Everyone has a story to tell, and April Jeffers of Stories, Inc. is in business to help you document yours.
April was already involved in Creative Memories, a scrap booking group, when she came up with the idea for Stories, Inc. about three years ago.
“I held several Creative Memories Workshops,” Jeffers said, before she thought of the idea of creating a photo journal with more “journal” than “photo” to commemorate one’s life.
Now, April has turned that idea into a business, where she collects the most cherished and unique family stories and memories and preserves them in a customized heirloom piece. She meets with clients in two scheduled appointments of one and a half hours each. The first session is to obtain information on birth to marriage, and the second session is on the client’s children.
April describes the process as a poignant and tender experience.
A gathering of family members at this first meeting, April says, would be the ideal setting so as to receive input from the different family members, who can share their individual stories about the person.
To assist in the interview, April has compiled a three- to a three-and-a-half page questionnaire that she uses with her clients.
“Not all of the questions need to be answered,” said Jeffers, but it gives clients ideas about material they might want to include.
Her previous profession as a court reporter enables her to efficiently take notes during the interview using her steno machine. April strives to personalize each story by capturing the dialect and spirit of the person relating their life story.
“I try to keep [the discussion] positive,” she said of the interview process.
Clients are given a small notebook, where they can make notes of what they want to talk about during the interviews. Sometimes, recipes have even been included.
After April transcribes her notes, she gives them to her son, who then formats the material for her.
Photos are gathered and included in the finished document with an accompanying DVD.
A proof is put together, which the family is free to edit. The finished document is then placed in a hardbound book with perfect binding. Books can range from 50-75 pages (8×11), double-sided, but some can even go to 100 pages. The cover is embossed with a logo and includes an index and cover page.
From start to finish, the product can be ready within two weeks. April plans to develop a 5×7 paperback, “My Four Years at ____ High School,” or one for college, which would make a touching gift. Tribute books could also be a collective combination of memories. For further information, April’s website is storieswebsite.com.
