by Laura Hedgecock | Feb 24, 2020 | Writing Advice, Storytelling, Writing and Sharing Memories
You know who doesn’t strive for perfection? Fiction authors. They know that compelling characters have both good and bad characteristics. Should family historians write about both good and bad sides of ancestors in family stories? Let’s look at the question...
by Laura Hedgecock | Feb 13, 2020 | Writing and Sharing Memories, Family History, Storytelling
Why should family history writers attend Rootstech 2020. There are four big reasons storytellers will love Rootstech 2020. Each year, I try to point out things of special interest to storytellers at RootsTech. This year, there’s a lot, regardless of your family...
by Laura Hedgecock | Sep 4, 2019 | Storytelling, Family History, Writing Advice, Writing and Sharing Memories
Family storytellers often overlook the importance of describing family dynamics. When that happens, readers are left to make their own assumptions. If they come from a June-and-Ward-Clever-style family, they’ll interpret the story we tell in that context. If their...
by Laura Hedgecock | Aug 5, 2019 | Writing and Sharing Memories, Storytelling, Writing Prompts
Summer stories are like fireflies. When it’s cold and dreary out, they’re out of sight and mind. But on hot, humid nights, in a flash you remember that time when… Summer Stories Resonate Because most of us have had them, our summer stories trigger echoes of...
by Laura Hedgecock | Jul 10, 2019 | How-to, Family History, Storytelling, Writing and Sharing Memories
Context in immigration stories is crucial to understanding the past. Context explains why, what happened, and what was that like. Information missing from the documents. Details that make compelling stories. In addition, context can confirm family traditions,...
by Laura Hedgecock | Jun 10, 2019 | Storytelling, How-to, Writing Advice, Writing and Sharing Memories
We all know stories bring history alive in a way that facts alone cannot. Neuroscience explains why. Looking at our brains on stories has lots of implications for family historians. Remember that anti-drug commercial which showed an egg dropping into a frying pan of...
