Just write it down: telling your family stories

Search the internet for how to write your family history and dozens of results will appear. Maybe you have toyed with the idea of writing and have never quite got around to it. Before you get completely turned off by this article, just know I am not going to browbeat you into anything. I will simply delve into why we have this need to write.

In 2015 The New York Public Library put together a list on why you should write your family history. [1] In it, the Library put forward 20 quotes from a variety of writers which I have now printed out and placed on my office wall. Why? Because these people “get” what it is to be a researcher and a family historian. I am sure you too.

For me documenting my life, my stories, my adventures are very therapeutic. I am putting down on paper items I want to remember, or I feel passionate about. It is my hope that in the future my scribbles and musings will enlighten a descendent, or fellow researcher, into the life of an ordinary person. Too often we only read about those who are famous in one way or another. There are not many journals from the common person showing what it was like to live during their era of history.

While writing the biographies of our ancestors is a goal for many genealogists I am always sad when I find that few of them take the time to write their own stories. I mean, honestly, who is the best person to write about your life? Your third great-grandchild or you? I hope you said you!

That being said, start small and simple as with any writing project. Many people feel comfortable simply keeping a journal and writing in it as important life events happen. Others like writing prompts to get them going. Whatever you choose, the important thing is to keep it going. For one, the more you write the better you will become. Two, the more you write the more it becomes second nature and it will feel off when you do not write!

In the sources listed below are several links to writing prompts to get you started. Of course, getting started is the hardest part for many people. I suggest you set aside a specific time each day or week where you can write. If you need a special pen or notebook, great. If you need to get away from the house and write at a special place, even better. Do what makes you feel comfortable and relax you enough to put pen to paper.

Now, get out there and leave a record for future generations of researchers. Just think how excited you would be to find these types of journals for any of your ancestors. So good luck and get writing!

More to Read:

Ales Honeysett, “Here’s Why Writing About Yourself is so Freaking Hard,” The Muse https://www.themuse.com/advice/heres-why-writing-about-yourself-is-so-freaking-hard

Carmen Nigro, “20 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Family History,” The New York Public Library, https://www.nypl.org/blog/2015/02/09/reasons-to-write-your-family-history

Emer McKeon, “Why You Should Consider Writing an Autobiography,” Bookstr https://www.bookstr.com/why-you-should-consider-writing-your-autobiography

James Hamblin, “The Power in Writing About Yourself,” The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/12/ew-feelings/383475/

Michael Gonchar, “500 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing,” The New York Times https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/500-prompts-for-narrative-and-personal-writing/

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[1] https://www.nypl.org/blog/2015/02/09/reasons-to-write-your-family-history

Editing yourself

One of the hardest things to learn is how to write, and then to write well.  Even people who attend University, and earn degrees in the various fields of writing, still have trouble.  It is a skill that must be learned and then practiced, often, to be successful.  For young, or inexperienced, genealogists who do not have the years of work behind them like others in the field it can be a large hurdle to overcome when they are attempting to make a name for themselves.

Blogging could be called the gateway platform to more serious writing.  It is often touted as the way to get your feet wet in the genealogical community.  A way to prove your expertise or to get your thoughts out to a large range of people.  From there many people move on to speaking, writing for journals, creating books, or a number of other things.  But, besides luck, what separates the successful from the crowd.  The ones who are able to self-edit.

Editing is a chore.  It is hard.  It can be time-consuming.  It can be horribly frustrating.  It is something that must be done on anything that is put out with your name on it.  To be honest, it is the bane of my existence.  Unfortunately, if up and coming genealogists want to be taken seriously they need to develop the skill of self-editing so that their work will be read for its content, not for its errors.

If you are unsure of what steps you should take to learn these skills here are 10 things you can do to now to get you started on being a better writer.

1.       Join forces with a friend

The best way to learn how to edit is to edit.  Team up with a friend or colleague who is also doing the same type of writing you are and edit each other’s work.  Make sure it is someone who will be brutally honest with you.  You want them to critique, question, and give you honest feedback.  Of course, you will do the same for their work.  It will make you both better in the end.

2.        Educate yourself

In the 21^st century, there are many ways to educate yourself about the world of writing, editing, and self-publishing.  All you need to do is explore it and learn from the experts out there.  Take a writing course, read a book, or even start following a blog to learn more about the process. 

