Discover The Stories StoryTerrace Help Share.

March 2020: A Year in ReflectionMarch 2020 will forever be etched into our personal and national histories. So what did it look like?Whilst the UK was plunged into a strict lockdown as the pandemic gathered pace, many people felt isolated, lonely, frustrated, and anxious. Yet, despite the extreme circumstances, our latest research shows that millions of people were able to turn their experience into something positive.Here’s what you, your friends, and neighbours were doing with all that extra time.Let's Get Moving!Our research found that revamping health and fitness routines was a key activity for millions during lockdown. It seems that the pandemic gave many people the motivation to finally tick off those health goals: an impressive 8 million people lost weight, 5 million achieved a personal exercise best, and over 1 million ran a first-ever 5K.National sweetheart and fitness personality Joe Wicks is at least partially to thank for his relentless energy and online exercise classes throughout lockdown. Our very own Unsung Hero — the 73-year-old "Skipping Sikh" Rajinder Singh Harzall — made brilliant exercise videos for fellow Sikhs who faced isolation when their temples closed.

Time to Finally Write That BookFor many, an extended spell at home created the perfect conditions for budding writers and their projects. We were delighted to discover that nearly 1 million people wrote a book during lockdown, and 2,000 people documented their life stories.Many people say that they want to write a book but lack the time and space needed to focus. One of the silver linings to the pandemic is that this time indoors sparked creativity and motivation for many — as well as providing lots of quiet time to get the job done.New Life, New Love, and New PetsBeloved pets can make a house a home, so it's perhaps not surprising that over 2 million people added a new furry friend to their household. Whilst four-legged friends were enough for some, over half a million people reported that they became pregnant or had a baby, adding even more love to their lives.We also found that — thankfully! — lockdown couldn't stop Cupid from striking: 1 million of us fell in love during these uncertain times. Popular dating apps saw a surge in usage across all age ranges during lockdown, with COVID-19 creating what could be a permanent shift in how we date.

DIY Projects GalorePerhaps you can relate to putting off that DIY project you've been meaning to get around to doing, whether it's giving your home a new lick of paint, sorting out the garden, or revamping your living room. According to our research, 6 million made the most of the gift of more time at home by completing a renovation project, whilst 1 million decided lockdown was time to find a new home entirely by moving house.Excuse My FrenchBread baking, Zoom quizzes, and Netflix marathons became commonplace over the past twelve months as people sought to keep themselves entertained. We discovered that over 2 million people took their entertainment a step further by channeling their energy into learning a new language.Perhaps the ban on international travel inspired these eager students to improve their knowledge ahead of a future dream holiday. Or perhaps they wanted to tick off a lifelong goal and broaden their horizons. Whatever the motivation was, we love that so many people were inspired to keep their minds active during their downtime.Speaking of acquiring life-changing skills, we also found that half a million people learned to drive, whilst nearly a million learned how to play a musical instrument. This finding really was music to our ears!

Post-Pandemic Life Will Focus on FamilyIt's clear from our research that the pandemic shifted our priorities, and often for the better. As time at home replaced the rush of daily life and our personal worlds became much smaller, many were forced to re-evaluate our relationships with our nearest and dearest.We were thrilled to discover that:- 79% of those surveyed said that 2020 made them value their family more than anything else.- 82% said that spending time with their families is one of their priorities for 2021.- Nearly half of those surveyed said that they want to learn more about their family this year (with those aged 18-24 feeling this desire most strongly).If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we can no longer take for granted just how precious time with close friends and family is. Whatever the future brings, we're pretty certain that quality time with loved ones will forever be of true importance, no matter what the circumstances are.YouTube video playerDemand for our services has soared during lockdown - our client Nalini Pillay shares why now was the ideal time to get her father Jothie's rich life story written down.If you started a book during the lockdown and need help finishing it, contact StoryTerrace or sign up for our newsletter for tips to help you create a beautiful finished product.

