What’s so hard about writing your family history?
I’m no stranger to writing. I write every day in my job. I started this blog to write. I joined Amy Johnson Crowe’s genealogy writing challenge to write more. I even have a degree in Journalism, for heaven’s sake. But for whatever reason I’m stalled when it comes to writing the “big” stories in my family history.
I’m attending the Southern California Genealogical Society’s annual Jamboree this week. Today there are two mini conferences that kick off the official Jamboree. One is the Family History Writers Conference. The other is DNA Day.
I’ve chosen the Family History Writers Conference and have already gotten so much out of it. Lisa Alzo, Maureen Taylor and Jill Morelli and Crista Cowan and her mom, Sue, all had different topics they covered today in their classes on the subject. But they all said the same thing during their presentations —I shouldn’t be trying to write the “big” stories.
Its ok to just focus on one person. One characteristic about that person. One milestone. One heirloom. And, they all reminded us, it doesn’t have to book. It can be a blog entry. It can be a vlog. It can even be a Facebook post. It can be just with photos. It can be just audio. All of these are ways to share a story.
And the most resounding advice from these ladies that reached me? You don’t have to finish your research before you start writing. Because the truth is, you’ll never be finished researching.
Don’t let those stories fade away. Just write. Anything.