3.       Everything needs structure

This step is a bit, controversial.  Not everyone likes to make multiple drafts or work from an outline.  Others cannot live without them.  I fall into the latter category (but I am also a list maker).  If you have never worked from an outline before I suggest you give it a try.  For me, it makes the editing process easier.  I use it as the skeletal structure for my writing and it will tell me if there is something missing or in the wrong place.  Outlines can evolve and change over the course of an article, but they always stay true to the initial intent.  They will help you tell your story without going off in too many tangents.

4.       Take time away from your writing

Even if it is only an hour make sure that you let your work breathe before you publish it.  Often you get caught up in the moment, genealogists are passionate after all, and it is not until you come back to re-read your work when you notice the small errors.  Missing words, run-on sentences, correct spelling but the wrong word in a sentence (hear vs here).  Letting your work rest while you go do something else for a while gives you time to come back to it fresh, ready to edit it as needed.

5.       Read it loudly

That is right, do not silently re-read it in your head.  Read your work out loud, to your pet is necessary.  When you read it out loud there is less of a chance that your mind will insert correct or missing words into sentences.  You can also hear the cadence and nuances of the writing and will see what needs to be tweaked.  This is where I can feel if a portion of the text is odd.  If I read it, then stop, tilt my head, and have to re-read it I know there is a problem there.

6.       Kill the problem words

Everyone has a word they overuse, a lot.  For a while, everything was fantastic in my life.  It drove my husband crazy.  When I write I use “that” more than I should.  When I edit my work I sometimes feel like I am on a search and destroy mission for superfluous “that” usage.  Look at your work and determine what your offenders are.  Once you have your list see if you can change the word(s) without changing the meaning of your sentences. 

7.       Stick with one tense, please

Yes, I am guilty of these more often than I would like to admit.  A writer needs to pick a tense and stick with it through their piece.  Often we start with past tense (I was researching, my ancestor…) and then for some reason will switch into the present tense.  Unfortunately, we need to pick one for continuity's sake and so our final draft will sound like it is well put together.

8.        Print it out

Yes, I know, killing trees.  However, nothing replaces the old paper and pen method of editing.  Sometimes simply striking out an offending phrase can make you feel better.  Many editors and writers will tell you that they get more out of editing on paper, with notes in the margins, than they ever do editing on a computer.  For those who are self-editing it also can make the piece feel real.  You wrote it, now you will make it better.

9.        Be ruthless

Did you ever get a paperback in school that looked like it was dripping in red ink?  I did, once.  It was a horrible sight.  It is also the memory I bring up when I am editing large pieces of my writing.  The first drafts are to get the thoughts on paper.  Second drafts are for purging anything not needed from the manuscript.  Take sentences down to only the basics.  Keep paragraphs short if possible.  Create a straightforward and clear masterpiece.

10.    Smooth it out

Transitions between thoughts can be choppy in early draft stages.  Sometimes they never fully form which can lead to awkward paragraphs and thoughts that just appear fully formed on the page (like some of our ancestors).  Do your best to create flawless transitions between sections in your writing and take the work to the next level.

Writing Family Stories for Future Generations

One of these days…I am going to write a family history book.  Sound familiar? For me, the hardest part is figuring out which story I want to tell.  You might be stuck on which medium to use. No matter what the problem may be this post will give you a few ideas on how to get started on that project you have always wanted to complete.

For the purposes of this post I will assume that you have gathered your resources, organized them, and are ready to start.  You just need to pick the outlet.  Which, may be a harder choice than you realized.  Choosing the outlet for your work really depends on who your audience will be and what you want to do with it when you are done. 

Genealogical writing is in the vein of non-fiction essays or stories.  There are many books and websites where you can get guidance, templates, and advice on how to write in this vein.  Before the writing begins it is important to have a focus on what your end result is going to be.  Is this going to family members? Will it be published for the masses? Are you creating a scholarly article for a journal?  Each one has a specific voice and way they tend to be written.

If you are interested in publishing your family research in one of the genealogical journals your first step is to read and research the publication. Doing this will give a feel for what the publication wants for articles and how they are structured.  Each one has a published writing guide for authors to use as their template, so make sure you know it and understand what the requirements are.

Family keepsakes and lineage books are great heirloom items to give as gifts.  These publications can vary depending on what you want your family to see.  On the simpler side you can do small biographical stories on your ancestors with lineages scattered through.  Or, you can pick a family line and tell their story.  Some themes are: immigration, employment, military service, historic events, and so forth.

Of course, maybe you have your eyes set on a New York Times Best Seller.  There are several examples of genealogical and autobiographical non-fiction novels on the market right now.  These stories blend research journey with family storytelling and capture the readers in anticipation of what comes next in the story. 