Capture memories you didn't know you hadWondering how to write your biography? Whether you are writing yourself, or working with a ghostwriter, it can be hard to know where to start and what to include. At Story Terrace, we often use memory prompts to kick-start the process - easy and fun questions designed to jog your memory and bring back moments you haven't thought about for years.It's the perfect first step, and something you can later assemble into a timeline or structure for your story. We’ve hand-picked 65 of our favourite memory prompts to share with you. You can check out 9 example prompts right here on the blog - but make sure to download the full list of 65, which we've assembled into a print-ready PDF for you.Remember - the idea is not to answer every question. Just scan through the list, and think about which of these prompts speak to you the most. You’ll soon find you have more than enough to talk about.

How to Write Your Biography: Childhood

1. What is your earliest memory?

2. Talk about your family’s heritage and history.

3. What did your childhood home look like?

How to Write Your Biography: Adolescence

1. How did your physical appearance change in your teenage years? What was that change like for you?

2. How was your relationship with your parents?

3. Who was your first crush?

How to Write Your Biography: Adulthood

1. What did an ordinary day in your life look like?

2. Name a big success story for you during this time.

3. Did you travel? What was your most memorable vacation?Hopefully writing your biography just got a little easier and these prompts have got your brains in gear, recalling all sorts of different memories from your childhood all the way through to just yesterday!Remember to download the full list for all 65 questions to jog your memory.

The best place to startIf you’re writing a book about your life, creating a timeline is an essential step. While your story is based on your own experiences, it’s easy to forget important moments — unless it is all laid out clearly in front of you. A timeline provides clarity and structure for your life story.However, creating a timeline doesn’t mean you have to tell your story chronologically - in fact, it can make it easier to get creative with the structure of your book. What you’ll come away with is a complete overview - making it easier to identify themes. A timeline establishes your content, structure, and theme in a clear and concise format, ready for you to start writing your book about your life.To help, we’ve created a timeline template for you to fill in. Download it here - and then follow the steps below.

Download our timeline template!

Download Now (Click Here) 

Step 1: BrainstormFirst of all, start by writing down all the important moments in your story. We recommend talking to your friends and family, which will give you a different perspective, and bring up memories you may have forgotten. Additionally, if you’re feeling stuck, have a browse through our handy memory prompts to get you started. Step 2: Fill your timeline template with all the key events in your listSecondly, filter through your gathered information, highlighting key events that you want to include in your life story. These memories can be your fondest, your funniest, and most uplifting. Alternatively, they could be your most difficult, challenging, or upsetting. Choose a start and end point and fill in everything in between. If you can remember exact dates, that’s great - but getting things roughly in the right order will still be useful.Try splitting the timeline into sections. We suggest childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and those golden years. You may find it easier to compartmentalize your memories this way, and pick out the ones that are most significant.Step 3: Reflect on the results, and fill in the gapsNow you have the ‘tent-poles’ of your timeline in place, it’s time to fill in the gaps and above all, think about what your results mean. To connect your key events, add in any other relevant or interesting details that you want to include.All done? Congratulations, you’ve taken a big step towards telling your story. Your key events will help you to inform your decisions regarding chapters and structure, potentially becoming your chapter titles, with the details becoming your chapter content.Want to take it to the next level?If so - ask yourself, how do you feel about what’s in front of you? Are any themes starting to emerge? Try labeling or highlighting your timeline to bring out the common threads.

