cover image The Legacy Guide: Capturing the Facts, Memories, and Meaning of Your Life

The Legacy Guide: Capturing the Facts, Memories, and Meaning of Your Life

Carol Franco, Kent Lineback. Jeremy P. Tarcher, $18.95 (379pp) ISBN 978-1-58542-516-7

Veteran authors Franco and Lineback lead readers from beginning to end through the daunting process of writing a memoir-for fun, loved ones or publishing. Examining each stage of life, the authors outline the issues to consider and the questions to ask oneself, as well as techniques for successful writing. Using lively examples from a variety of literary sources, as well as some of their personal stories, the authors clue readers in with insightful ideas, down-to-earth stylistic advice and resources for further study. Writing tips aren't groundbreaking (""Always end a work session when you are confident of what to say or do next"") but reinforce practical, time-tested methods, illuminating the smoothest trajectory through this difficult, solitary task. The authors' focus on distilling meaning from life events proves the most helpful part of the work (""what wisdom did you gain from the choices that didn't quite work out?""), which should be of immediate utility for anyone who enjoys journaling or scrapbooking and wants to take their hobby in a more analytical (and potentially profitable) direction.