From the National Genealogical Society
Write and Share Family Stories
Family historians and genealogists are passionate seekers of knowledge who delve into records, archives, and more. But writing stories may feel like a daunting task. Shaking off writer’s block is a journey of capturing one tale at a time. Keep in mind it’s important to simply begin; just write—or, if it is easier, use speech-to-text tools—and know you can polish it later. Don’t let your stories fade away; write and share them, ensuring they can live on with future generations.
Prompts to Spark Your Storytelling
A Memoir of Yourself: Write about where you grew up, went to school, your career, marriage, and other life milestones.
Recordings and Videos: Listen to or watch old family recordings.
Pictures: Describe the people or the events captured in images and
elaborate on them.
Family Heirlooms: Narrate the history of family heirlooms, specifying when and where they came from and to whom they belonged.
Newspaper Articles: Use an article as a jumping-off point for a family story.
Historical Records: Pool together data from various historical documents narrative.
Sports or Hobbies: Detail accounts of family members with specific talents or interests.
Resources to Boost Your Writing
to Boost Your Writing
Below are some places to start finding motivation, guidance, or services used by people in the family history community.
Ancestry
Resources, collections, data, and a blog that may help you start writing about ancestors. ancestry.com
Ancestry and NGS, "Behind the Scenes with Ancestry Story Producers"
A video recording of a conversation with Lisa Elzey and Nicka Sewell-Smith.
FamilySearch Wiki, "Create a Family History"
Expert tips in the "Start Writing" section.
Genealogy Stories, "How to go from Boring to Brilliant Family History Writing"
Blog with suggestions to plan your writing and keep it fun.
PCMag, "The Best Speech-to-Text Apps and Tools for Every Type of User"
An overview of accessible speech-to-text options with various devices and software.
Storied, "Stories"
Tips and resources to inspire writing plus some subscription access to records.
Storyworth
Weekly prompts emailed for one year to capture stories and a hardcover book is sent when finished.
Warts and All, "Writer's Block"
Blog on overcoming writer's block and creating pen portraits with writing prompts.
Comments