At StoryTerrace, we work with a truly diverse range of people. Our customers come from all over the world and have different backgrounds and perspectives to share. Yet one thing unites them all: The most consistent feedback we receive is from clients expressing how grateful they are for the life-changing opportunity to write their stories.That got us to wondering: What is it about writing an autobiography that has such a profound effect on people? We looked at some of the latest research and found several important ways that the memoir-writing process supports personal happiness and overall wellbeing.Self-Reflection Is Key to Personal GrowthIf there's one overarching condition of modern life, it's busyness. We move from email to email or meeting to meeting with little time to pause and think about our lives and their meaning — a situation that's only been made worse by the distractions of smartphones. Yet Harvard researchers have found that making time for self-reflection is a crucial component of learning.Writing a biography is the ultimate exercise in self-reflection, as you aren't just thinking about a day's work, but your life as a whole. The process of reflection involves not only reviewing events but finding connections between them and drawing valuable lessons from them — something that a professional biographer is trained to help people do as they tease out the themes of your life story.Gaining Perspective Supports Healthy RelationshipsWhen clients sit down with a StoryTerrace biographer, they are asked a series of questions about their lives, prompting them to recall everything from a funny incident in primary school to their wedding day. But our writers also ask probing questions to get at the heart of the memories: How did you feel? What did this person mean in your life? Why does this moment stand out above all others?The real work of writing a memoir is to reflect and put life's events not only into order but into perspective. To do this, psychoanalysts recommend a process of mentalisation, in which you work to understand your emotions on an intellectual level. Through this process, you learn to understand why people behave the way they do and how they were feeling at the time — but this type of wisdom is only possible when you look at an event from an outsider's perspective.This is exactly what happens when you tell your story to a curious third party. Discussing the past with your biographer helps you understand events and relationships in context, which leads to stronger interpersonal connections, closure when necessary, and greater happiness overall.

Nostalgia Increases HappinessWhile reflecting on the past can be an intellectual activity, nostalgia is an emotional one. Memory is about recalling the facts of a past event; nostalgia is about recalling how it felt to be there. A 2013 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that engaging in nostalgia led people to feel more optimistic about the future. Nostalgia is also related to higher self-esteem, happiness, and feelings of closeness to loved ones.According to a 2008 study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, nostalgia also has the power to help people feel more secure about their own mortality by making life seem more meaningful and reducing the number of thoughts about death — an incredible gift as we age.In light of the research on nostalgia, it's not surprising that so many StoryTerrace clients found the biography writing process to be so fulfilling. It's a chance to engage in memories that evoke strong feelings that warm the heart and measurably boost happiness.A Sense of Accomplishment Leads to Better Life SatisfactionThough the authors of The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People: What Scientists Have Learned and How You Can Use It report that 70% of happiness is determined by relationships with other people, eudaimonic theories of happiness posit that people must be self-actualized and work toward accomplishing goals or making the world a better place. In psychology, self-actualisation involves creative work and coming to terms with the meaning of life, so writing a biography is perhaps the ultimate gateway to this type of fulfillment.The mere process of working towards an achievable goal can also make people feel good about themselves. Psychologists who study "flow" posit that people feel good about themselves when they are able to lose themselves in a complex task — as when a knitter or carpenter loses track of time while working on a satisfying project.It goes without saying that writing a whole book is a major achievement. If you've ever wished to write your life story but weren't sure where to start or felt too overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, working with a professional writer can give you the boost you need to complete an incredibly worthwhile project and bask in the glow of accomplishment.

Journaling Supports Mental Health and WellnessThe act of writing in a journal to record your innermost thoughts has been studied quite a bit recently, and it's linked to a wide range of mental health benefits, including better mood, increased sense of wellbeing, and even better working memory. In some cases, journaling is "prescribed" as a way to reduce PTSD symptoms or to help people suffering from depression and anxiety.But you don't have to be suffering to benefit from journaling. Any time spent writing your thoughts helps your brain get better at regulating your emotions. And a biography is like a journal on steroids. This act of writing provides similar benefits when it comes to mental health and happiness, with the bonus of allowing you to deal with your life as a whole instead of just a single day's events.Gratitude Creates a Positive Feedback LoopThe process of reflection and the feelings of nostalgia that arise from writing your biography have another key benefit: They lead to feelings of deep gratitude for all the things you've experienced and people you've met along the way. And gratitude, researchers have discovered, is a key component of human happiness.Researchers have found that practicing gratitude — that is, feeling and expressing thanks for the good things in your life — has helped people replace negative emotions with more positive ones. Gratitude has also been shown to increase feelings of wellbeing and self-esteem. Interestingly, gratitude may also help your newfound happiness last longer, as it reduces hedonic adaptation — the process of adjusting to good fortune that eventually causes you to become dissatisfied with things that once gave you joy.Gratitude is the gift that keeps on giving. Reflecting on life increases gratitude, and gratitude increases happiness. When you're happier, you have an increased capacity for wonder, which leads to you noticing more to be grateful for, and so on — an upward spiral of good feeling.

