I looked forward to this session, since I am
to give a Writing Your Family History
presentation to our genealogical society at its September meeting. There is no
better person to learn about writing from than Warren Bittner.
It’s important to know the concept of your
story. Are you using information from diaries, letters, or first hand accounts?
To fill out your ancestors, search all the records: Military, court, probate,
contemporary letters and diaries. Analyze each document and understand it in
its historical context. Read local histories and family histories. Know the law
at the time your ancestor lived. Understand their ethnic and religious
background. How did those affect your family? What was the educational
philosophy of the time? Know their medical history.
When you have completed an exhaustive search following
the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), according to the Board for Certification
of Genealogists (BCG), you can then start writing.
Hook the reader from the first sentence. This
applies to all writing, but might not be so apparent when writing family
history. Choose a significant event or an interesting ancestor. Start with
action, and begin the story in the middle or near the end. Get the reader
hooked, define the story’s theme, and add context to your ancestor’s lives.
Use active voice, strong verbs (Warren
included an extensive list), and make every word work. Make every sentence
advance the story. Describe (if you can) your ancestors and the places they
lived. Did your ancestor (s) change over the years? If so, how?
There are a number of ways to present your
family story. Find what works best for your family, and enjoy the writing
journey.
P.S. The writing process will show you what
details you are missing.
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