Can you be too nostalgic when writing a family history? Professional historians don’t really do nostalgia and sentiment. It is not their job to interpret history in this way and some criticise family historians for not adopting their own more
Feeling overwhelmed about how to start writing your complete family history? Well, why not make it easier and write your family history story by story. Many family historians, including many who have attended my family history writing workshops, haven’t even
Don’t let your years of family history research go to waste. Stories are so much more engaging and interesting than lists of names and dates etc. so read on to discover how to start writing your family history step by
Anyone who has read my blogs or who has met me at workshops or Family History Fairs/Exhibitions will know that I am always keen to talk about the close link between family history and social history. The stories of ancestors
Although researching and writing your family history gives you the opportunity to explore and write about the lives of people you have a personal connection to, there will also be many experiences they shared with their contemporaries. By putting your
If you are keen to start writing the stories behind your family history research but are still at the lists of names, dates and places stage, then a good way to get organised is to create a timeline. Timelines are not only
Why is it that some family historians get so immersed in their family history research they think that everybody else will be equally fascinated by dry and dull lists of dates, names, places and sources? So what’s the answer? Write
Although the study of genealogy (family history research) has been around for a long time, it’s popularity has increased significantly over the past few decades. This is not only because of the availability of information on the internet (notably the
Most family historians are compulsive researchers which is what makes them the authority on their family’s past but when do you stop researching and start writing. Some would say there is never a good time to stop researching, so why
Most of the family historians I meet have spent years gathering a vast amount of information about their family history but typically they have not considered what they are going to do with it. But what use is any of