Our client Nalini Pillay bought a StoryTerrace package as a gift for her 93-year-old father Jothie to document his story and bring the family together.Sharing Stories Benefits Loved OnesIf all the evidence about personal happiness isn't quite enough to convince you to share your life story, consider this: Psychologists believe that sharing family stories is critical to teaching children and grandchildren important life lessons. Researchers at Emory University found that 90% of teens can repeat family stories even if they acted like they weren't listening, and young people who knew more about their family histories experienced less anxiety and fewer behavioral problems.The bottom line? Preserving your life story won't just bring you happiness. It will also help your children and grandchildren understand the importance of the values you hold dear and will foster a sense of connectedness that leads to greater happiness for them in the future. Writing your memoirs has the power to pay your gratitude and joy forward to future generations.And it all starts by putting pen to paper today.If you've been inspired to write your own life story, we'd love to help! To learn more about our hardcover biographies and to find the perfect writer for you, contact StoryTerrace or sign up for our newsletter for more uplifting and informative content.

They're the same thing, right?Wrong! Memoir vs. autobiography. Autobiography vs. memoir. What's really the difference?

The words autobiography and memoir exist as distinctly separate, albeit similar, words that describe the first-person, written depiction of the author's life. For hundreds of years, as the popularity of sharing life stories has grown, the two forms have co-existed in playful harmony. Chances are you're confused about the similarity between these two terms—don't worry, you're not alone! It seems that people these days use the two words interchangeably – a common mistake! Well, fear not, gentle reader! Let's set the record straight, once and for all. With different structures, content, and research methods, here's why the small-but-mighty memoir deserves its own place in everyone's vocabulary! StructureIt makes sense to start at the beginning, which, of course, is the basic structure of the memoir. Unlike its autobiographical counterpart, which could span an entire lifetime, the memoir is a narrower, more personal approach to particular stories relating to its writer's life. Consider the memoir as a series of snapshots from an entire photo album or a few scenes from a movie. The autobiography, in this case, would be the photo album or entire movie.For more information on how to structure your life story, have a read of our article, How To Write Your Biography:

5 Approaches to Structure Your Life Story.ContentBeing narrower does not necessarily mean less content. Memoirs focus more on certain aspects or events. This allows the writer more opportunity to reflect on emotional aspects of their life rather than just the straight facts. A memoir often makes for a much more in-depth analysis of a shorter period.A memoir is a vehicle for written accounts of wars, businesses, tell-alls by celebrities, and many more!Need help deciding what to include in your story? It's way easier to narrow down what you want to include when you've got it all in front of you! Read our article on Creating a Timeline for a Book About Your Life - which includes a free download - to find out more.ResearchThe autobiography often includes more intricate details such as family history. This might not necessarily have a direct effect on the major events of their life but provides a broader background for the narrative account of their lives. Perhaps a thorough understanding of their childhood is essential to understand their life story. In an autobiography, you can include as much detail spanning as vast a breadth of time as you see fit. This could include the date and birthplace of your great-great-grandparents, or when your grandparents moved to a new town and bought their first house, or even the history of your family name.Memoir vs. Autobiography?Well, it's entirely up to you. If you want to discuss a specific event in your life, like Row Smith did in her Story Terrace book, The Earth Moved, depicting her journey of survival after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, then perhaps a memoir is a better option for you.You may prefer to tell your whole story, or even more, like Brian Tolson did with his Story Terrace book, The Merrybent Kid. Then the all-encompassing nature of the autobiography might be a more suitable option.So, memoir vs. autobiography: you now know what separates them. But which do you prefer?

