What can family historians glean from advice from great storytellers? I picked a few of my favorites tips that can help those of us writing family stories. (See also Who Do You Think You Are? What Writers Can Learn from the Show.)
“How would you feel?”
Emma Coates, a former Story Artist from Pixar, tweeted twenty-two rules of storytelling in 2012. The Masters Review blog compiled them into a beautiful infographic. Although some apply more to fiction stories than nonfiction ones, many are great for family storytellers.
My personal favorite is #15: “If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations. “
It also builds emotional connections between the readers and your ancestors. Better yet, when you combine this “rule” with the “show, don’t tell” rule, you end up with a riveting tale.
“Show, Don’t Tell”
Actually, that’s not exactly what Anton Chekhov said.” Instead, he’s credited with saying, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”[1]
Admittedly, that’s not always easy for genealogists. We like to deal with facts. When we write about our ancestors, we can only theorize about the broken glass and how the moon would glint on it. But it’s definitely worth trying. For instance, we can put frost on the trees instead of saying it was cold.
In addition, when we delve into our own memories, we can fill in those details that show rather than simply summarizing events.
“Have fun.”
The Moth has “shows” in 29 cities across the USA. Each show starts with a theme and volunteer storytellers come to explore that theme for a live audience. The Moth explains, “Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.”
They advise, “Know your story well enough to have fun.” Though meant as a way to avoid panic on stage, enjoying the process matters for family story writers as well. We want our stories to flow. What better way to do that than to explore the story orally before we do a final edit?
The Moth’s other storytelling advice ranges from some great do’s, such as “have some stakes” and “have a great first line,” and quite a few useful don’ts.
Edit
Advice from great storytellers often centers on the importance of honing your story and editing. Very few say it as eloquently as Mark Twain. He once said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”
In other words, most of us ramble and meander in our first draft. With editing, we can usually find tangents and wordiness to delete.
That takes time, but tighter writing usually makes for better storytelling. (In fact, I deleted the fact that my “We’re related” app says I’m related to Samuel Clemens. I hope he’s proud.)
Your Turn:
What’s your favorite storytelling or writing advice? Please share it in the comment section below.
[1] “Show, don’t tell,” Wikipedia.com, accessed April 15, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show,_don%27t_tell.
Thank you for these tips and I’m going to check out the others. What I write is not really a “story”, more like a documentary. I know itt could use some work.
My top tip: Look for the drama. Every ancestor has some drama in his or her life. Maybe it’s sadness or loss, success or achievement, satisfaction or disappointment. Even weather can bring drama: My great-grandpa’s crops were ruined by a hail storm. Financially drained, he came to America for a fresh start. And that storm is the reason I’m here to tell his story!
Oh good one! Thanks!
Agree. Everyone’s story has something we can share. But we may have to dig deep to find it.
True. And sometimes the story is all about the digging!
And that, for me, is the fun part 🙂
Thank you for these tips. I struggle with writing my family history. I find I either don’t know what to write or it’s very brief.
Thanks for commenting Daisha. I actually think short vignettes are a great way to start. They show so much personality.
Thank you for the story telling tips!
Thanks for stopping by Jana!
For family stories that are within my lifetime and memory, I’ll confess to writing creative nonfiction. For family history I research, I don’t go the creative nonfiction route for fear of factual inaccuracies.
Liz, I don’t think that needs to be a “confession.” As long as you make it clear what’s speculation versus genealogical facts, anyway you’re able to bring the family story alive is a valid approach.
I write family history at two ends of the spectrum: creative nonfiction and scrupulously cited. I think you’re suggesting that the two can play together nicely?
I am just getting the hang of writing, my blog has been pretty hit and miss. But I love my family history and hope I can make it entertaining for others. I focus on stories around old family photos, or use photos to enhance a story. I believe photos make the stories seem much more personal.
Absolutely. They help people visualize events and people!
Great tips, thank you!
I like to put weather too, using newspapers and almanacs… “On the 23rd of March in 1878, with a light breeze cooling the air under cloudy skies, Andrew left his shop at 31 Islington Street and headed to the Patent office…”.
I also like to reference an important event, à la what were you doing on the day such-and-such happened.
Great ideas!