G'day! I'm Nicola, the founder of Forever Young Autobiographies. I've been a daily print journalist for decades and know how to create life stories! Now I help others do the same to share with family and friends so that unique memories live on.
Forever Young Autobiographies is dedicated to supporting autobiography, memoir, biography and life-story project creators. Whether it's interviewing and recording key memories for a loved one or publishing a complete autobiography - I can help!
I'm so excited to have you listen to my show and would love to hear your feedback or questions :)
FYA 167: The Iron Broom: A multigenerational memoir on surviving Stalin’s oppression by David Sawatzki
Case study: How a Siberian conscript came to preserve family stories.
The Iron Broom: Turning Oppression into Opportunity, A True Story by David Sawatzki is a family memoir about persecution, forced labour and displacement under Soviet communism.
Importantly it offers a personal perspective on authoritarianism, faith, resilience and the choices that shape generations across time.
⇨ YOU WILL LEARN:
00:00 Introduction.
01:23 What this newly released Soviet Union story is all about
03:13 Why Sawatzki came to write this AuthorHouse work
04:33 How to record family history before it's lost
05:02 Realise life choices shape legacy
⇨ FULL ARTICLE
Click to read: https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/the-iron-broom/ (https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/the-iron-broom/)
⇨ VIDEO PODCAST
Click to watch: https://youtu.be/JQiUM4HMXek (https://youtu.be/JQiUM4HMXek)
⇨ FREE GIFT
Forever Young Autobiographies Membership: Preserve a life-story legacy step by step with expert guidance and a supportive community. Join free trial: https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/membership (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/membership)
⇨ YOUR SAY
Has a parent or grandparent’s stories inspired you to start a life-story project? I'd love to hear your thoughts. (http://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact)Leave me a comment below or at https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact/)
⇨ RELATED LINKS
Publishing: The ultimate guide to publishing a life story
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/publishing/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/publishing/)
Shooting Up: A childhood memoir of love, loss and addiction by Jonathan Tepper
https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/shooting-up/ (https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/shooting-up/)
Print run: Decide how many books to print like a boss
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/print-run/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/print-run/)
Finish a life story: How to know when your project is finished
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/finish/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/finish/)
Working with a writing coach: 3 questions to ask when choosing a life-writing teacher
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/working-with-a-writing-coach/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/working-with-a-writing-coach/)
♡ Thanks for listening! Please subscribe if you are new and share or review the show if you found it helpful!
Happy creating!
⇨ ABOUT ME
G'day! I'm Nicola, the founder of Forever Young Autobiographies. I've been a daily print journalist for decades and know how to create life stories! Now I help others do the same to share with family and friends so that unique memories live on.
⇨ WEBSITE
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/)
⇨ YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForeverYoungAutobiographies (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForeverYoungAutobiographies)
⇨ FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/foreveryoungautobiographies (https://www.facebook.com/foreveryoungautobiographies)
⇨ INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungautobiographies/ (https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungautobiographies/)
14 Aug 2026
FYA 166: We Are the Stars: Alone Australia winner Gina Chick’s wild memoir on love, connection and letting go
Book review: Award-winning Summit publication helps us understand life’s biggest lessons.
We Are the Stars: A misfit's story of love, connection and the glorious power of letting go by Gina Chick is a wild and adventurous life story.
But it is also a deep memoir about the Alone Australia 2023 star embracing life no matter what.
⇨ YOU WILL LEARN:
00:00 Introduction.
01:33 What this Australian Book Industry Awards winner is all about.
02:52 Interesting facts about this environmentalist.
03:52 Top techniques Chick used to create her first book.
05:40 To see challenges in life as gifts.
Please note: I am not a doctor and the advice in this show is general in nature. Please contact your doctor or health professional for help that suits your specific circumstances. Further resources: Beyondblue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/) and Lifeline Australia https://www.lifeline.org.au/ (https://www.lifeline.org.au/)
⇨ FULL ARTICLE
Click to read: https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/we-are-the-stars/ (https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/we-are-the-stars/)
⇨ VIDEO PODCAST
Click to watch: https://youtu.be/VC2mstI40sU (https://youtu.be/VC2mstI40sU)
⇨ FREE GIFT
Forever Young Autobiographies Membership: Preserve a life-story legacy step by step with expert guidance and a supportive community. Join free trial: https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/membership (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/membership)
⇨ YOUR SAY
Chick loved reading The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling when she was a youngster. What was your favourite book as a kid? Leave me a comment below or at https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact/)
⇨ RELATED LINKS
How to start writing: The ultimate guide about planning to write life stories
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/how-to-start-writing/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/how-to-start-writing/)
The Voice Inside: Bestselling biography of much-loved Australian music legend John Farnham
https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/the-voice-inside/ (https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/the-voice-inside/)
Lessons learnt: See how easily life lessons can be included in a life story
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/lessons-learnt/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/lessons-learnt/)
Visual writing: Become a visual storyteller with visual writing techniques
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/visual-writing/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/visual-writing/)
Surefire tips to end feeling overwhelmed about writing your life story
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/beat-overwhelm/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/beat-overwhelm/)
♡ Thanks for listening! Please subscribe if you are new and share or review the show if you found it helpful!
