How Scrivener Can Help You Complete ‘The Challenge’

January 15, 2018| Lynn| 0 Comments|

If you haven’t heard of Scrivener before or maybe you have, but you’re not sure how it works or what all the fuss is about, then I would like to take this opportunity to give you a brief explanation. Scrivener is a writing management software program that has amazing capabilities. It’s a fantastic app for writing long text such as family history stories but offers you many features that make it much more effective and efficient then let’s say Word.

Scrivener is built on four core ideas.

Write your story in sections as small or as large as you like and easily rearrange them.
Add synopses to sections, so that it is easy to work with an overview of your manuscript.
View research and other parts of your writing side-by-side with your writing.
Export your work using different formatting for different requirements.

Of course, this is stating the program very simply. While I’m confident, you can see how this program can benefit you in writing your family history stories. Let’s take it one step further and get a little more specific with a few tips on how it can help you in our upcoming Challenge.

Set Your Targets.

You can set a goal of how many words you want to write each day. Scrivener will keep track of your targets for you. Knowing you’ve met your target for today will make it that much easier to write tomorrow. You’ll find Targets under ‘Project’ the menu.

Incorporating Your Storyboard into Scrivener.

In our Challenge Prep Course, you learned how to create a storyboard, a story plan so that you know exactly what you are going to write each day during these four weeks. Create your storyboard in the Research section of your Draft. This will allow you to reference the storyboard as you go but will also enable you to have the freedom of keeping the storyboard as a separate entity from your draft.

Jump Between Sections.

It’s so easy in Scrivener to jump around and write different chapters or scenes as you see fit. You don’t have to write in chronological order. If you followed our Challenge Prep Course and created a storyboard then you can pull anyone of your scene cards and write.

Create Some Target Points.

If you don’t have a storyboard ready you can still create an outline to help guide you.

In the Draft folder in Outliner mode, create some blank documents with titles and short synopses for each of the critical scenes you identified for your storyline. This will help to tell you where you are going. Not as detailed as a storyboard but it can still be very helpful in keeping you focused. However, you can work towards filling in the spaces in between. They’ll sit in the binder and make sure you know where you’re going. If your story changes direction, you can change them or delete them as needed. Having a destination can help you to keep moving forward even if you decide to change course later.

Import Your Inspiration.

In Scrivener, you can split the editor, so that half of your screen is your story and the other half allows you to view your research. This can also be a great help when you are in need of inspiration. For example, when it comes to describing the setting of your story, take some time to search the Internet for some setting pictures of the location of your story. Upload them to your research files and then when it’s time to write that setting you’ll have inspiration at your fingertips.

Make a Research List in Document Notes.

This is probably one of my favourite tips. When you are writing the last thing you want to do is stop writing and get pulled on the Internet doing research. Keep your writing and research times separately. I like to use Project Notes to keep me on track. In the Inspector, under Project Notes, I create a new note that I’ll title Research List. As I’m writing and I come across something that I need a little more information on, rather than leaving my writing, I will make a small note in my manuscript where I want the information and then add the item to my Research List. When I’m not writing and I have some time, I can pull up my research list do some research.

Scrivener Special

This year during the Family History Writing Challenge, I am going to offer some small tips in our Daily Dose emails on using Scrivener and helping you to improve your use and knowledge of Scrivener. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about using Scrivener then this is the year you may want to give it a try.

A Discount From Scrivener

Scrivener has been kind enough to create a coupon code that will give you a 20% discount on the purchase of a standard licence for either Scrivener for macOS or Scrivener for Windows. For your discount use coupon code: FAMILYHISTORY

If you don’t yet own Scrivener, you can download the 30-day free trial. Click Here.

A Discount From Us

In addition to your Scrivener discount, we are offering a 30% discount off our eBook Scrivener for The Family Historian. It regularly sells for $9.99 we are offering it for $6.99. This price is in effect for the next 72 hours.

Extended to Monday Jan 22, 2018.

Use coupon code: challenge2018

If you’re still not sure about Scrivener, check out our Scrivener Video Page where you’ll find videos that will give you a look inside Scrivener.

How to Create a Content Plan for Your Family History BookHow to Create a Content Plan for Your Family History Book

April 16, 2018| Lynn| 0 Comments| 11:28 pm

The most important thing you can do before beginning to build your family history book is to create a content plan. Whenever we take on a project of this size, it’s always best to invest in some time upfront to think through your project.

Why you need a content plan

If you start to write without a content plan, you’re likely to waste a lot of valuable time staring at a blank screen. This is because you’re trying to simultaneously figure out what you want to write, who you want to write about while trying to write. You don’t have a clear idea of structure, organization and contents of your book.