Blogs are one of the easiest ways to tell your family history, and most addictive.  Posts are usually 500-1000 words and tend to the anecdotal type stories or vignettes about family members.  These posts can then be linked together to create a larger publication or book with little work.  Many of the people who eventually write family history books start out this way.  It is a great way to get your feet wet with your writing while keeping your stories short, sweet, and to the point.

Larger projects can be created and managed in several ways.  Word processors are the easiest way to do this.  You can easily create folders on your computer to hold various types of information to keep your documents and writing organized.  Also, new documents can be created for each topic so that they stay separate and not jumbled together.

Programs like Scrivener can do this for you.  It is a program available on PC or Mac which allows the writer to create freely and edit large projects with ease.  Even better you can download and try it for free for 30 days before you purchase it.

Resources:

Lynn Palermo, Writing Your Family History http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/p/ultimate-guide-to-writing-family.html

Lisa Alzo, Write Your Family History Step by Step http://www.lisaalzo.com/articles/FEEFHS05-ALZO1.pdf

Hazel Edwards, Writing a Non-Boring Family History http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jul02/writing-a-non-boring-family-history-7024

How to Write Your Family History http://www.mediacollege.com/writing/genealogy/family-history.html

The 5 Features of Effective Writing http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/few/cover

Template to Outline Your Non-Fiction Book http://fbkwrites.com/template-to-outline-your-nonfiction-book/

Book Outline templates https://www.template.net/business/outline-templates/book-outline-template/

Creating and Maintaining a Family History Blog

How many times have you heard someone talking about their blog?  Or how about being told you should go read so-n-so’s blog?  Or, perhaps, someone has stopped you and said you should start a blog, you know such amazing stuff!  Blogs, and blogging, appear to be an ongoing craze in genealogy.  There are new ones started every day and with a little know how you can start and keep one going too.

I am going to walk you through the reasons you might want to have a blog, how to get started, plus ways to keep it going.  By the end you should feel comfortable enough to get started immediately.  Really! Sometimes all you need is to take the plunge and I am here to give you the starting point.

The choice to start a blog is a purely a personal decision.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  Honestly, if you love to write, tell stories, or share information then sure, a blog might be right up your alley.  However, if you hate writing or find it a chore, well, think hard about what you want to do!  There are options for all types of writers, and non-writers, available.

Step 1: Why have a blog?

Before you run off and start picking out the wallpaper for your blog you need to make a plan.  Your first question needs to be “why do I want to create a blog?”  Think about it for a few minutes.  You may even have several reasons that jump out at you on why your blog needs to be created.

Some common reasons for creating a blog are:

             Journaling your genealogy research                           Become a better writer

Look for living cousins                                          Meet other genealogists

             Tell the story of an ancestor                                   Write on specific topics / genres

             Share news / information                                       It’s FREE, mostly, so why not!

             Plus many, many more…

Did any of those reasons strike a chord with you?  If so, think about why.  Hidden in that answer will be the beginnings of your blog.  You may just need to search for it a bit.

Step 2: Where do I start?

Now that you found your reason to blog it’s time to find a platform.  The most common blogs are written, but I am going to show you a couple of other options too.   They can truly be a multimedia extravaganza.  In fact I have toyed with the idea of a vlog (video blog) because I enjoy talking to people more than writing.  To say the least, only your imagination (or technical ability) can hold you back. 

Let’s look first at the types of platforms for blogging.  Think about which of these may be the best for you.  Check them out, look around and do your homework to see which would be the best fit for you.  You may even want to do a combination, so keep your mind, and options, open.

Traditional Blogs: these are what most people think of when they ask “have you read that blog?”  They are written posts, usually ranging from 500-1,000 words, which are on blogging specific platforms.  The most common sites for blogs are:

Blogger              https://www.blogger.com

WordPress         http://wordpress.org/ or http://wordpress.com/

Weebly              http://www.weebly.com/

Postach.io          NEW!!!  http://www.postach.io/

Medium             http://bit.ly/1Rl0afa

Dropplets          http://dropplets.com/

Image Based Blogs: these types of blogs are more image centric and can be shorter than a traditional word driven blog from a few sentences to a few paragraphs.  A few of these are:

Tumblr              https://www.tumblr.com/ (also considered a micro or video blog)

Instagram          https://instagram.com/               (also considered a video blog) 

Pintrest              https://www.pinterest.com/

Short Attention Span Blogs: this is what I like to call micro blogging.  These are designed to capture snippets of an idea, image, thought, or to pass on information quickly.  These sites come and go, but Twitter https://twitter.com/ seems to be the main stay for this category.

