girl?
We know many stories about our families.
Others are stories we have never thought to ask about.
Yet every life holds memories, experiences and turning points worth preserving.
An old photograph, a handwritten recipe book or an everyday family table can bring stories back to life.
Who taught Grandma to bake the cake that no family Christmas would be complete without?
Who once gathered around the table?
What untold stories did they carry within them?
And how differently might everything have turned out if one of them had chosen another path at a defining moment?
It Starts with a Conversation
As the creator and author of the Turning Points interview book series, I have experienced firsthand how much value a thoughtful conversation can hold. During my interviews, I have often found that a single question can bring back memories my interviewees had never intended to share. I now offer this experience as a writer to help preserve family memories.
Through personal conversations, I write the story of a chosen period in a family member’s life or a collection of their most meaningful memories. Or your own.
We talk in a calm, unhurried atmosphere. I ask questions and listen carefully. Together, we revisit events, the feelings connected to them, and the small details that make each memory personal.
From these conversations, I create an engaging, readable narrative while preserving the storyteller’s own voice and perspective. We then review and refine the text together, ensuring that the finished story is ready to be treasured and passed down to future generations.
How Will We Work Together?
Our work together begins with a brief, free initial consultation, during which we discuss your chosen topic and what you have in mind.
The Szentendre package includes two in-person conversations, each lasting up to two hours, with breaks as needed.
I prepare for these conversations and then use what you share to write about a selected period of someone’s life or a connected collection of memories, in 8,000–12,000 characters, including spaces.
The package includes one consolidated round of revisions and factual corrections. I provide the approved story as a simply formatted PDF and an editable document.
The conversations take place at Turning Points Salon in Szentendre.
Before work begins, we agree in writing on the chosen topic, the scope of the work and the delivery deadline.
The package price is fixed; any additional conversations or longer text require a separate agreement. The production of a printed book is also subject to a separate agreement.
A Story to Give as a Personal Gift
Preserving a family story can be a truly special gift for a birthday, anniversary or Christmas, provided that the storyteller is also happy to take part in the conversations.
There is no need to tell an entire life story. A single meaningful period, a life-changing encounter or a cherished family memory can be worth preserving in writing.
How Can We Get Started?
If you would like to preserve a meaningful story, please feel free to get in touch.
During our free initial consultation, we will discuss your ideas and how we can bring your story to life together.
What Stories Can We Preserve?
- The beginnings and everyday life of an old family business.
- Stories of moving, relocating and starting over.
- Memories of school days, traditional trades and workplaces of the past.
- The story of a family secret coming to light.
- Personal memories of wartime or other historical events.
- The story of an unusual profession, a lifelong passion or a life-changing decision.
Why Preserve These Stories?
- Because members of the same family may have experienced the same event differently.
- Because the reasons behind a decision are often known only to the person who made it.
- Because the origins of family traditions can fade from memory over time.
- Because the story of an old conflict or reconciliation can bring new understanding.
- Because experiences of overcoming life’s challenges can be valuable to others.
- Because even small, everyday details can bring an entire era to life.
Our Stories Connect Us.
An old recipe, familiar handwriting, the memory of an afternoon spent together.
Sometimes these small details tell us the most about who we are and where we come from.