Webinars and Workshops
Would you like Lynn to lead a webinar or in-person workshop to
your genealogical society or writing group?
Writing Workshops
Our writing workshops drill down to help family historians learn the specific skills of narrative nonfiction to write their family history stories. Narrative nonfiction is at the heart of bringing a family history to life on the page engagingly and entertainingly.
Our workshops can be offered in a series of presentations of 90-minutes each, either in person or through a webinar.
They can also be combined to create 1 or 2-day workshop.
Consult with Lynn about what topics you wish to cover, and the time required. Each student will receive a copy of the workbook specific to the class.
Getting Ready to Write – Workbook #1
$400 includes up to 30 workbooks
Writing your family history stories is an overwhelming task. Many family historians just don’t know where to start. In this one-hour presentation, Lynn will get you ready to write. Attendees learn how to organize their research, create a workflow, and discover an environment that helps them develop into an efficient and productive writer. Participants determine what kind of family history they want to write, create the perfect writing environment and develop a workflow to stay organized throughout their writing journey.
Fleshing Out Your Ancestor – Workbook #2 Authentic Ancestors
$400 includes up to 30 workbooks
In this 90-minute presentation, attendees learn how to use their research along with social history to flesh out their ancestor’s character for writing their family history stories. They’ll find out how to go in-depth and to flesh out their ancestors as they could never have imagined. We look at social history and how it can help paint a picture of an ancestor when one does not exist. This course will give students the knowledge to write their ancestor’s story with confidence.
Finding the Story – Plotting Your Ancestor’s Story
$500.00 includes up to 30 workbooks
This 90-minute presentation workshop provides students with the tools and knowledge to prepare their first family history story. Students learn how to plan a story using our Family History Story Map. With this map in hand, combined with a couple of new tools we’ve developed for the family history writer students are armed to create story after story. This presentation takes all the guessing out of what comes next in a story, there is no more writer’s block when you enlist our story map and plot your ancestor’s story.
Bringing Your Stories to Life – Scene Writing Workbook #4
$500.00 includes up to 30 workbooks
Writing an engaging family history narrative can be overwhelming- especially if you are new to writing. In this scene writing class, we look at the critical elements of scene and summary and how combined form the genre of narrative nonfiction. Students will learn about writing action, detail, description and dialogue and how it brings a new level of intimacy to their stories. Students learn to transform the basic facts of their family history research and turn the places and events of their ancestor’s lives into compelling stories on the page.
Writing Ancestor Profiles
2-Part Webinar or In-Person Workshop
In Part 1 of Writing Ancestor Profiles, attendees learn the basics of a profile, the different types of profiles and how they can be used to share a family history. Lynn will discuss the importance of choosing a subject along with the various elements employed in a profile. Lynn will show participants how to structure a profile with a beginning, a middle and an end. This will be followed by a Q & A.
In Part 2, participants will look at preparing for writing a profile. Attendees will cover the various research resources required to write an engaging profile. Lynn will offer up characteristics of what makes an excellent profile. Participants will learn about interviewing to acquire profile content along with elevating a profile using showing techniques including scenes, detail and description, dialogue and quotes. Finally, Lynn finishes up with some techniques for tightening up and revising your profile, so they are ready to share. This will be followed by a Q & A.
Between Part 1 and 2, Lynn offers an exercise to attendees in writing a profile. She’ll provide attendees with a private forum to upload a profile for sharing, and she’ll offer feedback on each profile. Lynn will lead participants in giving and getting feedback from the group.
Lynn will also provide examples of profiles to read in between the two presentations.
Price
$500.00
$400.00 Without profile exercise, forum and feedback
One Day Writing Workshop (In-Person)
An Introduction to Writing Family History Stories
This full-day workshop will help students put together a plan for their family history book and their first story. In the first half of this workshop participants look at the big picture and analyze the options for structuring and sharing their family history stories, what to consider before they begin to write. In the second half of this workshop, students look at structuring their first narrative. They learn how to find story ideas in their research, the elements of a story, and how to create and use a story map to plan their first story.
2 hours of instruction in the morning and afternoon, this workshop does not include workbooks. $500.00
Email lynn@familyhistorywritingstudio.com to discuss your webinar or workshop.