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
Enriching Your Story with HistoryEnriching Your Story with History
In the Getting Ready to Write and Authentic Ancestors workbooks, I mentioned historical timelines and their importance in organizing your research and writing your ancestor’s stories. Not only is it important to map your
Turning Back TimeTurning Back Time
When compiling a family history story, writers often get tripped up by time. They start writing and quickly find themselves time traveling and before you know it the flashback has
Starting at the EndStarting at the End
All stories must end in a different place from where they began. Family history stories are no different. They are not obligated to stop at the conclusion of a life,
The Writer’s NotebookThe Writer’s Notebook
The writer’s notebook, it’s not a diary or a journal but a valuable tool to help you develop your writing skills. It’s a place to be a writer. A writer’s