The protagonist is the central character in a story. I’m going to assume you’ve watched enough movies and read enough books, that you understand every story has a protagonist. However,
Finding the FocusFinding the Focus
To write a good quality family history story, one must be able to take a lot of information, research and reduce it into a focused narrative. William Zinsser reminds us to
How to Begin Your StoryHow to Begin Your Story
Without a great beginning, a beginning that draws the reader in and hooks them your story is dead. The beginning becomes especially important in a family history narrative. We all
Goals, Motivations and StakesGoals, Motivations and Stakes
You’ve chosen your Protagonist Ancestor, and now it’s time to structure his or her story in a format that will keep your readers entertained and engaged from beginning to end.
Who is the Enemy?Who is the Enemy?
Once you’ve identified the conflict and obstacles that your ancestor faced it shouldn’t be too hard to identify the enemy, the source of the obstacles, the antagonist. While your antagonist
Finding the Conflict and the ObstaclesFinding the Conflict and the Obstacles
One of the fundamental components of any good family history story is recognizing a conflict your ancestor faced in their life and bringing that to the front of the story.
What’s Your Message?What’s Your Message?
How you tell your story depends on what is important to you. How you write it, the message you wish it to leave with your reader is your unique decision
How to Write a SceneHow to Write a Scene
We think in scenes all the time. Take a moment, remember a childhood memory or last week’s business meeting or playing with your children last night, or the family
Make Your Scenes Pop!Make Your Scenes Pop!
Do your stories pop? Do they engage your reader and give them a vision in their mind through the words you’ve strung together on the page. As writers, our
Putting Words in their MouthsPutting Words in their Mouths
We now know that dialogue is an important element to good scene writing. However, it doesn’t remove our apprehension about using it in our family history stories. It becomes a