Wanlads & Wanlasses October 2008

Family History and Genealogy

Some of the things I picked up at Education Week at Family History. When you have the intent to write a family history answer the following questions:
1. What is my purpose in writing?
2. Have I made it a matter of prayer?
3. What compels me to write?
4. What is it I want to convey to your readers?
5. Can I find any documents written by my ancestors: Father, mother, grandfather, grandmother?
6. Is this a subject I care about and which I, in my heart, feel others should care about?

When you have answered these questions, and you aren’t discouraged, proceed in the following direction.
1. Make a list of stories that must be told
2. Pick a story that interests you and write about it
3. Then pick another, etc.

Getting started: Make lists
Ø Stories that must be told
Ø Important people – your VIP list
Ø Places where you’ve lived
Ø Favorite toys, food, song, movies
Ø Pets
Ø Boy/girl friends
Ø Cars you’ve owned
Ø Hobbies
Ø Church callings
Ø Turning points

Keep the stories short. A collection of short stories make up a biography.

Show, Don’t Tell. Telling isn’t very personal. You want to show the reader what the story is about, so that they can sense or feel what the story is about. Likewise you need to provide descriptves that will help them understand the context of what you are trying to relate in the telling of the story.
§ Tell: explain, inform, advise, study, summarize.
§ Show: demonstrate, exhibit, make, observe, reveal, dramatize.

Additionally, remember that not everyone will know who or what you are relating from your perspective so you need to provide additional details, as noted below.
· Use the full names of persons involved in story.
· Include dates and places.
· Generally, a story is an expression of one event, happening, experience, theme or idea
· Give it a short title (Use a good descriptive title).
· Identify the author.
· Identify the source of the story information.
· Include any comments or conclusions you would like to make.

Components of a personal history:
§ Events
§ People
§ Places
§ Life context
§ Reactions
§ Story
§ Be personal
§ Be honest
§ Be specific

Writing About Places – Creating Your Life Context
The Importance of Setting
No one was raised in a bubble.

What is a life context?
Life Context includes the communities where you lived and the family you came from.

· Parents personality and discipline style
· Religion
· Local, regional, and national events
· IQ and personality
· Trends and fashions of the time

What do readers need to know about my world?
How was my experience different?
What influence did this event have?

What was it like to be a child in your day?
· Family discipline
· Relationships to elders
· Education
· Recreation
· Family routine
· Childhood home
· Societal norms-ethics, morality
· Family concerns
· Family traditions

This is important > The context material to your life!

Wanlads & WanlassesTM Published by Wanlass Family OrganizationW. R. Wanlass 4853 Liberty Street Chino CA 91710-2352