Depending on the size of the project, you can expect the full process to take 3 to 6 months and sometimes longer.

 

Process

Mal interviews the person or persons involved in the story for about an hour or so, preferably in person, or if necessary because of distance, over the phone. This is done weekly until you feel confident you have captured most of the story. Sometimes a group meeting can be held. These meetings are usually audio-recorded for accuracy.

 

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About two weeks after the conclusion of the first round of interviews, Mal will present you with your first draft. At this point you need to commit to working through the draft, checking dates/places etc, chronology and other details such as name spelling.  You will also inevitably discover there are gaps in the story you wish to fill, as one story triggers another from memory.

 

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Although this part of the timeline is up to you, ideally if you can get this back to Mal within about a month or some agreed timeframe, he can make appropriate edits as well as improving the phraseology and any other elements he can improve. This is the second draft.

 

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The second draft goes back to you for final approval – it doesn’t have to be completely final – a third draft is included in your price if you need to add or adjust the manuscript further.

 

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The last step is to include pictures, always worth the effort, although always a difficult choice exercise for most people. Considering the final result is a memory bank for future generations, both word-pictures and images will complete the picture beautifully.

 

At the end of the project, you will receive your document ready for printing in either Word or pdf format.

 

Printing is not included but this can be discussed and Mal can provide some direction and guidance.