By now you should know:

• that you want to write
• who the book is for
• whether this is to be a solo or joint project
• the type of project you require.

However, before your enthusiasm carries you away, it is important to get organised.

Choosing your writing medium

Writing in longhand

Using a pen and paper is the easiest, most versatile and potentially most creative way to write. You can write where you want and when you want – in the garden, on your lap whilst watching snooker on Tv, or even at three o’clock in the morning in bed . . . assuming you have a tolerant partner!

Millions of books have been written in longhand and, whatever anyone says about modern technology, this will undoubtedly be the formula for millions more.

The most important thing is to complete the manuscript. Once written, it is easy to get it typed. There is nothing wrong with a photocopied handwritten manuscript in a ring binder, but with so many options available you will probably prefer a presentation that is easier on the eye.

Plenty of suggestions for presentation are provided in Chapter 13. If you are intending to leave the manuscript in a handwritten format, it is certainly worth reading that chapter first . . . unless you want to rewrite it all.

• Q:My handwriting is terrible – will I have to write it out again before I send it to a typist?
• A:The general rule of thumb is that if you can read it, so can a typist. They are used to all sorts of scrawl and certainly do not expect a work of art. If there are some particularly bad bits, like the anecdote you wrote in bed after a dinner party with friends, then you might want to rewrite it, but otherwise it should be all right. If you use a shorthand, like writing ‘E’ for your friend Elizabeth and ‘NCL’ for Newcastle, you will need to provide a key. Writing names and places in block capitals is also helpful.

Tapping on a typewriter

If your typewriter is your trusted friend, then by all means use it. It may be slightly less flexible than pen and paper, but if sitting at your typewriter is where you feel at your most creative, then this is the tool for you.

Bear in mind that certain forms of presentation may require your manuscript to be word processed at a later stage. Again, please refer to Chapter 13.

Using a word processor

Many people love their word processor and wonder how they ever managed without it. They feel inspired, creative, liberated. If this is you, then your choice has already been made.

Word processors can be a dedicated machine or a word processing program on a computer. In either case it is worth ensuring that yours is compatible with modern systems, or at least that mere is an upgrade path. It is sometimes difficult making disks from older systems work with modern printers, which could cause headaches when it comes to printing your book. Some investigation early on could save much anguish later.

Any new personal computer or laptop will be ideal. See Chapter 14 on Production for further information.

If you are familiar with an older word processor, you will be pleasantly surprised how easy the newer systems are to use, but it still might be worth a few lessons. Most adult education colleges offer word processing courses for total beginners. These are often subsidised or even free. Your local library or adult education college will be happy to offer advice.

Knowing your limits

If you are unfamiliar with word processors, please consider carefully before deciding to write your life story with one. For every person who is a fanatical convert to computers there are those who shudder at the very thought of using them.

If you want to learn to use a word processor, a good time is when it comes to reviewing and editing your manuscript. At least if you do give up, the all-important information has already been captured.

Recording onto tape

For those for whom writing is difficult, or if you feel particularly comfortable with tape recorders, this could be the perfect medium for you. It also has the added benefit of retaining a record of your voice for posterity, something that will delight future generations in years to come.

Dictating your life story requires discipline in terms of preparing notes beforehand. It is also wise to keep a list of the subjects covered on each tape and in which order – if only to know where to add a stray anecdote if the tapes are transcribed. The tapes should be given reference numbers, and annotated to show the years covered and the date the recording was made.

Video and DVD options

Those who feel comfortable about a visual record might like to produce a DVD or video in the privacy of their own home. Commercial companies can be found to undertake such services at a price, although, for the non-technically minded, most requirements can usually be met by someone in the family or a helpful friend.

Making the decision

You may well choose a combination of the above, but whatever technology you employ, it is worth keeping a pen and notepad handy for when inspiration strikes.

Ultimately you should choose the medium with which you feel the most comfortable and creative.

Finding your own special place

Getting comfortable

People differ as to where they like to work; some rove around as the whim takes them, others prefer always to be in the same place. However, even for the itinerant, it is worth having a base – your own special place to keep your manuscript, notes and any memorabilia you collect.

Writing is going to occupy much of your time over the coming months, so if you can set a room aside, so much the better. This will also allow you to leave notes and pictures spread out to inspire you when it comes to your next session.

Remaining undisturbed

Find a place where you can reminisce and let your mind wander undisturbed. It is worth making this area personal to you, a place where you want to work – a comfy chair, good lighting, perhaps the odd picture or two and plenty of writing materials so that you don’t have to run off and find another pen just as the words are starting to flow.

• Q:I don’t want to tell anyone that I’m writing a book until it is finished. Is this possible?
• A:It might be hard to keep your writing a secret from anyone with whom you share a house, but others should present few problems. Some cunning may be required if information or pictures are required from those sources not in the know, but this should not be difficult . . . after all, they have no idea that you are writing a book. Not telling too many people about it also avoids you being asked, ‘How’s the book coming along?’ After several months this can become quite tiresome. A secret book also provides a wonderful excuse for a surprise ‘launch’.

Getting organised

Setting up a simple filing system

Once you start reminiscing you will be amazed how the floodgates open. It is important that these precious pieces of information are not lost. A simple filing system can save a lot of grief later . . . especially if it means you don’t lose any treasured photos you may have borrowed.