            

Audio / Visual Blogs:  if you are interested in talking instead of typing, or maybe you like to create videos, well a vlog may be right up your alley.  Two sites that you should look at are:

             YouTube                        http://youtube.com/

             Google Hangouts http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/onair.html

            

Step 3: What do I write?

Many people get blocked at the point where they need to start creating or maintaining a blog.  It could be for many reasons: fear, uncertainty, or even just because they aren’t really sure what they want to do with their creation.  Think back again to why you wanted write a blog and then let the ideas flow.

Sometimes all you need to do is make a list to help you focus.  You have your reason(s) to write, now think about who you want to reach and how you want to reach them.  If you want to tell family stories, maybe you want to consider small vignettes about various ancestors.  Perhaps you want to chronicle your research journey.  In that case you might want to think about treating your blog like a journal.  A blog can be an expression of your genealogical journey, don’t be afraid to embrace it!

Blogs also tend to be less formal and more conversational in tone.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cite your sources or provide less than quality information.  It does mean that you don’t need to worry about formal language or an academic structure to your piece.  All you need to do is find your voice, and that comes with trial, error and practice. 

However, while you are finding your voice, don’t forget to spell and grammar check.  You may need to find a friend to help but make sure they are someone who will be honest with you and correct you.  Not someone who will tell you how awesome you write.  Thankfully you can always correct a published post later, weeks later even, if you find an error.

Step 4: Picking out the wallpaper.

Like I said above, I feel your blog is an expression of your genealogical journey, and of course your personality.  However, before you design logos or pick out wallpaper colors, remember that you need to think about what you want to express.  This is how the world will see you, because let’s be honest, many of the people who read your blog will never meet you in person.

At this point I suggest you look at a lot of different blogs.  What do you like or don’t like?  What do you like that really works or just makes your head hurt?  If you have these reactions to a site other people will to, so trust your gut.

A few things to keep in mind:

·        Pick a name that reflects your blog’s purpose

·        Clean lines are better than clutter

·        Darker letters on a lighter background are easier to see

·        Use images that are pertinent to your site/post

·        Make sure all of your links work (check back often)

Step 5: Buyer beware!

Of course a blog is a lot of work.  If someone tells you that it isn’t, well, they must either have no problems with writer’s block or have no life but their blog.  I have to schedule time each week for maintenance, writing, planning, and answering contacts plus much more.  Even with scheduling I still don’t get it all done and writing tends to be the one item that gets sacrificed frequently.  It shouldn’t be, it should be the priority.  With that in mind watch out for these problem areas with your blog.

First of all remember to cite your sources.  With blogs it’s very easy!  You can insert links directly into your post so people can go and see the source, location, image, or etc. for themselves.  This also goes for images.  There are so many amazing copyright free images out there you shouldn’t run into any issues. Just make sure to let your reader know about the image and if you can provide a link so they can go see it themselves.

To help with your writing you should consider using prompts or writing themes.  There are many out there that you can use or participate in.  If you find that you are running out of ideas or are just plain stuck consider using a writing prompt to get you going again.

Of course writing is what will keep your blog alive.  The way that you can stay on track and not flounder would be to create a posting schedule.  Using your theme, schedule out several months ahead of time what you want to write about and when.  You can set your calendar up in a way that works for you but remember consistency is key.  If you don’t write, or you let your blog go for too long, you will lose readers.  There are several websites, apps and even paper blog planners available on the market for you to choose from.

Further reading:

There are not a lot of resources out there specifically for genealogy or hobby blogs.  Most are about how to make money at blogging, but they still have good advice.  Just apply it to what you want to do. 

Also, I suggest you read books by writers about writing.  There is no better way to get better at something than doing a lot of it and learning from those who you admire already in that field.  For example I love Stephen King’s book On Writing.  It was a great look at the creative process, ideas about what and how to write, plus snips into his past and personal struggles.  Even if you don’t care for his novels this is an honest look into the mind of a writer. 

I included some books and websites below that I enjoyed and learned a lot from.  Good luck and have fun blogging!

“2015 Best Blog Services Review,” from 10TopTenReviews.com http://blog-services-review.toptenreviews.com/

Amir, Nina, Christina Katz, and Chris Garrett. How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish, and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time. Blue Ash, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 2012.

"Be A Blogger Series (1 - 10) - Ohksocialmedia." Peppercorn Creative. August 12, 2013. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://peppercorncreative.com/be-a-blogger-why-you-need-a-blog/.

