The Life Story Interview
​

Our top reasons for doing a life story interview:

At Simply Life Stories we always start with an audio recorded interview. Whether our end goal is an oral history, a memory book, or a written memoir, we use the same "story-teller" and "listener" format to collect life stories. The process is not rocket science, but it is solid, and has generated repeated success for the numerous families we have served in our personal historian service since 2005. 
Individuals who have used our format to record their own or a loved one’s life story have reported the experience to be easy to master, enjoyable, rewarding, therapeutic, and SUCCESSFUL! Whether you are the person telling your story (the storyteller) or the person gathering the stories (the listener), our approach will provide you with the instructions, tips, and questions that will guide you through the story-collecting process.  ​

A Storyteller - Listener Interview Format is Easy
​and it Works!

  • The interaction between two people brings the story to life – it allows storytellers to relive life experiences as they talk and reflect on their lives. 
  • Telling your stories to someone who is genuinely interested and asks further questions helps you recall more detail. If you've ever been in a conversation with a good listener, you'll have experienced the privilege of truly being heard.
  • A good listener can ask appropriate questions that will help the storyteller bring words to images, feelings, and memories. You can create your own questions, or download our how-to guide How-To Guide for preserving a life story and use the same professional questions and format we use in our personal historian service.
  • Individuals who are in a clearly defined listening role will be more attentive to the speaker and refrain from turning the attention on themselves. Many life stories go unrecorded, unexplored, and at times even untold because of the casual relationship between storyteller and listener. In an everyday conversation, listener/speaker roles rotate; with a structured interview storyteller/listener format, your roles are defined. 
  • If you have ever experienced writer's block, this is an approach to life-story writing you will want to explore.

Start Preserving your Life Story Today


“One of my treasured possessions as an older person is an audiotape that we recorded 35 years ago of a Christmas with my mom, dad, and brother. Hearing their voices is still a moving and impactful experience for me. Ms. Ferguson’s unique process of interviewing me and producing a lovely book and CD of that interview is a gift that I want available for my great grandson, Ramey, and any other members of my family who might be interested in how I saw my life. Telling our stories to a sensitive listener clarifies what we value and who we are. Thanks Lucy!'' 
Clark S. Reed, M. Div., Psychotherapist



Audio recording and why it works
Tips for the listener
Vertical Divider
View our guide.