Writing Genealogy and Family History

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Comment by Lynn Palermo on December 15, 2009 at 11:19am

Best to start by breaking it down into small manageable projects otherwise it will continue to be overwhelming. Check out my post at www.thearmchairgenealogist.com on organizing your information to start your family history book. Most recently I posted on how to determine the size and scope of your book. Both articles are also available on my blog here on GenealogyWise.

Comment by Beverly Simpson on December 15, 2009 at 9:35am

I want to thank everyone who is willing to share their ideas on writing their family stories...I know everyone has their personal preference as to the way they write...but I also know how inportant it is to put all of this wonderful history on paper for others to enjoy! The biggest problem that I have is getting and staying organized...I'm working on several families and have a dendency to get sidetracked when I think of something I want to write about each family...I just keep a notebook for each family and write down stuff as I think of it...but now I really want to complete at least one project!

Comment by Anita Wills on December 4, 2009 at 7:32pm

I have written two books from my research, Notes and Documents of Free Persons of Color, and Pieces of the Quilt: The Mosaic of An African American Family. I am working on my third book, Minqua: People of the Welsh Mountains. My worst enemy in writing is procrastination, which has me focusing everything but writing. Writer's Block comes in a close second, and sometimes just walking around the block helps. Once I get started writing, I will write until the wee hours of the morning. I thoroughly enjoy writing about history and and my family.

My suggestion is to keep your interest high by coming to boards like this, and talk to people about the project. That keeps it alive and will get the adrenaline flowing. Move it out of your mind and onto paper.

Happy Hunting!!

Anita

Comment by Nancy House Barron on December 4, 2009 at 7:16pm

I agree. Just start writing, and you will be surprised what will appear on your paper. I am writing a book that I want to leave to my two sons. They now say they are not that interested; but I believe that at some point, after I am gone they will wish that they had asked more questions. I know I felt that way after my grandparents and parents were gone. I believe that anything you are able to remember or find from research will be enjoyed for generations to come. It does not have to be "War and Peace". It just has to be from the heart. I hope that I can spark an interest in my sons. I just add to it whenever I think of something that I have not previously recorded. For now it is in my computer; and I work on it when I can.
Nancy

Comment by William S Dean on December 4, 2009 at 6:26pm

One of the things any writer learns is that an empty page can be his/her worst critic. Another is that nothing is so difficult in writing as the beginning, unless it be the end. A key prompter I have found in getting past these "writer's blocks" has been working with descendants and a local historical society. We all know how strong emotions can make us want to "express how we feel" -- use thse times to start writing your family stories. Yes, we all get rushed off our feet during the holidays, but they are ideal times to put down those family stories about the holidays they celebrated. You may find -- as I did -- for example that something dramatic like a family death occurred at Christmas. In my case, it was during a move from one state to another back in 1850. As they were crossing an icy creek, the wife fell off the wagon, and died of pneumonia right around Christmas, leaving the widower suddenly with six young children to raise. Use the naturally strong emotions,you feel for family at Christmas, for example, to write out your own "family Christmas saga" -- be it joyous or tragic, it can't be humdrum. Have you ever moved to a new place? More good emotional inspiration for writing the story of your ancestor's immigration, whether it's to a new country, state, region, or town. Things -- life things -- not just birth, marriage, and death dates are the stuff of family stories that communicate more than we think they can. Throw away that thought in your head "Oh, that's boring. No one would care." and compliment yourself that you're preserving genuine history. Trust me, your local historical society will feel the same way if you contact them and give them a copy. Now, get writing!

Comment by Sarah Coles on December 4, 2009 at 5:29pm

Me too, Victor. It's as though everyone has gone on vacation as there's been little activity lately on GenWise.

Comment by Beverly Simpson on November 12, 2009 at 12:07pm

Thanks, William...I was in a family story writing group for a few years and have several stories...when I go back and read them, I always think that they would work good in my book...I guess I need to concentrate more on telling the stories and not so much on organizing everything perfectly.

Comment by William S Dean on November 12, 2009 at 11:47am

I think one of the best ways to "start" creating "The Family Story Book" is to find one specific story or person and a photograph, sketch, or other graphic to illustrate it then tell it in your own words, thoughts, and feelings, adding historical facts as appropriate. It's also a help if you've visited some site where the story took place and "put yourself" in the story, too. Then add another story and another until voila! you have a book without hardly realizing you've done it...what this does is eliminate the "there's just so much!" roadblock. One story at a time adds up quickly!

Comment by Beverly Simpson on November 12, 2009 at 11:35am

My mother started researching our families in the early 50's...and I started this past summer after all of my kids were out of the house...due to the internet, I have found ALOT more stuff (YEA)...I want desperately to put this all in book form for my kids and grandkids, but it seems SO overwhelming...I also have some great family histories that need to be told to any and every one (my great gandfather's diary he kept on the way to the Gold Rush)...I guess I'm looking for that "first step" to putting this on paper in an easy, sensible way that readers will enjoy.

Comment by Rose Marie Morrell on November 8, 2009 at 9:34pm

Taking the first step to put it down on paper is the hardest. I personally believe you have to "give yourself permission" to just write things down--not in any order, not in any form--just write down random words associated with a memory.
You can look online for "memory trigger questions" to get you started. Cherish Bound, a publisher that I now use almost exclusively, sells products called Story Starters. Each story starter is a list of trigger questions directed at a specific topic (like "When I Was Young," "Life's Lessons," "Grandparents," and many, many more). The questions are organized in a way that if you simple answer the questions in the story starter your story will have a beginning, middle and end. I use them all the time to write my own personal and family stories as well as when I interview my clients.

Remind yourself that you are not writing a high school English paper and it will not come back with written red comments from your teacher. It is your story, told your way.

There are other online resources with hints on how to write your stories. And, there are also organizations that promote the preservation of stories. I belong to the Association of Personal Historians and the National Association of Memoir Writers. There are many benefits of membership from both of these organizations.

Good luck in starting to "put it down on paper." Why not start by telling about a person who was a hero in your life. First question, what was the name of your hero? Then describe the person and the experiences you had with him/her. You'll be done in less than 10 minutes and will have put your first story on paper.

Let me know if I can help.



Remember, you do not start a project by writing the final draft.

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