1 cup of self-raising imagination
Dates
Thyme (endless spoonfuls)
Researchitus, diluted
Sprinkle of ancestral curiosity
Pinch of opportunity
Flakes of serendipity
Zest of reader-researcher
½ litre of language, including mixed fruit of adjectives (used moderately)
half-a-dozen embryonic ideas (egg-shaped)
Slurp of suspense, secrecy or drama
Dash of inspiration
Intriguing title, cover and blurb
Drizzle inspiration on all pages. Mix all data and especially dry ingredients in computerised container. Keep for an appropriate time. Heat emotions or ice over disputes. For special occasions, decorate and display at reunion, anniversary or family gathering.
Historical readaholic or relative indigestion due to overmuch hot air.
Many family historians do not originally set out to write a book. Initially they enjoyed collecting family letters, facts and memorabilia and then became interested in preserving their family’s past in a tangible way.
Some do not have a deadline for completing their history, for them it’s a lifelong hobby. Others find that they are increasingly being asked, ‘When are you going to write a book about your family?’
Writing a Non-Boring Family History is a practical guide for those who need some help in ‘shaping’ their history in a way others might choose to read, rather than just compiling lists of births, marriages, shipping lists and deaths.
Most family historians have not tackled a book-length project before. And because most historians are looking for why things happened, there is a personal satisfaction in assembling the answer in a format others will want to read.
Some historians are interested only in assembling facts before the owners of those facts vanish, but there are techniques which can make such compilations more readable. Other authors are interested in ensuring that their ‘books’, which have taken so many years to research and write, are not just given cursory glances and shelved, forever.
Writing a Non-Boring Family History offers a practical approach to organising your historical research in a way that others will wish to read and recommend.
Here are some important questions to ask before starting your historic project:
Why am I doing this?
Is there a deadline? When is it? (An anniversary? A reunion? Celebration?)
What resources are already available to me?
Who is likely to help? In what ways?
Who is my prospective reader? Will the public be interested too?
What will be the scope of the history? How will I set the limits?
Am I a self-employed writer or is the family my client?
Do I need a written brief or agreement on the scope and purpose of the history as an insurance for myself?
Is it to be self-published or commercially published?
What is my budget?
Am I to be paid a fee, expenses, or is it a family ‘freebie’?
What will be the size of the initial print run? (How many copies planned?)
Will there be an e-book?
Where and how will I store the data and backups?
What is the ‘working title’ of the book? Will it need a subtitle too?
Will I need to travel to get information or interview people?
Will my interview schedule allow for the elderly or ill to be done first?
Will any overseas research be necessary? How and when can I fit this in?
Should I start writing before I finish researching?
Is it possible to have a reunion at least a year before the deadline so relatives will bring data to a central point?
Could I use some of the facts for a eulogy?
Who will edit the book?
Who will design the layout?
What will the cover look like?
How many pages? What print (font) size? How many words is that?
How do I organise copies of old photos or letters? Should all be included?
Should it be a book, digital photo album, e-book, audio, CD or family history with online links?
Is anyone likely to be offended by the content?
What if I don’t meet the deadline?
How do I make it non-boring?