Interviewing, writing, and editing is not easy. It is also very time-consuming. The Biography Workshop does all the hard work. We sit down with the subject for a series of personal interviews. We ask the right questions to elicit the right responses to capture not only the facts of a person's life but also the essential character of that person.

Many attempt their own memoirs but don't finish because it can be a difficult process. Writing quality, evocative prose doesn't come naturally to everyone. Good writing takes experience.

Every biography or memoir is approached incrementally. There are four major steps in the process:

• Life Lists - The life lists help organize the subject’s life chronologically and by category (schools, jobs, family members, etc.).
• Time Line - A diagram that displays the chronology of the subject's life within the overall context of American social history.
• Structured Interviews - A series of digitally recorded interviews where the subject uses his or her words to tell the life story. These interviews can be downloaded and played on any MP3 player.
• Completed Book - A high quality, trade paperback up to 300 pages complete with photographs.

Progress is posted immediately on a private webpage for review. There is no waiting.

This approach also means that it's not necessary to commit to an entire book.

When all the facts and details have been collected and organized, the actual writing begins.

This is where the writer's experience becomes extremely important. The writers at the Biography Workshop know how to craft compelling and fascinating stories. It's not just a matter of stating the facts dryly and without feeling, the proper biography must capture the subject's character and nuances through artfully written prose. Thorough and thoughtful editing is also required to ensure that the biography flows properly.

Photographs can certainly be included because pictures add tremendously to any biography.

Up to 50 photos can be added to the biography. We'll scan and do minor reformatting as necessary. A photograph can also be used for the cover of the completed biography.

Once the biography is completed, the subject (or the person commissioning the biography) has a chance to review the final draft before publication.

After all the writing is completed, edited, and reviewed, the book can then be completed with custom cover art.

It usually takes at least four months from first interview to final, printed book.

Completed biographies and memoirs are produced in a "Trade Paperback" format. This is a high quality form of paperback, nothing like the pocket-sized, mass market paperbacks.

The completed book might yield revenue. Ask for more details.

© 2010 The Biography Workshop