Where to begin?

In the current era of social networks, one can ask the question, at least for connected users.

We leave so much personal data behind without even realizing it. As you probably know, these are kept mainly to be used and capitalized. As soon as an application is compromised or closed, everything loses.

But through these different posts, are they something concrete that really communicates our feelings, our emotions, or is it more often to show ourselves?

What about photo albums? These quickly become just a collection of moments in time, not always telling the story behind them.

The purpose of telling our story is to highlight the events in our lives that were most significant and/or that defined us and learned from those experiences. To communicate the efforts of a victory or the path to go beyond an obstacle. These are valuable life lessons to preserve before they fade into oblivion over time.

One step at a time

We divided the process into five steps you can access via the main menu or the navigation at the bottom of the page. Each stage will offer details and advice to help you progress your project.

Step 1: Finding your motivation
Step 2: Composing your life timeline
Step 3: Gathering resources
Step 4: Writing the first draft
Step 5: Adding appendices

In addition, consult the blog section offering a wealth of ideas, suggestions, and help on assorted topics.

Selecting the right platform

The choice depends on which one makes you most comfortable. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. The goal is to ensure that nothing goes to waste, that these efforts are fulfilling and reach the people you want to tell your story.

On paper

Using sheets of paper, scrapbooking albums, or using books. So anything starting with blank pages, ready to receive handwritten content.

The advantage:

• Your information is private unless someone finds it.
• You have the freedom over the design by pasting and adding notes to your documents.
• Written by hand from the heart, making everything more authentic.
• You have complete control over the look and feel of your volume.

The inconvenient:

• You got to have clear handwriting for people to read.
• Not very flexible to add content between two paragraphs, and corrections still might leave traces.
• Not easy to reproduce. There will always be just one original copy.
• This document type will not age very well and will become increasingly fragile over the years.
• Everything might be damaged or sadly lost in case of fire or water damage.

Useful tips:

• Place your work in a dry space, above ground level and away from potential water damage.
• Ideally, use acid-free paper to avoid yellowing over time.
• In terms of glue for photos, try using scrapbooking products. They offer equipment intended to endure the years and do excellent cuts.
• Consider the possibility of scanning your document at specific points to keep a digital copy. Ideally, keep a copy outside the home. Either on a cloud service, bank vault or at a trusted friend (in another house).

On the computer

Word processing software on a computer to compose your story.

The advantages:

• Depending on your level of knowledge, you have complete flexibility in the presentation and content of the document. Whether for font style, colours, or montages.
• Very flexible to add content, and corrections are invisible.
• Since this is a file on the computer, it is easy to reproduce or send by email.

The inconvenient:

• If not familiar with word processors, it is challenging to manipulate images in a document without affecting page formatting. Moreover, a simple change can change everything at once.
• By adding images, the file size of your biography will quickly become an issue.
• As an electronic document connected to the Internet, it can be hacked, damaged by a virus, or lost if there are no backup copies outside the computer.

Useful tips:

• Make backup copies and do not leave everything only on your computer. Ideally, keep a document outside the home, either on a cloud service, bank vault or with a trusted friend.

Using memoFolio

An application was developed to implement all the instructions and guides in this blog. You can try it out for a trial period. Then it’s an annual fee per book to keep your data safe.

The advantages:

• A secure work platform accessible from anywhere on the Internet where the visual reflects your memories.
• Ability to compose your life timeline while adding photos, naming present people, and highlighting quotes, life lessons, or other memorable things.
• From each decisive, striking or significant event, compose the content for your biography.
• Compose your biography by defining the chapters, cover images, and introduction.
• Ability to share your memories among family members and friends.
• And so more.

The inconvenient:

• Requires an annual subscription per book you create. Since the application does not advertise, memoFolio respects and protects your data. Therefore nothing will be accessible to a partner.
• Although hosted on servers, we do our best to protect your content. But, if even the CIA and banks can be hacked, as precautions, we encrypt the communications, and all the data is backed up on external servers.

Useful tips:

• Try the free trial to explore the application and see how easy it makes the process of writing your story.
• By referring people you know, you can get rewards in days to apply over your book expiration date.