Hi, my name's Zachary. One summer while in college, I interviewed my grandpa about his life story. Although I'd grown up around Grandpa, taking that time to sit down and ask him questions helped me understand my family history in new ways. I saw how events decades ago shaped my family, my grandpa's experiences being passed on to my mother and then to me. Furthermore, Grandpa's life brimmed with fascinating details-- things I never would've thought to ask about if I hadn't taken the time to listen.
That's why I started Franklin Life Scribe, a life story book service dedicated to helping people preserve their stories for posterity. If you hire me, I'll interview you about your life story, weave the stories you tell into a single, cohesive narrative, and work with you to edit that narrative so that it captures your voice and expresses what's most meaningful to you. Finally, I'll professionally format and print your book so that you'll have one or more physical copies to share with your loved ones.
Here's what you can expect if you work with me:
I convey your life story in a way that sounds like you
I’m available to meet either in-person or via video call
I listen with patience
I ask questions to help stimulate your memory
I’ll work with you to create a step-by-step plan to present your ideas and stories in the way you want.
No AI-generated content will end up in your book, ever
A life story book service also makes a great gift. If you have an older person in your life who means a lot to you and whom you'd like to know better, I can help you.
If you're interested in Franklin Life Scribe, email me at zachary@authorholbrook.com. I'll let you know about pricing and arrange a time for an interview-- either in person if you're in the Middle Tennessee area, or by Zoom (or other video call service) otherwise.
There's great knowledge to be gained from people who've lived longer than I have-- I'm excited for this chance to tap into it.If you're interested in working on your own life story or someone else's, enter your email below and I'll send you a worksheet I designed to help you start: "61 Questions to Jump-Start Your Own Life Story Writing Journey"
See what my clients have to say:
"This has been a very pleasant experience... I've had ideas for a while, but never would've turned them into a book without help. Zachary encouraged me, helped me get my ideas organized, and I've been very happy with my experience with him."
James Gordon Warmbrod, Jr.
Retired Orthopedic Surgeon
"I worked on my book for a year and a half before I hired Zachary... he helped me finish in two months."
Barbara White
Mother of three
Watch my clients' full testimonials here:
Interested in a life story book in the future, but not ready to commit to a project yet? Join my newsletter to follow my work and get the "61 Questions to Jump-Start Your Own Life Story Writing Journey" worksheet:
FAQs
My dad has a saying: “Everyone is fascinating.” This has proved true again and again in my own life. Even people who are naturally modest, who say “I haven’t done much with my life” turn out to be fascinating once you dig a little deeper.
For example, I once worked with a storyteller who told me, “I’ve lived a good life, but I don’t know if there’s much to tell about it. I played sports all through high school. Got paralyzed once, but I got better–”
“Wait,” I said. “You got paralyzed?”
“Yeah, I broke my neck playing football and couldn’t feel anything from the neck down for six weeks.” And he went on in detail about the surgery that had restored his ability to walk and how his friends and family had rallied around him during that time.
Now, not only is the story of paralysis and recovery itself fascinating, but the way that the storyteller told it revealed a lot of his character. It showed that he’d grown to a place of such peace and contentment that he could look back on losing control of his own body as not that big of a deal. And I think that the elderly can underestimate that kind of story has– stories that teach people my age “you can go through hard things, you can suffer, you can have your life changed, and you can come out alright.”
Live long enough, and you will have stories of persevering through hardship. And those stories will be meaningful, especially to your descendants.
The purpose of a life story book is to share yourself with your loved ones. You don’t need anything dramatic or memoir-worthy in your story. If you work with me, together we’ll create an heirloom for your family– not a best-selling memoir, but a treasured capsule of memory that helps weave the generations of your family line together.
Anything you put in that book will be interesting for the people it’s meant to interest– those who love you and those who are descended from you, even generations after you’ve passed.
For the storyteller, getting their story written is as easy as having a conversation. I'll sit down with the storyteller and guide them through a series of casual, low-pressure interviews.
I aim for five interview sessions, each just over an hour long, but sometimes do more or less interviews as necessary. During those interviews, I listen attentively, ask an occasional thought-provoking question, and help the storyteller discover themes and patterns in their life that they’d like their story to emphasize.
Based on those interviews, I’ll write a book showing the storyteller’s life the way they want it represented. Then I work closely with the storyteller to revise the text so it captures their voice. I’ll have any family members mentioned by name in the book read over their parts to ensure they’re happy with the way they’re portrayed.
Once we settle on the final text, I’ll format the book, design a simple cover, and get a physical copy printed so the storyteller’s family has an heirloom preserving their treasured memories.
Each storyteller is unique, and some want longer and more in-depth projects than others. Because of this, pricing varies.
During my first (and free) meeting with the storyteller, I'll work with them to develop an outline for their book. We'll discuss their vision for their story and make a plan to get there. After our first meeting, I'll determine the cost. Pricing comes as a single flat rate, with 50% paid up-front and 50% upon completion.
As many as you want. I'll cover printing costs for up to one copy, but I'll send you the interior and cover design files. Once you have these files, printing more copies with an online small-run printer like Lulu or IngramSpark will be fairly easy (and I can walk you through it if you like
If you're interested in a life story book, either for yourself or as a gift, contact me at zachary@authorholbrook.com or by using the form below: