WORDS TO LIVE BY: One common theme in the memoirs I’ve worked on is a Words to Live By chapter. It could go anywhere, of course; but typically it’s the last chapter of the book — an effective way to leave your reader with positive and helpful thoughts. […]
Adding Visuals to Family History
Let’s face it; a family history packed with bare facts would be pretty boring. (Think page after page of names, dates and marriages.) But sprinkle in some visual details — graphics, or maybe even a picture – and that family history springs to life! So, what if you don’t have a photo from, say, 1835 to add […]
Old-Fashioned Sayings
The Legacy of Old-Fashioned Sayings . . . . I remember standing in the kitchen while my mother was cooking. If she wanted us to pitch in and help, she’d nudge: “Make yourself useful as well as beautiful!” That meant, jump in here and start chopping! It just made […]
Try a Virtual Family Reunion!
Used to be, family reunions were a great way to reconnect with folks you hadn’t seen in a while. And reunions were a fun way to collect some great family history, too! Sadly, “social distancing” has changed all that. For now, at least, cruise ship get-togethers and globe-trotting gatherings […]
Brother, Brother – A Memoir Journey
Some American soldiers in Vietnam never came home. Some came home, but were never the same. Rich Duffy joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1964 at the age of 18, and was sent to the front as a Forward Observer – one of the most traumatizing and dangerous posts imaginable. Then while deep in the jungles, […]
Capturing Oral History
Oral history is a rich source of family and local information. But it’s an incredibly fragile source. Memories fade. Old-timers move on to whatever the next life brings. Does your local museum or historical society already have an oral history program capturing those elusive memories? If not, consider launching one! […]
Tales of Resilience: How Our Ancestors Coped
I’ve been fascinated lately by the concept of ‘resilience.’ Our ancestors had it. Somehow they made it through wars and food shortages; terrible pandemics; losing a spouse or a child to disease or accidents. And medical care? Well . . . some of the very best medical treatments back then would be cringe-worthy today. Sure, they had opium, laudanum, […]
Food & Family History: Special Memories Often Start in the Kitchen
Serendipity gives me goosebumps. Just as I was about to write this post about “food memories,” I stumbled on a terrific example of this exact form of family-history writing. “From Billee’s Kitchen” is a great, simple collection of not only recipes but memories. Compiled in pdf form by Melissa Corn Finlay, it honors her grandmother, Billee […]
Lost in World War I
It was going to be the “War to End All Wars.” But when America entered the dreaded conflict overseas in 1917, local draft boards all across the nation were forced to make awful decisions: choosing which of their community’s young men should be sent off to fight. Here in Douglas County, Nevada, local County Clerk […]
The Story of Lame Tom: Finding Gifts Among Tragedy
The true “pioneers” of Alpine County were the native Washoe. But little was written about them in the early days. So it was a real treat to stumble across a 1927 Record-Courier article detailing the life of Markleeville resident “Lame Tom.” In the early 1900s, Lame Tom (his real name was Assu) lived in a wickiup […]
Tips for Writing Your Memoir
Looking for some great tips to help you write your Life Story or Memoir? Try these six tips from the summer issue of Calaveras County Genealogical Society’s newsletter! LifeStory tips – Froghorn Summer 2018 And for more in-depth help, check out our new ebook, “Writing a Memoir: From Stuck to Finished” on Kindle!
Memoir Writers: How to Create a Get-Organized Tool Kit
Writing a memoir or oral history? You’ll find it helpful to put together a Memoir Writer’s Tool Kit ahead of time! What to include?? Here is a list of tools in my own kit: things I’ve found especially helpful for memoirs/oral histories. And the good news: they’re all small enough to keep in a handy […]