Storytelling Hub
Blog articles to Help You Tell the Stories of the Past
Advice from Great Storytellers for Family Historians
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...
Review: Using Scrivener for Family History and Memoir Writing
If you’re not already using Scrivener, I’d like to introduce you to the application that might make your memoir and genealogy writing projects easier to stick with. This is NOT an affiliate post, but rather a review of a product I’ve used for both fiction and...
How to Tell Female Ancestors’ Stories
Our female ancestors’ stories can be harder to tell. Census records reduce their lifetimes into who they married, how many children they bore, and the ubiquitous “keeps house.” It’s work to discover their maiden names, much less their narratives. As a result of...
How Understanding Culture Can Help with Genealogy and Storytelling
Genealogist and blogger Linda Yip explains how understanding culture is paramount to genealogical research as well as to writing compelling family stories. In genealogy, documents can provide the factual framework, but cultural context provides the colour and life....
Top Observations and Takeaways from RootsTech 2019
So, what were my top impressions and takeaways from RootsTech 2019 (aka a whirlwind of education, inspiration, and fun) you ask? Full disclosure: As an Ambassador for RootsTech, I received certain benefits, such as a free pass to the conference, a pass to give away...
How to Add Emotional Context to your Stories
Emotional context can help your readers connect to the story. Additionally, people who are emotionally invested in a story are more details. Which means it’s a win-win for readers and writers. Unfortunately, those of us writing down memories, we sometimes forget that...
Why Context Matters in Storytelling
A story’s setting and circumstances of its characters gives it its life. Even if the “characters” are real. That’s why context matters in storytelling. The idea that a picture is worth a thousand words is often misunderstood, in my opinion. Sure, having a visual of a...
How to Get the Most out of RootsTech
Connections are the best way to get the most out of RootsTech 2019 (February 27–March 2, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah). Talk to your neighbor, introduce yourself to people in the lunch line, engage vendors. Ask questions. Of course, connections to your past make the...
Who do you see in the mirror? A Writing Prompt.
Do you, like the queen in Snow White, wonder what others see when they gaze at your countenance? Who do you see in the mirror when you take an objective look? What should others understand about your looks? Reflecting on your Reflection Research has shown that we have...
Sharing Scanned Family Documents and Photos Online: Pros and Cons
Before you decide what you think about sharing scanned family documents and photos online, take a few minutes to consider the pros and cons. Note: This article focuses on uploading digital files to genealogy-related websites as opposed to social media. Pros of Sharing...
6+ Last-Minute Christmas Gifts that Matter
It’s hard to connect to the peace of Christmas when you’re still shopping, holding out for Christmas gifts that matter. Here’s my list of last-minute ideas for busy family storytellers and historians. (See also 7 Ideas for Giving Gifts that Matter.) Luckily, there’s...
Deck the Halls with Memories and Stories
Decking the halls with memories and stories makes a wonderful way to make holiday decorations more meaningful. At any time of year, the photographs, keepsakes, and art we display on our walls often represent significant stories and memories. That wonderful trip. The...
Remembering an Embarrassing Moment
If it were truly humiliating, remembering an embarrassing moment could turn out to be less of a problem than how to stop re-living it. However, those minor incidents tend to disappear from memory. (Or is that repression?) Sometimes, letting our hair down and admitting...
Stories of Gratitude: A Deeper Family Tradition
Many times, we write about the things for which we’re grateful instead of telling stories of gratitude. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve even suggested it myself. (See, for example, my post from 5 years ago: Write about Gratitude: 6 Ideas). Counting and sharing...
Childhood Friends Storytelling Prompt
Preserving memories of childhood friends goes hand-in-hand with a with a reminiscence back to those lazy days of childhood. Brainstorming about the people you spent time with, whether it was doing nothing in particular or creating absolute havoc, can bring great...
Win a Free RootsTech Pass
Discover Your Story. Discover Yourself. Discover RootsTech. Connect. Belong. That’s the RootsTech theme. And the best way to connect and belong is to be there. And, if you’re lucky, you can do it for free. RootsTech takes place over 4 days–Wednesday, February 27 –...
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