Storyzon: Your Life Story Jumps Off the Page

by Gilbert Guide

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Storytelling is a centuries-old craft that gives us colorful glimpses into history. But what about the personal stories of our own history? Maybe the elderly just aren’t encouraged enough to tell their stories. Whatever the case, seniors are an essential component in bringing these histories to life—when we learn about our ancestors, we learn about ourselves in the process.

Storytelling can be a highly cathartic practice. For seniors, the recollection and telling of the tale is sometimes as therapeutic as simply having someone who listens to them. It’s even better when the listener is an impartial third party. Sharing personal information with someone other than a loved one lets many inhibitions fall by the wayside.

The talented team of writers, editors and designers at Storyzon has recognized the need for people (particularly seniors and aging baby boomers) to tell their stories. Memories and personal histories are in turn brought to life and preserved in a tangible and beautiful format—the book. Imagine the gift of your grandmother’s life story on the self alongside other historical texts.

The storytelling process runs from a few weeks to several months and includes a series of one-on-one recollection interviews with each client. Storyzon begins by assessing a client’s expectations for the book, which include the length and any other wishes a client might have. Interviews are scheduled at the clients’ convenience and desired location, and are both audio and videotaped. The transcribed interview is often augmented by written material provided by clients to Storyzon writers, and may include personal letters, documents and diaries. Typically, the total interview time takes between four and forty hours.

Taking a clients’ preferred tone and style into consideration, the Storyzon team crafts the narrative. The first draft is sent to the client for perusal and fact-checking, and any changes are incorporated into the document. Next, graphic designers do their magic and create an appropriate and original layout, complete with photographs and other important documents at the client’s request. In addition to personal biographies, Storyzon is happy to help create company stories, culinary biographies and legacy letters.

A member of the Association of Personal Historians, Storyzon has assembled an accomplished team of history and biography buffs—the founder, Jurgen Mollers, holds a PhD and trained at Germany’s prestigious personal history agency, the Medienburo. In that vein, Storyzon provides international and multilingual interviewing and research capabilities—and they guarantee the quality of their products. Learn more about Storyzon by visiting their Web site at www.storyzon.com or by calling (415) 637-7662.

Posted in: General News, Inspirational Memoirs