With a plan, you’ll be more likely to start writing immediately. You’ll have a clear outline of each section, chapter, story and profile, the contents and how each will flow into the next.

By creating a content plan, you also engage your brain. The process of thinking your book out in advance will result in you brainstorming about your book as you work, drive, relax, even sleep. You will continually be searching for ideas and making connections.

Trying to put together a family history book without a plan is an invitation to disaster. Most likely resulting in false starts, wasted efforts and low productivity.

You don’t have to know the content of each paragraph, each sentence, but you should aim for a well-thought-out strategy.

Step 1. Start with a Brain Dump

The best place to start creating the content for your family history book is with a brain dump. Dump all your ideas you have about your book into a mind map.
Start by identifying the focus of your book? One ancestor, a couple, a family group or one or more surnames?
You then want to break down the focus into smaller components, subtopics, maybe even themes.
What are the main points you want to cover? With a highlighter, mark each of the big points with a single colour. These might become sections or chapters in your book.
What are the subtopics? These will become individual stories or profiles within the chapters or sections of your book. Highlight each of these with another colour.

Step 2 Organize your brain dump

There is no one single right way or tool to organize your family history book. What might be a productive process for one can be very frustrating an inefficient for another?

But there are many planning tools available to help you take your brain dump ideas and organize them. We listed a selection below including both low-tech and high-tech.

Lists & outlines. After identifying the “big picture” of your book, the next step can be to expand your list from the main idea into key supporting points for each chapter in the form of a simple list.

Index cards. Index cards are another time-proven writing tool. I use index cards to organize my stories, but they can be equally beneficial in assembling a book. Each card contains an idea which is then inserted into the right location in the organization of your book. Index cards can organize the topics of a book or the scenes and summary within a family history story.

Sticky notes. Sticky notes work much like index cards and help you to identify and organize your thoughts quickly. Add just one thought, idea or supporting detail to each sticky note, then attach the notes on a wall or whiteboard or tabletop. Move them around to organize your book. You can use different-coloured sticky notes to colour code your idea.

Create a table. Using a word processing program, like Microsoft Word, you can create a detailed content plan your book. For example, create a 2, 3 or 4 column table in Word, you can list your book into sections, chapters and stories and profiles.

Spreadsheet. Consider using a spreadsheet program, like Microsoft Excel, to plan your book. The process is similar; in the first column, enter the title for each story or profile. In the second column, summarize the main idea associated with each story or profile. In the third column, enter the events and ideas you want to include. Check out the spreadsheet created by one of my students in our recent course, Plotting a Family History Story. This is part of an outline of a family history story. But the same can be done to organize an entire family history book.

Mind maps. I use mind mapping software for all my projects in the very early stages to get down my ideas and help organize them into a logical process as I mentioned above. But mindmaps can also be used to complete your outline. You can make your mind map on a simple piece of paper, a whiteboard or in a digital program like Scapple. I use Scapple for all my brainstorming tasks because first I can use it do braindump but then easily rearrange my brain dump into a logical order for my book. I rearrange as many times as I like never killing a tree.

Digital Storyboard. Another option is to create a digital storyboard. One of my favourite digital storyboards comes in the Scrivener software. Scrivener uses a digital corkboard with digital index cards to help you outline and organize your story and book. Watch this video to learn how to make a storyboard in Scrivener.

Before diving in feet first to create a family history book, take the time to brainstorm and organize your thoughts into a content plan. Explore the various options to outline your project and choose the one that works best for you.

The sooner you come up with your own efficient way of organizing your ideas before you begin writing, the sooner you can embark on your journey of writing your book!

Brainstorming and organizing a content plan is just two steps in the process of building a

family history book. In our new workbook, Build a Family History Book, A Planning Guide to Getting it Done, we identify an 8-step process for creating a family history book. It includes numerous templates to help you clearly define and organize the content for your family history book and the process to get you across the finish line.

Sharing Family History in a Children’s BookSharing Family History in a Children’s Book

July 30, 2018| Lynn| 0 Comment| 11:27 pm

It goes without saying all the benefits of reading to your children and grandchildren. The more you read to your children the more you set them up to succeed. They develop language skills, exercise their brains and enhance their concentration through reading. Reading encourages their thirst for knowledge, it teaches them about different topics and promotes imagination and creativity. If that wasn’t enough reading books with children helps them to develop empathy. When a child can put himself into the story, it helps them to build understanding. They identify with the character, and they feel what the child is feeling. Children begin to understand and relate to the emotions expressed in the story.