Plus: An easy first step to get started (free download)Have you ever thought about writing down your Mum or Dad’s life story? It’s probably crossed your mind more than once.Today, more and more people are recording their parents' memories. In fact, it’s become so popular, you can even hire a writer online to do the hard work for you.Here are our top three reasons to capture Mum & Dad’s life story, while you still can.Plus - we have an easy first step to get started, including a free downloadable guide!“It was absolutely overwhelming to receive this gift. I was quite emotional and I still am when I think about it.”1. Show your gratitude with a special giftCapturing your Mum or Dad’s story is the ultimate tribute. Janet’s children turned her life story into a full-length book for her 70th birthday. She told us, “It was absolutely overwhelming to receive this gift. I was quite emotional and I still am when I think about it. It’s amazing to have a record like this of my life story.”Parents do so much for their children throughout their lives, so this unique gift is a wonderful gesture to show your appreciation for all of those things. 2. Make sure your Mum and Dad are rememberedHow much will your children know about their grandparents? Unless you take the time to make a record with your Mum and Dad, their story could be lost to future generations of your family.David, 77, was encouraged to write his life story by his son. The family wanted to make sure his three teenage granddaughters would “learn a little more about my journey through life” - unlike his own parents and grandparents who “left no footprints of their lives” behind.Whether you do-it-yourself, or get professional help, it’s so important to capture these irreplaceable parts of your family’s heritage while you can.3. Rediscover and reconnectHow much do you really know about your parents? If you take the time to record your Mum or Dad’s life story, you may be surprised. Erik, 38, worked with a professional writer to capture his mother’s story in a book. He told us “it was very special to read my mother’s book. There were a lot of new stories that led to wonderful conversations. The book now has a prominent place in my house.”Remember, your parents were around long before you were born. Investing in a project like this, you’ll find out stories from their childhood, adolescence that you would never have discovered otherwise.Next steps: Two ways you can start capturing your parents' stories todayi) Download Our Free GuideSubscribe and we'll send you our free guide, starting with 65 Memory Prompts you can ask your parents to get started.Download Now (Click Here)ii) Work with a Story Terrace WriterStory Terrace offers a complete service for capturing your parents' life story in a book, with packages starting from £1350.Learn More (Click Here)

The Gift of a Lifetime: Capturing Your Parents’ StoriesEver wish you could document every story from your parents’ lives? As your parents reach their upper age, each birthday is a gift within itself. All of the stories, adventures, and memories they’ve told you seem to become more significant as we grow older. The moments when you’re able to ask your parents to retell a story aren't always going to be there. Rather than let those stories disappear forever, capture and record them on paper to create a beautiful book that will live on for years to come. By giving your parents access to a professional ghostwriter who will listen, write, and publish their stories, you’ll be giving them a gift that lasts forever.Here’s why a gift like this is something to consider right now.

1. You Might Just Learn Something ImportantWhile your parents will enjoy the opportunity to be immortalized on paper, you and your children might learn a thing or two. Giving your parents the gift of writing down their adventures can actually be a gift to you too. It will give you a better understanding of your parents’ lives, which will allow you to appreciate what they've been through. It can also make you prouder of where you came from and give you insight into your own personality, health, and habits. Plus, your parents’ memory is as good today as it ever will be, so the sooner, the better.Your children will gain a new appreciation of their grandparents, as well. Oftentimes, grandparents are just “old” to younger generations, out-of-touch people who don’t understand and couldn’t possibly have been young once. Having your parents share their stories helps break down the generational barriers, positioning your parents as real people who once had their first kiss, first job, and struggled to find themselves. Better understanding their grandparents will help strengthen their bond—and increase respect.