As it is worth collating the information in chapters, a concertina file might come in useful. However, a number of large envelopes or some box files will do just as well. One author even collected cardboard tomato boxes from the local supermarket. The protruding corners made for easy stacking – they were ideal . . . all 21 of them!

Having the right tools for the job

Once you have decided to write your life story, it is worth keeping several notepads around the house, especially on the bedside table. You can guarantee that just as you are about to nod off to sleep some fascinating detail will filter into your mind . . . the subconscious is amazing like that. You then either spend a sleepless night trying to ensure you don’t forget it, or you torture yourself in the morning trying to remember what was so earth shattering. Write it down.

It is also worth keeping some paper and a pen on you at all times, just in case a random comment at the bus stop sparks off another flash of inspiration. A notepad and pen in the car is also a useful idea.

Spoiling yourself

Some people like to buy a special pen and a good quality notebook, the latter acting as a master reference for all the notepads around the house and for any inspirational ideas. A hardback book in which to write the actual manuscript is not advisable – a lever-arch file and loose-leaf sheets allow greater flexibility in adding information at a later stage.

Being prepared

Office superstores provide great value and are well worth a visit to stock up on useful items for the project. These might include:

• notepads
• lined A4 pads (preferably with margins and pre-punched holes)
• pens
• pencils
• rubber
• treasury tags
• paper clips
• coloured highlighter pens
• lever-arch file
• concertina file for pictures and documents (box file and envelopes will suffice)
• dividers
• hole punch.

If you are using a word processor and printer ensure you have back-up disks and a spare cartridge, for a typewriter a spare ribbon, and for both plenty of paper.

Establishing a back-up system

Even if you are writing the manuscript in longhand or using a typewriter it is worth thinking about taking a photocopy. This is particularly important if you send a chapter or two to a friend to proofread, or perhaps to your brother to check a few facts about your early life. However, even a wayward cup of coffee, a hungry dog or an over-exuberant grandchild can soon put paid to many hours of work.

Backing-up your word processor

If your writing is on computer, back-ups become all the more essential. Modern systems can back up at pre-specified intervals, for example every ten minutes, without any interference to the user. This is worthwhile in case you inadvertently forget to save the file or there is a system crash. Having to retype hours of work is frustrating to say the least.

A back-up of the files used every session is good practice. It may even be worth keeping a spare back-up disk/CD with a neighbour and swapping it every week or two for further peace of mind, or sending the file via email to a friend.

Setting provisional targets

Recognising how you work

You may be the sort of person who likes to set time aside regularly or you might attack the project in bursts and then leave it for several weeks before recommencing. Summer is a busy time for some and so they undertake the bulk of the writing between autumn and early spring. Then there are the ‘morning people’, whilst others prefer to burn the midnight oil. Work to your strengths.

Booking time to write

Some people find booking time in their diary a useful discipline as events can easily eat into the time earmarked for writing. An ‘appointment’ in the diary can make time spent writing more official.

Finding time to write in the early stages when there is enthusiasm by the bucketful will not be a problem, but once deep into the project it can be a different matter. Most writers recognise that some discipline is important to overcome the difficult times.

This project is meant to be enjoyable, not a chore, so be realistic in your planning. It does not matter if your manuscript takes longer to complete than anticipated . . . as long as it gets completed. Recognise your strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly.

Allowing thinking time

You are likely to be thinking about this project for a great many of your waking hours, especially early on . . . sometimes to the frustration of those around you! Mulling things over in your mind is a vital part of the process and so if you don’t write much in some of the sessions you have set aside, don’t worry about it. Just because you are not writing, does not mean you are not working.

Having a launch date in mind

Although it is hard to estimate how long the project will take, some people like to have a timescale in mind; a provisional target for the launch of the book can help focus the mind.

• Q:How long will it take me to write?
• A:Once inspired, some people sit down and write reams, completing a comprehensive record in as little as three or four months. For others the research alone can take much longer and they work on their book for years. For those setting aside one or two sessions a week, a year is a realistic target in which to write and edit a manuscript. Depending on the type of presentation you require, especially if pictures are to be included, a further few months could be added to the schedule. As projects often take much longer than expected, if you are thinking of finishing your book for your 68th birthday, it might also be worth considering your Ruby Wedding Anniversary eight months later as a fall-back date.

Establishing bite-sized chunks

If you decide to work towards a target date you can break the project down into manageable sections. This will be much easier to do after the brainstorming in Chapter 4 when you decide chapter headings.

Checklist

• Do you feel comfortable with the writing medium you have chosen? You don’t want to get deflected in your resolve to write . . . you will encounter enough distractions without adding one more.
• Have you collated the various materials you are going to need, and organised a place to keep these and all the memorabilia which will soon be descending upon you?
• If you have a deadline for the book, is it realistic?

Assignments

• Decide what targets are most likely to motivate you and help you in this project – maybe a certain number of hours or pages of writing a week. If the discipline helps, allocate some time in your diary for writing.
• Read a few autobiographies, not necessarily of famous people. This will give you some idea of the sort of book you might like. Interestingly, badly written books can teach you more as they show you what to avoid.