Writing my History

[NadT]

I had the same dilemma, where to start and how to store it?.  I use an online company called www.yournutshell.com.
There's a section where you can record all your memories of childhood, relatives, accidents, illnesses etc.  and you can add as many extra chapters as you like.  I am only just getting to my teenage years because there are prompt questions to make you think, and then i go off at a tangent because one memory often triggers another.  Also, you won't lose it if your PC crashes because it's held remotely, and you can access it from wherever you can get on to a computer - handy when visiting my dad and he starts talking about his memories!

[Mimble]

What I decided to do is to write up a 'Family History Story' of one of my branches, starting with a significant ancestor who emigrated to South Africa in 1820, giving a bit of his family's background, then taking it on to write up as much as possible about his descendents.

I have used my grandfather's writings as well as those of his brother and other people, to fill in details about these people, and added pictures. I have pointed out where family 'folklore' has been disproved, like the fact that ancestor Richard did not fight at the battle of Waterloo as he had claimed, which we now know from his army records. A few other 'discrepancies' have also come to light (it seems all to easy to 'reinvent' your background when you emigrate!).

I tried to include all the most fascinating facts about their lives (and they did have interesting lives, living through tumultouous times in South Africa's history).

I have written this up in a format that is easy for children to read so that it is available for them in the future. I had it bound at Staples and have sent copies to relatives for their children. I've really enjoyed doing this and now fell ready to attempt another one.

Mary

[lotteex]

Mimble
I love the way you have recorded your family history, that's really neat. Like all of you, I have started writing mine, and decided to split it into 4 to start with and see where that leads me. I've started with Grandfather working backwards, though have included my parents.  I've tried to add a little hsitory around each period to put the "family" into context with the period they lived in including transport, cost of living etc.  When I come across a real find which perhaps confirms authenticity of information I include a starred bulletin about how I feel at that moment when things drop into place. One of my ancestors travelled to Nigeria on business and as well as including details of his inbound journey, also managed to find pictures of the boats he travelled on, with a booklet on passenger information that sort of thing, cost of fares. I also found pictures of one of the ships accommadation and 1st class lounge so I can now imagine him sitting in the lounge on his journey home. It is a huge task though trying to put everything into sequence.
Lottee

[PabloC]

That looks really good Mimble,  and pretty much seems to be the same format as I've been thinking of approaching it myself.

Since my first post to this thread I decided to have a bash at putting together a structured history of one of my lines, working forward from my Great, great grandparents.

Within a couple of hours I'd put down over two thousand words comprising specific family-based and general context-based history and am still not finished with my Great, great grandparents. Whilst typing away, I found myself wishing that my Dissertation and many, many University essays had written themselves so easily at the time!!!! 

I can edit it as I wish etc, whilst continuing to add more to it, as well as photos and pictures etc.

If anyone else is thinking of stating to put it all down.,.just start typing! 

Paul

[Mimble]

I think this is invaluable as it draws together all our findings and makes them available for our family in the future. If we don't do it, much of what we find out will be lost as it won't be in a succinct summary. Also, it is in an easily accessible format - having a paper copy is good as who knows what will happen to digital records in the future?
I also found it easy to put down on paper - after all, we are the 'experts' on what we do, aren't we?
Mary

[mike175]

It certainly is important to put everything down on paper if you want it to survive for future generations to read. Digital storage is so easily lost: CDs/DVDs have a life expectancy of only 10-15 years, and magnetic media can apparently become corrupted in as little as 4 years from the influence of magnetic fields, according to recent research. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8172568.stm

And even if the data survives you need special equipment to read it . . . unlike a book 

[sharonf73]

Mimble your book looks great and I love hearing what everyone else is doing.  When I started to do mine my fingers were running away with me!  It's amazing once you start how you keep going.  I know I've got a long way to go, and binding my family story is something I want to do.

Thanks for all the suggestions to my original request, again, Rootschat has been great and I look forward to any more suggestions and would love to hear how you are all getting on with your own stories!

Sharon

[toni*]

i have lots of little stories its tying them all in together to make some sort of sense thats the problem.

[little meg]

i have lots of little stories its tying them all in together to make some sort of sense thats the problem.

I have exactly the same problem toni
I have thought of 'flashbacks'as one way, or using historical events in between.

Another thought, if each story is worked as a chapter, then use a key word in the previous chapter to link to the next story, ie.  mention of a blacksmith at end of chapter 2, then chapter 3 can be about a relo who was a blacksmith.

Margaret