Burstone Biography Service

“Documenting the Past”

           
            Anyone who takes writing seriously knows that one must do a fair amount of research when writing something that is considered to be nonfiction.  Many people are confused as to what nonfiction refers to.  Nonfiction is a work that is true, such as a biography, a story about something that has happened, or an article about a personal experience that someone has had.  To a great extent, my writings have been nonfiction. 
    In 2002, I got involved in the work to write the history of Shawano County.  Originally, I had volunteered to write the history for the Township of Waukechon, which is where I grew up.  Even though I grew up in this township, I had to do some research.  I talked with many people, in person and on the phone.  I looked through microfilm at the Shawano City/County library to find the exact dates and spellings of names.  Doing research can be very time consuming.  By the time the Shawano County Sesquicentennial 1853 - 2003 was in print, I had not only written the history of Waukechon Township, but also township histories for Herman, Red Springs and Hutchins.  I also had become the co-editor of the project and also had written two stories to go with the book.  Needless to say I had to do a lot of research during this project. 
    Learning about the past is interesting.  There is so much that can be learned from the lives of others.  We really can’t learn from the future, can we?  Even before I got involved in the Shawano County Sesquicentennial book, I had a desire to write biographies.  In the spring of 2003, I took out an ad in the Shawano Shopper’s Guide, that I was looking for personal biographies and company histories to write.   I only received one response, and that was from Ronnie Fuller.  So I went to Gresham, Wisconsin, and talked with him and his family.  I decided to do the project and there was a lot of research involved.  I ended up ghostwriting 25,000 words about Ronnie’s life.   The book, “I Will Sing My Songs Again,” was printed in December of 2003.  The book is available through Iuniverse.com.  Since that project I have written a 5,000 word biography for a Shawano City resident, which included 17 photos. 
    I learned a lot from these projects.  I realized that researching is costly, and time consuming, and I have to charge for that.   I also have to charge for my mileage.
    Some people think that only famous people have their biographies written.  You do not have to famous, or a household name, to have a biography written about your life.  Why are biographies and company histories important?  Most people and businesses have the material in the form of photo albums, scrap books, journals, and letters scattered around the house, or business place.   A biography, or company history takes all of this material and condenses it into a booklet form, combining text and photos.  So, couldn’t anyone put this together?  Yes, absolutely.   But most people do not like to write and select photos and make captions for the photos.  Many things in a person’s life are forgotten.  That’s where the biographer comes in, as it’s his, or her job to try and rekindle these things from the past, and get them down on paper.  Some of these forgotten experiences can make a person’s life story very interesting.
    I take pride in the biographical work that I do.  Details are important to me, and I will dig for them, if you want me to.  Finding information about people and the past isn’t impossible, but as time passes, it gets harder to do. So my suggestion is to not wait too long to search for some lost information. 
    Every biography, or company history is different.  The cost to do a project will vary, depending on how much material you have readily available.  Most companies do not keep a diary, and in that case, a search may have to be done through old company records, or possibly newspaper microfilm.  I recommend that a company do an inexpensive history collection every 25 years.  Then, when you decide to do a bound book for your 50th, or 100th Anniversary, you’ll have the material readily at hand. 
    When a business changes hands, usually a lot of the history is lost.  That’s why it’s important to have 25 year histories done.  Then, if you are interested in selling your business, it can be an asset to have all the history.  It can be a selling point.
    If you would like to talk with me about doing a project for you, or your company, remember that our first discussion is free.  After that first meeting, you will know how much a project like this will cost you. 

John J. Mutter, Jr.

N2787 McDonald Road

Shawano, WI. 54166

Ph. 715-524-4520