The May-June issue of Family Tree Magazine looks at the angst many people go through with regard to how and when to write their family story.
In “The Art of Genealogy,” Sunny Jane Morton says “a small, finished project is better than a three-volume tome that exists only in your dreams.”
So the message is: Get busy.
Genealogy computer programs are listed, but you also could use Word to write a narrative of your family stories, or small biographical sketches of relatives you knew to share with descendants. Morton lists three types of family stories: a compiled genealogy, a biography of a loved one, or a genealogical journey.
Some areas to include: an organized list of the descendants, source citations, illustrations and original documents, and an index.
Morton also suggests setting a deadline, working with a friend, or taking a break mid-project and then resuming with new energy and a fresh deadline. Emphasis is on writing up your material in a way comfortable to you. I have found one way to do it is to write short stories based on family information.
This article and similar ones are found at www.familytreemagazine.com.
Lunch and learn topics
Shane Bell will speak at noon June 7 at the National Archives at Atlanta in Morrow on “The War of 1812: Privateers, Plunder, and Profiteering.” The event is free; bring your own lunch. For future lectures, see www.archives.gov/atlanta under “workshops.”
Kayla Barrett will speak at noon June 14 at the Georgia Archives in Morrow on using the collections of the Archives and Director Chris Davidson will present an update on the latest plans for the July 1 transition of the Archives to the University System of Georgia. Admission is free; bring your own lunch. For further information, check www.georgiaarchives.org.
Genealogy on television
Soon there will be four television series touching on genealogy.
The comedy “Family Tree,” labeled as a “mockumentary,” already has begun on HBO. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is returning, perhaps as early as this fall, on TLC. Previously on NBC, the show features celebrity guests having their genealogies done. “Finding Your Roots” will return on PBS in early 2014.
The fourth show is “Genealogy Roadshow,” a brand new series modeled after an Irish program. It’s being cast this summer in Nashville, San Francisco, Detroit and Austin. This PBS series will concentrate on family mysteries, historic events and the genealogy of an “average Joe.”
