Lifestories is a new service available in Palm Beach County, Florida, that allows people to record their memories without putting pen to paper themselves. A professional writer interviews them and writes their story. After a draft copy is approved, the biography is professionally printed.

Interest in gathering and preserving family stories has increased dramatically in recent years as people realize that history isn't a closed book but an open one, not a story completed by each generation but an unfolding one. Some people consider it a personal responsibility. How do family members know who they are if they don’t know where they came from – their roots?

Chicago journalist Studs Terkel has shown the world the importance of oral history just by listening to people and writing down their stories. He urges people to relax and enjoy the experience.

“I think people have a natural-born tendency to tell stories,” Mr. Terkel says. “There's poetry inside each and every one of us. The job of any good listener is to get it out."

A note to sons and daughters: Your parents may not think they've led interesting lives or have stories worth recording. Sometimes it takes a gentle nudge to convince them their family history is important and you want very much to preserve their memories.

If your grandparents are still living, don't miss the chance to collect their stories. They have lived in a different era, and future members of your family will value their lives as a remarkable peek into the past.

For information, call 561-616-0710 or email info@lifestorywriter.com.

• Client asks to have his or her biography written and confirms it with a down payment.
  
• Convenient times for interviews are arranged.
  
• The lifestory is written. Clients proofread the draft, approve a final version and order the number of booklets they want.
  
• Bio is professionally printed.