We can know someone our whole life and still not know what their first home felt like, which teacher encouraged them, or what they were afraid of at twenty.
You don’t need a formal interview to ask. A quiet afternoon and a little curiosity are a lovely beginning.
Ask for a moment, not a whole life.
“Tell me your life story” is a big invitation. “What do you remember about the kitchen you grew up in?” gives someone a place to start. Ask about a room, a meal, a song, or a person.
Follow the unexpected turns.
A story about a first job might become a story about friendship. Let it. The question is there to open the conversation, not to keep it on a schedule.
Keep their voice in the words.
Ask permission before writing down or recording what someone shares. Keep their favourite phrases. Check the names and details together, and leave out anything they would rather keep private.
The aim isn’t a perfect history. It’s a little more of someone you love, in their own words.