Happy creating!
⇨ ABOUT ME
G'day! I'm Nicola, the founder of Forever Young Autobiographies. I've been a daily print journalist for decades and know how to create life stories! Now I help others do the same to share with family and friends so that unique memories live on.
⇨ WEBSITE
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/)
⇨ YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForeverYoungAutobiographies (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForeverYoungAutobiographies)
⇨ FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/foreveryoungautobiographies (https://www.facebook.com/foreveryoungautobiographies)
⇨ INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungautobiographies/ (https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungautobiographies/)
21 Jun 2026
FYA 165: Shooting Up: A childhood memoir of love, loss and addiction by Jonathan Tepper
Shooting Up case study: How an American missionary kid’s family helped launch Betel rehab in 1980s Spain.
Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Addiction by Jonathan Tepper is a heartfelt letter to family and friends.
It's an intimate portrait of radical compassion amid the AIDS crisis, told through the eyes of a boy watching his parents choose the damned over the respectable while witnessing miracles and tragedies in equal measure.
⇨ YOU WILL LEARN:
00:15 Introduction.
01:34 What this Infinite Books publication is all about.
03:08 How this investment manager was inspired to finally finish this Madrid-based memoir.
05:30 Tried and true creating tips from a Rhodes Scholar.
06:21 The answer to suffering is always more love.
Please note: If you are affected by this story and want to seek assistance, see: 1800RESPECT https://www.1800respect.org.au/ (https://www.1800respect.org.au/), Kids Help Line http://kidshelpline.com.au/ (http://kidshelpline.com.au/), Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/ (https://www.lifeline.org.au/), Beyondblue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/).
⇨ FULL ARTICLE
Click to read: https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/shooting-up/ (https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/shooting-up/)
⇨ VIDEO PODCAST
Click to watch: https://youtu.be/1kzCzmYFAZ0 (https://youtu.be/1kzCzmYFAZ0)
⇨ FREE GIFT
Forever Young Autobiographies Membership: Preserve a life-story legacy step by step with expert guidance and a supportive community. Join free trial: https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/membership (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/membership)
⇨ YOUR SAY
What childhood characters stand out in your memory? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment below or at https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/contact/)
⇨ RELATED LINKS
Publishing: The ultimate guide to publishing a life story
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/publishing/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/publishing/)
Generation Jumping: A legacy memoir of hope by Steve Beal Snr
https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/generation-jumping/ (https://foreveryoungautobiographies.com/generation-jumping/)
Realign writing goals: 5 things to remember to reboot writing dreams
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/realign-writing-goals/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/realign-writing-goals/)
Story detail: Identifying key details in a story to make your autobiography shine
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/valuable-detail/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/valuable-detail/)
Writing challenge - part 2: 6 things to remember before you hold a family stories interview
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/life-story-challenge-part-2/ (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/life-story-challenge-part-2/)
♡ Thanks for listening! Please subscribe if you are new and share or review the show if you found it helpful!
Happy creating!
⇨ ABOUT ME
G'day! I'm Nicola, the founder of Forever Young Autobiographies. I've been a daily print journalist for decades and know how to create life stories! Now I help others do the same to share with family and friends so that unique memories live on.
⇨ WEBSITE
https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com (https://www.foreveryoungautobiographies.com/)
⇨ YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForeverYoungAutobiographies (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForeverYoungAutobiographies)
⇨ FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/foreveryoungautobiographies (https://www.facebook.com/foreveryoungautobiographies)
⇨ INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungautobiographies/ (https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungautobiographies/)
#lifestory #memories #familyhistory
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YouTube views
73,617
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
58
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YouTube
76
Engagement
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