How to Write a Family Genealogy Book
You've spent years combing through dusty books, scanning microfiche, translating letters written in a foreign language and trudging through cemeteries searching for grave markers. You know your family's history is interesting and unique. Now you want to share it with the rest of the family tree. With planning and creativity, you can write a compelling family genealogy that will turn basic facts into a readable nonfiction account of your family history.
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Instructions
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Research your family history by studying birth certificates, old letters, diaries, scrapbooks, photo albums, newspaper clippings, historical databases and archives. Interview relatives and record stories from the past.
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Connect with relatives from the family tree to gather information on branches of the family you might not know as well. Ask for help in collecting all the resources needed to compile the history. A broad scope of research will result in richer content for the completed book.
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Plan the content of the book. Rather than merely listing all the information chronologically in time-line or chart form, create two sections for the book. List all the names, dates, marriages and other life events in one section, and write narrative stories for a second part.
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Enter the factual information such as names and dates into forms in a genealogical software program. Such programs contain features that number entries, highlight surnames and sort information into an index. The software assures continuity of information when data is used several places throughout the book.
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Write engaging narratives about members of the family tree. Add background information on the time period to help the readers understand the world in which Great-Aunt Lizzie lived. Use creative storytelling techniques to write compelling tales and get the attention of family members who normally don't read history.
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Include an index to simplify searches for specific names or information. Also include documentation of all sources, including interviews. When discrepancies in details arise, sources can be examined to resolve issues.
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Tips & Warnings
Include photographs and scans of documents to add interest to the book. It is exciting to see the logbook signature of an ancestor when he signed into Ellis Island or the elaborate artwork of an 18th-century birth certificate. Produce the book either through a local print shop or with a publisher specializing in genealogical books.
After printing your book, someone in the family is likely to point out conflicting information or dates. Try to resolve the discrepancies and send out a list of updated information.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit a magnifying glass pen writing image by davidphotos from Fotolia.com