Becker, Joshua. "15 Reasons I Think You Should Blog." Becoming Minimalist. April 11, 2011. Accessed May 2015. http://www.becomingminimalist.com/15-reasons-i-think-you-should-blog/.

Ginny Soskey, “How to Choose the Best Platform for Your Blog,” from Shareaholic.com https://blog.shareaholic.com/best-blogging-platform/

MacEntee, Thomas. "A Genealogy Blog Primer." GeneaBloggers. 2010. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.geneabloggers.com/genealogy-blog-primer/.

Millburn, Joshua Fields. "How to Start a Successful Blog Today | The Minimalists." The Minimalists. April 11, 2011. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.theminimalists.com/blog/.

Moore, Dinty W. Crafting the Personal Essay a Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Nonfiction. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, 2010.

Powell, Kimberly. "Blogging Your Family History Search - Creating a Genealogy Blog." About Parenting. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://genealogy.about.com/od/publishing/a/blogging.htm.

Ramsey. "Revealed: 19 Things to Know Before You Start a Blog." Blog Tyrant Start a Blog and Work from the Couch. 2014. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.blogtyrant.com/start-a-blog-2014/.

Saleh, Naveed. The Complete Guide to Article Writing: How to Write Successful Articles for Online and Print Markets. Cincinnati: Writers Digest Books, 2013.

Smith, Marion. The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-standardized Text for Writing--and Life. New York: Grand Central Pub., 2011.

Veer. "Create A Blog From Scratch Step By Step For Beginners - HOW TO START BLOGGING TIPS." TECHIGYAAN. June 10, 2012. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://techigyaan.com/create-a-blog-from-scratch/.

White, Fred D. Where Do You Get Your Ideas? A Writer's Guide to Transforming Notions into Narratives. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writers Digest Books, 2012.

Meet F1000 Workspace a new tool for research

I buy into a lot of niffty and new things.  Most of the time I try it and after a while I go back to my old way of doing things.  Recently I stumbled on a new website that I am really starting to fall in love with.  It is called  F1000Workspace, and it's free.

It is marketed to those doing scientific research as a way to keep track of research articles, communicate with colleagues, and write your papers faster/easier.  However, after I watched the intro video it hit me.  Oh wow! This could be so cool for genealogy research!!

The aspect that got me was the way it would put source citations into writing for you.  We always preach about citing as you go, well this company put that in their sales pitch.  It has over 7,000 types of bibliographic styles programmed, including the one we use (Chicago Humanities Style).

For the research aspect you create a folder for your research items (websites or uploaded PDFs) on your dashboard.  From there you can annotate, create notes, collaborate with other researchers (yes!), plus get all this information on the go from a multitude of different devices.

I know, I know, it sound like Evernote.  Well, it kind of is, with one big exception.  It will suggest articles it thinks matches your research through your tags and search history.  Did that get your attention?

Oh, and you can work on joint projects within the system.  The chat logs are threaded so you always know where the discussion went and the corrections made are similar to a Google Doc so you know who corrected/worked on which sections.

Like I said, I just downloaded it and I am still working on all the features.  Look for more blog posts about this cool new tool in the future.  In the mean time check out these videos they made to teach out all about the product.

Guest post: A Glimpse In Time

Recently I was asked to write a blog post for America's Footprints.  If you have not heard of them before they are a website that specializes in helping people write their own memoirs.  Essentially they give members a chance to make their "footprint" on history.

My first blog post for them went live on the 19th, and I hope you like it.  It was one of my favorite memories and I was so happy I could share it.  Below is the intro to the blog, if you would like to read the rest go check it out on America's Footprints Blog.

A Glimpse In Time - If Your Pictures Could Talk, What Would They Say? 

Recently I was unpacking boxes filled with photo albums with my youngest child.  I didn’t realize he had stopped helping me unpack until I heard him ask me what something was.

 “Mom, where are you in this picture?”

 Bending down for a better look I saw he had my travel journal from my trip to Europe in 1997.  I sat down next to him on the floor as the memories and experiences from that time flooded back into my memory.

 “That sweetie is me and my parents’ dog Sam.  We are in a field of rapeseed on a hill above the village they lived in while in Germany.”  It is one of my favorite pictures from that trip.  Sam was a Brittany spaniel who had just started to grey around the muzzle. I was in my junior year of college with the world in front of me.  The hillsides for as far as you could see were yellow from the flowers and I thought it would be a perfect picture.  I asked my boyfriend to snap the shot and I crouched down behind the dog. 

