Tracing Your Family History Starts with One Question at a Time
August 18th, 2006 (Genealogy)
Have you chosen to trace your own family history for the first time? Genealogy can be a daunting task for those that are new to the work. For starters, tackle writing your personal history one question at a time:
- Select a question that you want to ask about your family.
- Think about it for anywhere from a day to a week. Carry something to jot down your thoughts about that question (a 3 x 5 card, pad of paper, day planner, or whatever you normally use to jot down a list of things to do).
- Begin recording your thoughts, memories, and feelings about that question.
- Set aside at least an hour each week to write what you have remembered.
- Repeat steps 1 to 4 until you have something written about each stage of your life. You do not have to work in any special order, just be sure to cover all the stages in your life.
If you type faster than you write by hand, put technology to work for you. Computers and word processors make it easy to edit your stories as you think of things to add to your personal narrative.