IT was her own personal history that inspired Rosemary Osborne to start up a business writing people's memoirs and putting them into book form.
Formerly a copywriter and editor, Ms Osborne, of Menai, believes it is those skills, as well as those of being a good listener as a nurse, that have equipped her to write the memoirs.
Initially, Ms Osborne absorbed the life experiences of five friends to turn them into memoirs.
"You get to look at things from a different perspective or look at the memory of world historic events," she said.
Some people looked at old photos of a great grandmother or cousins and how these affected them.
For Ms Osborne, a significant event was the opening of the CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope in 1961.
The telescope "starred" in the 2000 Australian movie The Dish which was based on its part in relaying live television coverage of man's first steps on the moon in 1969.
"I played out the opening of the telescope in my mind," she said.
The service is called Life Writing. Ms Osborne takes an hour or so to record a person's memories which she puts into 5000 words — or in the case of people in nursing homes, 1500 words — with customised versions taking up to 20,000 words.
"People just love it and can't believe they can have a book written about them," she said. "I am passionate about it."
Details: 0407 487 495 or www.writemyjourney.com
