Author Topic: Book creation programs  (Read 5266 times)

Offline clancam37

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #9 on: Tuesday 27 November 18 23:48 GMT (UK) »
Hi KGarrard,
I believe that's where many problems were encountered -- Styles.
Your suggestion re RootsMagic for my trees -- their Book Generator (Publisher) is sound advice.
Will check this possibility today.
Thanks again
Regards
clancam37
Word can create an automatic TOC ;D

You just need to ensure you have used the Styles properly (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Title, etc).

I use RootsMagic for my trees - it has a Book Generator (Publisher), in which I can choose the contents of each chapter.

Offline clancam37

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #10 on: Tuesday 27 November 18 23:53 GMT (UK) »
Hi Graham, Thanks for your sound advice. Writing my Book was a huge learning curve, the "Styles" section for creating TOC was a challenge.
Nearly ready to create another Book will follow KGarrad's suggestion and see what RootsMagic Book Creator offers and also your suggestion to "see the Help system".
Regards
clancam37
Agree - Word will do all you need. Table of contents, list of illustrations, index, all automated (but you do have to tell Word to update them - see the Help system).

Offline clancam37

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 00:43 GMT (UK) »
Back again.  Have watched a 14 minute  video re RootsMagic Publisher. Question in my mind -- what sources can I use to create the Book?  I have information/facts/dates/photos on FTM10 and FTM14 plus files of information pics/drawings and notes written on Word7.
Reading other users opinions posted in 2015 or before it appears  "Legacy" or "Gedcom" can be used to extract and include in the written book.  These opinions seem to suggest facts/photos can be lost in transmission.
Can sks suggest Legacy or Gedcom as the way to proceed or can I transmit directly from FTM and Word notes to RootsMagic Publisher as of 2018.
Regards
clancam37
 
 

Offline Mart 'n' Al

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 11:23 GMT (UK) »
Notwithstaning my earlier comment, about avoiding a family history being just a list of dates, people  and places, I had a go at embroidering the facts with some credible padding, if that isn't too much of a muddled metaphor.  I'd welcome any comments or criticism.

"It was a cold morning in November 1882 as Annie Maria Ballard laid on her bed in Eden Street, Hartlepool, moaning and groaning with the gruelling pains of impending childbirth. Eventually a small girl came into the world, crying surprisingly lustily for her small size, soon followed by her twin brother, who was much quieter and didn't seem anywhere nearly as strong. The midwife looked sorrowfully, and turned to Elizabeth, and confided that '...that one looks as if it does not have long for this world'.

The girl was named Kate, after her mother’s favourite sister, and the boy was called John, after his father and grandfather, and took his grandmother's maiden name of Mowbray as a middle name.  Little Kate seemed to take her new surroundings in her stride, little aware that she was the future matriarch of a diverse and widely spread dynasty.  Her life would see two world wars, the invention of the hula-hoop, and men being fired into space.

The double birth was a great strain for young 20 year old Annie Maria, and sadly she would only be vaguely well enough to be aware of the death of her second-born, 6 weeks later, and never fully recovered before her own sad premature death less than a year later.  Annie Maria's husband John, a local watchmaker of some repute looked proudly on his new daughter, but felt ill at the sight of his sickly little son.

He held his wife’s hand, although the effort of a double childbirth had left her exhausted and she slept for many hours.  As days progressed the new mother was able to pay attention to her new twins, and she was very concerned about the sad sight of the younger child, John.  Little John spent much time motionless, before finally passing on, aged only 41 days, just a week before his first Christmas.  It was a heart-breaking time in the house."

I don't know whether it is good or not that I now almost believe that that is how it was!

Martin


Online KGarrad

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #13 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 11:35 GMT (UK) »
For my liking - too much fiction and too many assumptions! ;D

Do you know it was cold in November 1882?
How do you know that the girl "cried lustily" while her brother was "much quieter"?

I prefer facts ;D
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline pharmaT

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #14 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 11:50 GMT (UK) »
Interesting thread.  I decided a couple of weeks ago I was going to write up my older daughter's family tree, get it bound for her 18th birthday.  I haven't got very far though, ever since a teacher told me my English was the worst she'd ever seen or heard I've been wary of writing as I know what I produce will be badly written.
Campbell, Dunn, Dickson, Fell, Forest, Norie, Pratt, Somerville, Thompson, Tyler among others

Online BumbleB

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #15 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 11:54 GMT (UK) »
pharmaT - BUT you're doing it for your daughter, who will appreciate your efforts.  You're not doing it for publication to the outside world.  Just do it  ;D
Transcriptions and NBI are merely finding aids.  They are NOT a substitute for original record entries.
Remember - "They'll be found when they want to be found" !!!
If you don't ask the question, you won't get an answer.
He/she who never made a mistake, never made anything.
Archbell - anywhere, any date
Kendall - WRY
Milner - WRY
Appleyard - WRY

Offline Mart 'n' Al

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #16 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 12:00 GMT (UK) »
KG,  Thank you for your honesty. I did ask for such. It is so difficult to know how to strike the right balance. If you read any book set in a time and place with which we are not familiar we do have to accept certain liberties. I'm trying to do something similar for a friend, who had two ancestors being born within a few months of the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. I use that event as a backdrop to the middle part of my friend's story. There are very few written records of the eruption, but it does create a good focus for the start of the story.

I know your two examples, of the weather conditions and the Infant's wailing, were just an example, but it is almost always cold in Hartlepool and my great grandmother was known to be outspoken. I suppose what it comes down to is who is my target audience, and basically it will be about 3 people.   You have certainly given me something to think about, thank you.

Martin

Offline Mart 'n' Al

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Re: Book creation programs
« Reply #17 on: Wednesday 28 November 18 12:04 GMT (UK) »
PharmaT, I also think you should go ahead and get on with it. Many of the stylistic beliefs of my school days have been blown away in the light of modern trends. Even going back to World War One, look at the work of e e cummings, who almost single-handedly tried to abolish the use of capital letters.

I often think of what I was taught in my years in the Cadet Force about making a presentation. I was told you should stand, almost to attention, with your hands clasped behind your back, and never gesticulate. These days presenters seem to try and communicate more by their gesticulations, than by their speech.

If you were really worried about what your daughter would think, you could always get a friend to proofread your Final Draft.

Martin