2. Your Parents Will Feel CelebratedDo any of their friends have their own book? By matching your parents with a professional writer (thanks, Story Terrace!), their star status will instantly rise. People who write their biographies have expressed a deep pride in themselves and their final book, sharing it with friends, family, and so many others.“The fellow who interviewed me for many hours truly captured my ‘voice,’ and the finished product seemed to know me better than I know myself!” one Story Terrace customer said.

3. It’s the Gift That Keeps on GivingA well-written memoir takes time to get just right, and time is of the essence. Your parents will look forward to multiple story-recording sessions at home or wherever is most comfortable. The step-by-step process of writing, as well as setting a goal and working toward it, is a gift that keeps on giving.“[Our writer] was able to build our story into a comfortable, conversational narrative and guide us to bring out long forgotten details,” another customer said. “Our grandchildren read our story and are delighted to learn details of their ancestors ... whose memories we have preserved.”The bond between your parents and their writer will continue to get stronger with each session. Your parents will go for a trip down memory lane, unearthing specific details that may have been buried for years. It’s an emotional journey that many before have found incredibly rewarding.

4. Leave Their LegacySure, your parents may be turning 80, but that’s really just a number when you consider the number of experiences, romances, trials, and tribulations they’ve experienced in their lifetime! All those moments—both happy and sad—deserve to be recorded as a lasting legacy. They’re what make your loved ones who they are. Writing down their stories helps them recognize their sacrifices and triumphs, but also their quirks, humor, intelligence, and kindness.As we get older, birthdays become more and more precious, gifts that should never be taken for granted. Don’t regret not giving them a gift you know they’ll love. Celebrate your parents’ next milestone with something that should be celebrated: life! For more information on how to gift Story Terrace to your loved one, click here or sign up for our newsletter.

How Do You Relate to Your Parents?Do you regularly check in with those who brought you into this world? Do you know what they got up to before you were born?These are all burning questions that we were curious to understand, so we decided to commission research into how people in the U.K. relate to and understand their parents.The results paint a really interesting picture of how we feel about — and how much we really know about — our parents. What really stands out is that 37% know very little about their mum and dad's lives before they became parents. We believe there is a huge opportunity for us as a nation to connect to and learn from the generation that came before.Keeping in TouchWhen was the last time you caught up with your parents and checked in to see how they were getting on? We discovered that 17% of people haven’t spoken to their mum or dad in the past month. The results vary across the country: Those living in the Northeast give their parents the least amount of their time, whereas those living in Scotland and Wales give them the most.Mum and Dad: Before They Became Parents

Our research shows that many people in the U.K. are somewhat in the dark as to what their parents' lives were like before they were born. When it comes to piecing together the personal histories of their parents, 37% of Britons surveyed said that they’ve learned more about their parents’ lives from discovering family possessions, overhearing conversations, or speaking with other family members, rather than directly from their parents themselves.Can you relate? Have you ever sat down with your parents to talk about their early lives?If your parents are still alive and you have the opportunity to speak to them in person, ask them about their lives before you were born! Doing so could deepen your bond. Even better, how about giving them the gift of turning their life story into a StoryTerrace book? Our customers often tell us how moved their parents have been to receive this meaningful gift!Looking Up to Your ParentsDo you ever wonder how your parents got to where they are today? We discovered that 30% of Britons really admire what their parents have achieved, but have very little understanding as to how they got there, with people between the ages of 18 and 34 feeling this the most. When it comes to appreciating their parents, nearly half of Britons say their parents made life-changing sacrifices to provide them with opportunities.Of course, the very nature of being a parent is about giving your all to ensure your children live as great a life as possible, yet it's widely said that parenting is a thankless job! If your parents are still alive, it might be wise to think of some ways you can show your appreciation. Our research paints a vivid picture of the vast opportunities that exist for us to truly get to know our parents and their personal histories, so give Mum and Dad a ring to find out more today.If you'd like to give your parents the gift of a StoryTerrace book, we are here to help! Get in touch to find out how you can work with our professional writers today, or sign up for our newsletter to hear more about how you can capture your parents´ story for future generations to enjoy.

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