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Read memoirs and biographies. Your clients are more likely to be “ordinary” people than celebrities, but any well-written memoir will give you a sense of what makes interesting reading. Memoirs can often have all the elements of a good novel or any type of good writing: tension, resolution, believable characters, a vivid setting, dramatic arcs, and an interesting narrative voice. As you read, make your own list of things that you think make a good memoir, and make note of what resonates with you so that you can make recommendations to your clients.

Read a few business histories, even if you don’t plan on offering them initially.

Read how-to guides — both books and websites — about telling your life story, writing other peoples’ stories, capturing family histories, scanning photos and, if you plan to do your own design, some good books on layout and graphic design. Even if you don’t plan to do your own design, you need to be able to understand the language, and what goes into good design. Go to the library and browse for books with attractive, appealing layouts.

Read books and magazines and do Internet research about working with the elderly, life review and reminiscence, and memory. “Active aging” is gaining more and more attention as our society gets older, and you’ll find a lot of material that will help you understand how memory works. Some groups to explore include The International Institute for Reminiscence and Life Review, American Association of Retired People (AARP), the Canadian Association of Retired People (CARP), the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health’s MedlinePlus website.