The Preserve Your Past Podcast

After talking with dozens of genealogists at the New England Genealogy Consortium 2023 in May about their passion projects and juicy family stories, I heard the same question over and over:

How can I add more “story” to help my research be more compelling?
After all of these conversations I created a talk specifically for Genealogy Associations and Clubs, and would like to share one of the five tips I offer to the participants - one that I believe can be used in a variety of scenarios.Creating an introduction in narrative form giving further background to the information you have collected in your research.

This introduction can be used for several purposes:

• Setting the stage
• Sharing Your Motivation
• Share Your Process
• Introduce the “characters”

For more specific notes on each of these you can head on over to the blog post on this topic.
Related Blog Post Here

What if you could take all of the stories, memories, and family research that are bouncing around in your head and get them all out on paper easily so you could pass them along?
As a writer, I know the struggle!
And as a teacher, I have a solution!
Mind mapping.
A mind map is a graphic tool that helps you to visually organize information. It helps me to collect my ideas, knowledge, and thoughts in a manner that is clear and functional. Mind maps can help you not only with brainstorming, but can also assist with structuring your stories.
In this episode we look at the 4 simple steps you can use to get started creating your own mind map, and 4 examples of how to use mind maps to help with writing your personal stories. All mixed with the personal stories to make them real!
Here are links referred to in this episode:
Related Blog Post - How to Use Mind Maps When Writing Your Stories
Related Podcast on Organizing Your Writing
Family Tree Story Starters (example of mapping tool)

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Picture this: a young girl with her family at Windmill Beach, laughter ringing out as they navigate the repair of a wooden split rail fence. This is a memory that shaped my life, and it's those small moments that often have the most significant impact. Today, I take you on a trip down memory lane, sharing stories from my past, from my book, Bridging Your Past and Future. More than that, I guide you on how to document your personal history and the importance of focusing not just on the big wins but also on the day-to-day moments and challenges.
Have you ever been transported back in time by a small, seemingly insignificant item? A ticket stub, perhaps, or a faded photo? I share a chapter from my book Bridging Your Past & Future: The Top Ten Items to Include When Documenting Your Personal History and my story of how a simple wooden fence became a reminder of my mother's humor and resilience. But it's not just about my story; it's about yours too. It's about recognizing the power of the little details in our lives, valuing them, and preserving them for future generations. Join me, Melissa Ann Kitchen, as we bridge our past and future through the power of storytelling.
Link to the blog post: September 12, 2022
BRIDGING YOUR PAST AND FUTURE (SAMPLE CHAPTER) - "THE LITTLE THINGS" shared here.
Link to the book Bridging Your Past & Future: The Top Ten Items to Include When Documenting Your Personal History here.

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Throughout my time speaking with people about my mission to help others “preserve their past through powerful personal stories.” I have had a lot of people assume that this topic was mostly for an older family member, usually a mother or grandmother who was collecting the family’s history.

I am here today to break this assumption and let you know why even if you do not fit into that group, you should be considering beginning to write your stories.

So who should be writing their stories?

In this episode we touch on the unique role of parents - from those experiencing the early milestones of their newborns to those engaging in deeper dialogues with their grown children, all with the shared goal of preserving family history.
Next we spotlight the invaluable role grandparents play in tying together past and present, weaving engaging narratives from their life experiences. We also discuss how individuals, even without their own children, contribute to this priceless legacy. Be it through sharing wisdom with nieces, nephews, siblings, and friends, or remembering a departed loved one, each story becomes part of a collective memory that transcends time.
So, whether you're a parent, grandparent, or simply someone who cherishes the past, this episode is your prompt to capturing and sharing those irreplaceable moments.
Link to related blog post

In reflecting on her past and thinking about the times in her life where family stories and personal stories were important to her, Melissa realized there were specific times in her life when the passion and drive to preserve the past through stories was the strongest.
In this episode Melissa shares 5 examples of times when our family or life stories are most important to us.
Related Blog Episode

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