Writing books tell you it’s all in the details. It’s true. We make our stories more vivid, compelling–and real–with descriptions that include concrete, specific details. “I noticed a dented, blue Chevy parked in the driveway” is more interesting than “I noticed an old car in the driveway.” Or how about spiffing up “I waited an hour at the [...]
Tagged as:
autobiography,
details make a story,
Family History,
Ireland,
Kathleen Anderson,
Kerry,
life-story-writing,
memoir,
Roscommon,
writing tips
When you’re writing your life story, don’t forget to put yourself into it. I’m not joking here. Too often people like to describe events that happened during their lives, but they don’t explain how they felt about those incidents and how they shaped who they are. Revealing how you feel about things means writing [...]
Tagged as:
athlete,
autobiography,
Bob Stumpf,
cycling,
emotions,
Family History,
feelings,
life-story-writing,
memoir,
personal-history,
writing tips
I attended a most interesting conference this week, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. I enrolled in John Colletta’s course, “Producing a Quality Family History.” It was relaxing to be a student rather than a presenter for a change, and I so enjoyed learning from such a charming, capable teacher. I read Colletta’s laudable Only a Few Bones [...]
Tagged as:
Family History,
John Colletta,
life-story-writing,
Only a Few Bones,
personal-history,
Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy,
writing tips
