Your story might be about family, friendships, a special romance, an exciting job or a lifelong passion. Whatever you choose to write about, your book will be a very special gift, something your loved ones will cherish and remember you by. I will guide you through the steps to write your story so please get in touch to chat about your project.
Hello, and welcome. I’m Katarina Sherbourne, a professional life story writer based in the UK who works with people living all over the world. I pride myself on providing a personal and caring service, where I take care of every aspect of a project from initial planning to final print. If writing doesn’t come naturally, if you haven’t got the time to write, or if your first language isn’t English I can help.
Our lives are full of interesting people, relationships and events, so how do you begin to write about these experiences? Here are some useful life story writing tips that I’d like to share.
What's your story? I’ve written life stories about people of all backgrounds and walks of life - a grandmother wanted a book about her childhood in war-torn Berlin; a businessman was keen to recount his travels around the world; a mum wished to preserve precious stories about bringing up her children. I’ve written about a radar operator in the WAAF, a Filipino nurse, a suburban housewife, life in a strict boarding school, being evacuated to the wilds of Scotland, a honeymoon in Africa … In my experience, everyone has a story to tell, and there are amazing tales to uncover wherever you look.
A different world Working in the Colonial Office in Nigeria in the 1950s gave Peter a view into a new and mysterious culture, and he describes in his memoir the customs, rituals and ceremonies of that country. One, which signified a young man's coming of age, involved adolescent boys taking turns to hit each other with sticks. Showing outward pain was forbidden, and the boys were instead expected to laugh when they were hit. Teeth filing to sharp points was another. All fascinating stories for Peter's children and grandchildren to read about.
One from the album I was rifling through my photo albums the other day and came across a beautiful one of my grandmother as a child circa 1900. An only child, she was brought up by her grandmother in rural Saxony and became a nurse, tending to the wounded in the First World War. Who's in your family photo album? Any interesting characters? What stories have passed down the generations?
