Book creation programs

[Mart 'n' Al]

Col, it's interesting what you say about respecting family, and also your reference to a pot boiler. A little over 2 years ago through my research, a very long story, I found out that my father's sister with whom we had many lovely holidays, was actually his birth mother although he didn't find that out until many years after she died. She had a bit of a wild life in the 1930s, not thinking about respecting her descendants. I only found all this out when a lady in Melbourne contacted me to say that she had found my research on my website and said that Kate, who I mentioned earlier, was also HER great grandmother. We've been in contact almost daily ever since, and met up in London earlier in the summer. It's only through my aunt, well, grandmother, and her wild life that I found out about the child of her third relationship in the 1930s, and the subsequent Next Generation, my first cousin in Melbourne.. You probably could make it up but it did come as a bit of a shock to us.

Martin

[ColDownUnder]

Hi Martin, ain't it the way with families over time. Uncovered a few life incidents in my research that were a tad hair curling. Probably "respectful" was the wrong word used by me. Was trying to say that we simply don't know the half of it researching from a distance and we should bear this in mind when writing it all up. Their lives, not ours.

Cheers,
Col 

[Kaybron]

I have been researching my family for a number of years and have tried a number of ways to complete a book to reflect my research.  Originally I would type everything up in a word document and I did this for each generation.  I used factual information from each census and other things that had been found through research.  Using Word is quite frustrating as when you add
photographs/images everything jumps around and you really have to know the program well to use it.
 
Later I copied my material to a Desktop Publishing program, InDesign.  The program is a professional DTP program so you do have to have some expertise in using the program. As I find new information I add to my book. 

I am fortunate that I am a trained teacher who does have expertise in using Word and InDesign, and also am reasonable with English, having taught this at Junior High School and also taking Senior High School students for various subjects.  This has helped considerably with putting my material together. 

Have added a couple of pages as an attachment. 

[Mowsehowse]

Martin,
Since you asked, I am inclined to agree that your example is a little over-fictionalised for my taste. I try to stick to the facts as far as possible and where I do make assumptions I say so in the text. But it is a personal thing so really anything goes unless you plan to publish it as a factual account 

PharmaT,
I agree that you should carry on with the book. Your postings on RC would suggest you are far from illiterate: your spelling, grammar and punctuation are certainly better than most    and your posts are always easy to read and understand.

Mike.

I do so agree, on both counts. Definitely do write the book for your daughter PharmaT .

Martin , trying to be helpful here.... I know there are sites on google which give meteorological data e.g.  > http://www.pascalbonenfant.com/18c/geography/weather.html  <  so you should be able to research it, and you could then be more factual to write, e.g. "during an unusually mild winter," or "after a very damp summer".

And, personally, I would not put words as a quote,"...that one looks as if it does not have long for this world", unless you have it from a surviving letter perhaps? Rather, I would pad with something like,.... delivering the second twin she must have been aware/may have been concerned he was less robust than his sister.

BUT the writer's style of choice is very individual, and Elizabeth Chadwick, (for one,) is a popular author of fictionalised history. 

Any family history collated into book form for others surely MUST be preferable to a plan which never materialises.

[Berlin-Bob]

There are a lot of interesting ideas, tips and suggestions here.
So it doesn't get 'lost', I've added this topic to the list

There are several topics on RootsChat about how to write a family chronicle.

Some of the topics are collected here:
RootsChat Topics: Organising and Presenting your Family History
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=158638.0