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Creative Tip: Folklore
Quick Download: Stories are far more than commodities to be bought and sold. Often, they are the fabric that tie people and entire generations together.
A Legacy
A past mentor of mine touched base with me regarding book coaching a while back. They had been given news that they were not doing well medically and that their long-term outlook was not great. They wanted to take the time to record some of their stories for others — especially as their first grandchild was born about a year ago.
I don’t do non-fiction/memoir coaching, but I connected them with a few colleagues who do, and I gave, what I now believe, was the best piece of coaching advice I’ve ever given.
“You know,” I said, “if writing is tough, just use voice memos. You can record some of your stories and then do a transcription.”
At that time, the person’s goal was still to write a book and get published — whether via traditional means or self. There was still the “dream” of seeing their book in an airport or book store, being on Oprah or Reese’s lists.
I stayed in touch and spoke with them after they’d discovered that their situation had worsened; they were given only a few months to live. We met and talked about their family and friends. I had no intention of bringing up a book or stories or publishing, but…
