I think of the vignette style memoir book as a scrapbook or journal come to life through memorable stories and accompanying photos. We all love stories—funny, sentimental, even tragic stories speak to the heart. The storytelling tradition is part of every culture and the means by which so many of our memories are passed down through the generations.

When I write or film a person's history, their stories are what I recall. Interviewing my own mother at age 90, I heard anecdotes that I'd never heard before. Writing these reminiscences as a series of vignettes with accompanying photos makes a beautiful memory book of that person's life. Attention to detail—such as writing the stories on old style paper, using specific fonts and changing photos to a sepia or faded look—can create a specific mood or tone.

The vignettes and photos are placed into a scrapbook. We will discuss how many vignettes you want to include and whether you want to also include stories that others write about you. We also discuss the use of photos. You may choose between a memory book that is more content oriented or one that is more photo oriented. Certain sections of the book might also include "photo galleries" emphasizing certain periods of your life.