 I loved that dog, and I loved the walks we took when I would visit my parents while in college.  That was the first picture in my 6 week journal for that summer...

A grammar checker giveaway is the perfect gift for every writer

You all know that I write a lot.  Well, not as much on this blog as I want to, but I still write A LOT. Recently a company named Grammarly made a wonderful infographic talking about writers.  You may have seen it on Huffington Post.  I have written about their company before in another post and I will admit that I still love their stuff.

If you are not sure who this company is, check out their website link above.  I really like their grammar checker and have used it in the past when a paragraph just didn’t look quite right.  Of course, the best part is that there is a free service.  Once you try it and you really like it you can choose to upgrade to a premium account for $11.66/month.  So why aren’t you over there checking your work right now?

OK, back to the image at hand.  This graphic talks about why having strong writing skills can make you better at your job.  Let’s face it, genealogists do a ton of writing.  We write for clients, we write for lectures, we write articles for publication or for family and sometimes we write for ourselves.  Recently I realized that I am spending 6-8 hours, 5-6 days a week, sitting at my computer writing.  So yeah, with all that time on a keyboard I can see how we might be better than other professions who don’t write (like we do) all the time.

Now Gramarly does admit that the study can’t determine why those who write well tend to make more or appear to be more successful in their field.  However, I tend to agree with them that the skills a writer develops, like attention to details, probably help a lot to move them up the ladder.  My dream is to one day have an office with a door and no, putting a door in the dining room does not count.

Make sure you check out this infographic as well as the Gramarly website.  It’s a pretty neat site I am sure you will get a lot out of it!

Speaking of which.  If you do check it out, and fall in love with it leave me a comment below before February 21st and one of  you will receive a free account.  How about them apples?!

*This was a sponsored post by Grammarly. I did not receive any payment for this review, I was simply asked to review thier infographic.

The Writing Life Blog Hop, Week of June 23rd

Earlier this month a good friend of mine, and fellow author, Jennifer Holik asked if I would participate in a Blog Hop for authors and writers.  Well, I couldn't just past that up!  I mean really, a chance to talk about what I am writing, what it’s like, and get to tell you about some of my other writer friends?  That just sounds like a win-win situation to me.  Plus, it’s going to be fun!

Image from the Library of Congress

This particular blog hop started in April of this year by Ellen Barone on her blog The Internal Traveler.  Let’s just say that it’s been going gang busters ever since.  This blog hop has covered a variety of writers from a number of different niches, so if you follow links backwards you will see a wide variety of areas represented.  If you Google “Blog Hop Ellen Barone” you can see a sampling of what I am talking about.  Also, you can read Jennifer’s post about being a writer on her blog and the other writers she featured there too!

On that note, let’s get started!  Let me tell you about writing from my perspective and hopefully you won’t get bored.

What am I writing or working on?  Currently I am working on a handful of projects that range from writing to lecturing.  This fall I have several larger speaking engagements that are taking quite a bit of my time.  I like to compare one of these lectures to a book since I am telling the story of a man as seen through his Civil War pension file.  The audience will get to hear the story instead of reading about it.

In addition to that I am finishing my second genealogist’s guidebook (this time on the Washington, D.C. area) and a book on how to apply to lineage societies.  If everything works out the guidebook will be out in July 2014 and the lineage society book will be out before the holidays later this year.

Currently I am in the outline stages for a third publication on genetic genealogy.  As a researcher with a passion for genetics I see a need for a simple pamphlet explaining the basics of genetic genealogy to the everyday family historian. The idea was suggested to me by several people who have attended my lectures on genetics in my local area.  It seems the training to be a biology teacher may show through from time to time.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?  I am just now branching out into my genealogy business but I can see a difference in what I do and what others in this field do.  Last year I fell into writing about lineage societies for the In-Depth Genealogist.  These types of societies have always fascinated me and as I learned more and more about them the curiosity continued to grow.  Few people speak about what types of societies are out there, let alone giving tips and advice on how to get your paperwork together. 

To be honest, I think that my work will continue to evolve and grow the more I do.  Ask me this question in 5 years and see how it changes.

Why do I write what I do?  Plain and simple, I write what I like and what is interesting to me.  That is what this blog is about and always has been.  For me to be successful at a writing project I have to be enthralled, intrigued, and even pulled to do it. Without that drive I just sit there and stare at the screen.

