#9: How Adding Story to Your Introduction Can Make Your Research More Compelling

06/22/23 • 22 min

1 Listener

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

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:

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

Previous Episode

#8: How to Use Mind Maps When Writing Your Stories

1 Recommendations

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)

This group is for people who are in the process of writing their own personal stories to preserve their past for their future. It’s a place to come for story writing inspiration, weekly writing-related events and memes, and continued support from me and the other members.

Join like-minded people and get your stories down on paper for your future generations!

Next Episode

#10: Preserving Personal and Family Narratives: We All Can be Storytellers

1 Recommendations

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