The characters in children’s books are often remembered for a lifetime because they are fundamental moments in a child’s development. Did you know that children who know stories about relatives who came before them show higher levels of emotional well-being, this according to a research report at Emory University. Family stories provide a sense of identity and help children understand who they are in the world.

Now allow their favourite hero to be a great-grandfather or great-great grandmother and your children will grow to appreciate their family story and develop what the professionals call an ‘intergenerational self.” The intergenerational self as interpreted by Emory University is defined as understanding one’s place in a familial history. They determined “the development of an intergenerational self, becomes a significant factor as children approach adolescence.

So, it occurred to me that instead of trying to force family history upon our relatives it might be easier to introduce it a little more subtlety when they are young through children’s books.

Having I just finished my first family history children’s book early this year I thought I would share with you some information to help you consider if you have a children’s book lurking in your research.

Children’s books are divided into 3 categories:

Pictures Books

0 to 3 years – board books, novelty books

3 to 5 years – picture books, ABC books

5 to 7 years – picture books, reading primers, colour storybooks

Middle Grade

8-12 years old

Young Adult

12 and up

Getting Acquainted with Children’s Books

Before you decide to write a children’s book, I urge you to get acquainted with children’s books, especially if you been away from children’s book for a while.

Consult children’s section of the library/bookstore
Notice the books your children/grandchildren or friend’s children are reading and enjoying
Read reviews of children’s books

Classic Children’s Themes

Next, you want to familiarize yourself with children’s themes. Most children’s book will address one of the topics listed below. Understanding these themes, it will make it easier to help find stories within your research. Now, there certainly are other themes, but these are the major ones and are a great place to start.

Courage – adventure, overcoming fears, immigration and migration are great examples in a family history.
Friendship – sharing and helping each other
Loss – loss parent or grandparent – through toy or something they value such as a pet.
Growing up – accepting change, learning a lesson from life that allows you to mature.
Belonging – stories about belonging to a group, not fitting in, helpful way of promoting tolerance and understanding.
Anger – reassurance to children that they are not alone in their feelings.
Jealousy – related to the theme of anger, a great example is the arrival of a new baby.
Love – affirming love for someone and feeling love in return is the cornerstone of a happy childhood

Consider the themes listed about match them with events in your family history research. Think about your own childhood – list memories from your childhood, including favourite food, sweets, clothes, board games, toys trips, adults, holidays or particular incidents. Consider the journey of a family history artifact.

To find further inspiration for writing a children’s book consider reading what others have written.

Examples of Family History Children’s Books

Seven Brave Women by Betsy Hearne, 1997 for age 4-8 years old

This book is about the author’s unique female ancestors, including her grandmother who was a harpist-architectural-historian who passed on many of the stories in the book. The first page says that history books often marks time by the wars that men fought. Then each spread tells about an ancestor in the author’s family who made history by not fighting in wars. We read about a Mennonite woman who immigrated to Philadelphia, a hardworking homemaker, a horse-riding painter, a missionary doctor, a single mother working as a secretary, and a storyteller. The storyteller is the author’s mother. Seven brave women who left their imprints on the past and on her. Beginning with the great-great-great-grandmother who came to America on a wooden sailboat, these women were devout and determined and tireless and beloved.

My Mother’s Pearls by Catherine Myler Fruisen, 1995 Preschool-Grade 3

My Mother’s Pearls is geared toward little girls. It taps into their love for jewelry, beautiful dresses, and getting ready with mom. Going back in time through seven generations, the young narrator shares short anecdotes from her grandmothers and great-grandmothers who once wore (or played dress up with) the pearls. Little girl relates the story of her mother’s heirloom pearls, handed down each generation from mother to daughter on her wedding day. Readers glimpse a day in 1968 when the unnamed protagonist’s grandmother wore the pearls; a day in 1938, when her great-grandmother wore them; and so on, all the way back to 1788, when the young girl’s 6^th great grandmother first received the necklace as a wedding gift from her husband.

Fancy Nancy: My Family History by Jane O’Connor, 2010

Nancy introduces readers to the fancy term “ancestors.” She wishes she had famous ancestors like her classmates. Instead, she learns about her great-grandpa who was plain and hardworking. She exaggerates his life in her school report but has a change of heart when she realizes she has something in common with her great grandpa.

Maman’s Special Job, by Lynn Palermo and illustrated by Josiane Vlitos, 2018, age 5-8.

Maman’s Special Job is the true story taken from the family history of genealogist and writer Lynn Palermo. This story tells the account of a rural midwife as told through the eyes of her young son, Bert. Growing up in a French-Canadian family, Bert observes his mother’s job and how it affects his daily life. Ultimately, he learns what her kindness and sacrifice mean to their community.