Also, I like to think that if it interests me there has to be someone else out there that would find it interesting too.  Right now I am writing about my family, DNA, lineage societies, gadgets and gizmos, plus anything else that gets thrown my way.  I’d like to think that it will evolve and be refined the more I write.

How does my writing process work? 

I am a big believer in mind maps, drafts, and doodling.  Everything I write starts out as a sketch or an outline.  From there I flesh it out with key points and items that I want to touch on.  Next I start adding the flowery bits and words. 

If you came to my house you would see lots of colored pencils and markers.  I create in full color.  Each topic is a color, lines are a different one, connections a third, and so forth.  It helps me visualize where I am going and what I am doing.

Also, I keep a small notebook with me for when inspiration strikes.  Sometimes I can be standing in line and a sentence, thought, or idea will pop into my head.  If I don’t stop what I am doing right then and there to take the time to write it all down I will lose it.  That is part of my flighty creative side I am sure of it. 

To keep the blog hop going I have invited the following writers to participate.  Their posts will be out next week and I hope you will “hop” on by to see them!

Cheri Hudson Passey has been researching her family and helping others get started with their own research since the early 1980’s. Born in Camden, SC, the majority of her lines come from many counties in SC, including, Aiken, Berkeley, Clarendon, Darlington, Edgefield, Florence, Georgetown, Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter, and Williamsburg. A line also comes from Iredell County, NC. Truly a “Carolina Girl” for many generations!  

A love of History and Genealogy has grown into collecting not only names, dates, and places, but family pictures, stories, and ephemera as well. Her mother calls her “The Keeper of All Things”.  Cheri is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Association of Professional Genealogists, The NextGen Genealogy Network, South Carolina Historical Society, South Carolina Genealogical Society, several SC County Genealogy Societies as well as her local Grand Strand Genealogy Club. 

She is also active in the Genealogy Community via several social media platforms including Facebook, Google +, Genealogists in Second Life, and Twitter. Her Blog “Carolina Girl Genealogy” has been instrumental in connecting with and sharing information about her family and the research process.  

Julie Goucher has been researching her genealogy and family history since the late 1980s. Her ancestry is predominately within the United Kingdom, although Julie is half Italian and has genealogical links to Italy, Canada, Australia, India just to name a few. A founder member & former vice chair of the Anglo Italian FHS and a member of the Guild of One Name Studies (for the surnames of Orlando & Worship). More recently Julie has been involved as a founder member with the Society for One-Place Studies, and is currently

Secretary.

Following a career in pharmacy management & training, Julie is the writer and developer of The Book of Me, Written by You, which is currently run both as a series of workshops and via online methods. A book to accompany the program is due to be released during 2014. Julie is also working on a further book project which is due to be published in Feb 2015 by Pen and Sword Books and writes a regular column, Across the Pond for The In-Depth Genealogist.

You can keep up to date with Julie via various social media

Twitter -@juliegoucher

Website – www.anglers-rest.net

Blog – www.anglersrest.net

G+ - https://plus.google.com/+JulieGoucher

Michelle Roos Goodrum is a researcher, speaker and writer with a passion for research in land records, organization, photography and genetic genealogy. She writes about various family history topics on her personal blog, The Turning of Generations and pens the column Timeless Territories for the monthly digital magazine, Going In-Depth.  She is a ProGen 14 graduate and administers the Gen Proof Study Groups studying Mastering Genealogical Proof. Michelle became involved in family history in the early 1990s when she realized her ancestors collectively had saved over 130 years worth of the family’s history. She is now the caretaker.

Raymond Johnson is a former criminal investigator and lifetime resident of the Chicago area. His love of Chicago history coupled with his natural curiosity and research skills fuels his many articles on the less well known aspects of Chicago History and two published works.

He conducts historical research for clients through Johnson Research Services and runs various historic tours in the Chicago Area including Elmhurst’s Voices from Beyond Tours and White City Tours through his non-profit “Friends of the White City” and blogs for the Chicago Tribune’s ChicagoNow as “Chicago History Cop”.

He is a past Chicago Area Representative of the Association of Professional Genealogists and has done research work for various television production companies, authors and historical societies. and has been featured on the WGN morning show, WGN news radio, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets. He is a member of the Hyde Park Historical Society and Jackson Park Advisory Council.

Websites: www.HistoryCop.com & www.HauntDetective.com

Sharing your stories in the digital age

I am a story teller, and a talker.  Sometimes it is hard to shut me up.  I also love to hear and read stories about what other people have done or seen.  I think that is one of the reasons I love being a genealogist and I bet it is what drew you here too.  However, we shouldn’t just love to immerse ourselves in others stories, we should be trying to get ours down to.  So, that is the question.  How do we save, share, and keep our memories in a way that others in the future can enjoy too?

