A Biographical Sketch Allowed the Schonbergs to Complete Their Project

Lani Schonberg watched with deep pleasure as her father Chet Peterson leafed through his biography. She and her husband Paul had captured Chet’s stories in print—and they had got it right. At age 97, Chet had a seaman’s chest full of stories to share.

“As Dad read through the book,” says Lani, “we heard him say, ‘You got it.’ And, ‘You were listening!’ These were high words of praise in our ears.”

Paul & Lani Schonberg with Chet Peterson (center).

Lani started research on her father’s biography in 2009. She experimented with different styles and authorial perspectives, and as she worked Lani realized the story had the potential to become a full length book. Meanwhile, her father, family and friends—all of whom had contributed their memories—waited with eager anticipation.

Between a mass of interview notes and a manuscript that was bursting at the seams, Lani got bogged down. That’s when her husband Paul stepped in. With his fresh perspective, Paul sat down one afternoon with a pad and pen and wrote a short biographical sketch. Having followed many of the interviews with Chet, Paul sumarised the story in concise prose from beginning to end.

Though Paul may not have realized it, he had adopted a common start up structure. The biographical sketch serves the same function in nonfiction as a fiction writer’s outline. It fleshes out the scope, narrative arc and flow. And it organizes the writer’s thoughts. (Watch for more on this technique in an upcoming posting.)

Paul’s sketch freed Lani to start anew. She added detail to Paul’s outline and within weeks the couple had a book ready for printing, complete with illustrations.

“Sharing the moment Dad received his biography on Christmas Eve really brought in the joy for the season,” says Lani.  “My siblings, their spouses, and Dad’s grandchildren eagerly accepted the written version of our family history with thanks and much page turning.”

Lani’s next step is to write a longer version of this biography for a wider audience, chronicling Chet Peterson’s determined rise within the gamblers’ den of the commercial fishing industry. With the skills she has developed, and some coaching from The Scribes, she’s already well on her way.