About Mike

Note: In addition to this website, my Substack publication Ransom Notes contains a collection of my writing posts.

In 1997, I completed a memoir about my Ransom grandparents and my love for them and their farm. I intended the book to be my gift to them, a way to help keep their memories alive for future Ransom generations. It turned out to be their gift to me, because writing that book opened a new career for me as a memoirist, personal historian, and company historian. Since 1997, I have written more than thirty memoirs, seven company and organization histories, a book to help our aging parents through their later years, nearly forty personal-profile magazine articles, and more.   

For clients who have little or nothing written about their past, I tape record conversations with them where they tell me their life stories. We usually sit in the quiet of their home, just the two of us, and through the course of several meetings—where I get to know them, and they get to know and trust me—I hear their stories and write them in their voice.

For clients who have begun or completed a draft of their life story, I work with them to finalize it (organize, edit, add photos etc.) and get it printed or orderable on Amazon.

In his book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury wrote: "Everyone must leave something behind when he or she dies. It could be a child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or flower you planted, you're there. It doesn't matter what you do so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you when you take your hands away."   

I firmly believe that what is written will be remembered.  A memoir is one way to leave something behind that is truly you, and I would love to help you write one.   

Though I have devoted most of my writing career to helping others write their life stories, I have written three books about my life that are available on Amazon:

Work Hard, Be Honest, A tribute to my grandparents James and Mildred Ransom

The Older I Get, the Better I Was, An aging athlete looks back

Loving What Death Can Touch, A father endures the loss of his son  

Also, I welcome you to explore the following tabs (pages) on my website:

Memoir: Lists and describes the memoirs I have written.

Company History: Lists and describes the company and organization histories I have written.

Advice & Encouragement: Lists and describes books I have written that provide uplifting personal stories (including a book about the death of our 19-month-old son), advice for helping our parents age, and tips for developing a successful business.

The Process: Provides an overview of the start to finish process of writing a memoir.

Musings: Quotes and cartoons about writing.

Testimonials: Feedback from my clients.

Contact: How to contact me. (The photo on my contact page is of me as an IBM technical writer in 1970.)