For many people the old standbys are perfectly fine.  You can write your experiences and stories down in a journal.  Even type them on a computer. Put them in a blog! Or, whatever mode works best for you.  Some of the tried and true methods however are starting to fall by the wayside because the technology that they were made on is no longer available.  For example, all those reel to reel home movies or VHS tapes.  How many of you would have a way to play those today?  I know our VHS player broke 2 years ago and we haven’t replaced it.  Thus sentencing all those tapes on our shelf to sit there and glare at us in dust coated silence.

To bring yourself into the 21^st century you really need to try new tech and new toys.  These will make it quicker, faster, and easier for you to capture your life in real time as well as record your memories for the future.  Think about how you feel every time you uncover a family letter or a piece of writing that was made by your ancestor.  What would you give to hear a family member’s voice again?  You have the power to make that dream come true for the future researchers in your family.

Below are a few websites, apps, and resources that I think you might find helpful.  Check them out, you won't be disappointed!

Websites and Apps

Create Your Life Story 

Record Their Stories 

Reflect and Record 

Saving Memories Forever **Won the developer award at RootsTech 2014** 

StoryCorps 

StoryKeep 

StoryWorth  

Resources:

DoHistory.org  

Oral History Association 

Smithsonian Guide to Oral History 

Further Reading:

“What Kids Learn From hearing Family Stories” online at The Atlantic, by Elaine Reese 

Catching Stories  by DeBlasio, Ganzert, Mould, Paschen, and Sacks

Doing Oral History by Donald A. Ritchie

The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith

The Oral History Workshop by Cynthia Hart

Grammerly and writing tools

I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because next to not citing your sources using unoriginal text just stinks.  Face it, while there is still a lot to say and do in the world of genealogy, a lot of topics have been covered.  At times, the non-living equine has been thumped enough.  Being original can be a real struggle.

 

If you haven’t checked out Grammerly before you are in for a treat.  I am not a trained writer, well, unless you count being taught how to write lab reports.  In school I did not excel in English class and while I did get a B in technical writing during college I think I slept through all the grammar lessons.  Most of my posts and articles are written from the gut.  The gut doesn't know squat about parts of a sentence or if what you are writing is original. 

When you think you have an original idea, or you have just written that third page on the life of great aunt Edna, sometimes you lift words from other sources and may not even realize it.  We are all taught about citing our sources and how to correctly quote but sometimes things slip.  At times my gut says the words sound great and my eyes might not catch that the reason it sounded great was because I had read it before.  With the plagiarism checker I can be a little more at ease with my writing.

I don’t have a live in editor (wouldn't that be nice?) so I rely on tools like Grammerly to help make my work better.  Check it out!  I don’t think you will be disappointed.  

*This was a sponsored post by Grammerly.  

The Book of Me Written by You: Still chugging along

I have been plugging and chugging away on this project, but not online.  A lot of the topics have called for more intimate reflection and even though I love you all, it is the internet.  So, I have taken to writing my thoughts on the weekly subjects in a word document.  One day it should make an interesting heirloom for the ancestors to read.

We are up to week 21 for those of you who were wondering.  If you want to start from the beginning you can go to the website for the creator of this prompt and check it out. Julie Goucher writes the blog Angler's Rest and she has an excellent post to get get you started.

Of course the questions and topics that she asks has just given me fodder to send on to my parents and in-laws for the books I bought them 2 years ago.  A couple of them admitted that they hadn't written in them yet when we visited last.  I told them that was okay, I don't want to push, but I did get my spirit crushed a little.  I hope they keep their promises of trying to answer my boys questions, and adding more, because 1) the boys really want them to and 2) I think this will be a great piece of history for the kids after their grandparents have passed.  Which lead me to thoughts that I need to keep up with this project.

There is not a better time for you to try a hand at journal writing if you don't already.  First, and the easiest way I think, is to turn a research journal into a more personal one.  While the research geeks in us love all the tid-bits found in a well organized research journal, think about the other things you could add that will make you family wish they knew you better in the future.  What was the drive like to the repository?  Any stories about the people you are researching that might get lost in a generation or two?  Well, why not write them down where you are adding the facts?

Alright, back to the grindstone.  Classwork, researching, and writing projects are on my to-do list for the day while my kids enjoy, another, snow day.  Sigh...