You rarely walk out the door, get in your car, and just drive without knowing why. You usually have someplace to go--a reason for the trip, and a destination. It's the same with your life stories. You need to think about where you want to end up. What do you want your story to do? What do you want to accomplish with it?

“Heroic is a bit strong,” he says, “but I am enjoying it.”

My father has, in recent months, embarked on a writing project. Inspired in equal parts by a) the realization that he won’t live forever, b) encouragement from his wife (my saintly stepmom), and c) the work Tom and I do as life writing coaches -- he has decided to write down some of his life stories.

Have you repeatedly started a life story project, but you can't ever seem to get past the first few pages? Getting hung up near the beginning is extremely common. (Clients often bring us snippets of a life history that a parent began to write, but never completed, and now the parent has passed away and their children want to complete the history.)

There's an easier method to writing a personal history than starting with "I was born..."

Last month we posted some questions to help you know your mother better. Now it's Dad's turn. This Father's Day, after kicking around a football or watching the game, get out a tape recorder and ask your dad a few questions: