Being a family biographer is not easy. In order to be a good family biographer, you need to think some plans. Those plans are to help you do the job well. It is because there are many challenges when you run this job. You will need to be an accomplished researcher and able to work with a wide variety of clients of varying ages and backgrounds. You will ask family members to give you photos, films, and precious documents to serve as the backbone for your work. You’ll need to be able to verify details, work with government agencies, religious institutions, and other record keepers. There is a great wealth of information available on the Internet, and you’ll need to be able to search and retrieve data. If you will be writing a biography, you will need to be able to express yourself in a clear voice. If you will be producing a DVD or videotape, you will need to master the technology of digital editing, videotape capture, and preparation of a PowerPoint (or similar) presentation.
The more advance time you have and the more the client is willing to pay for, the better the job you will be able to do. You may have to deal with situations where a client approaches you on Friday for a presentation to be made on Sunday. In some situations, you may be asked to embellish stories or even report information you suspect or know to be wrong; you will have to come up with your own rules about how far you are willing to stray away from journalism and toward fiction.