The Story of You

“With a personal memoir, the individual is able to tell their story in a very authentic and natural way,” offers Olivia Spallino Savoie, a raconteur based in The Villages.

“I arrive with a set of questions. They serve as a guide, beginning with prompts regarding childhood and adolescence and progressing to the present.”

Once Savoie has completed her interview sessions, she uses that material to compose the story. Her goal is to preserve the subject’s voice and memories without any embellishment. It generally takes her a month or two to complete the manuscript, which can range in length from 5,000 to 50,000 words. She is also able to incorporate 50 to 100 photos in the final book.

“We construct tribute books to celebrate lives and cement legacies by interviewing family and friends and compiling photographs, letters and other documents,” she explains. “By preserving all of that, you have something that will inform and inspire present and future generations.”