Published November 9, 2024
| 1 Comment | Leave A ReplyThe new book titled Storytelling for Genealogists: Turning Family Lineage into Family History covers an important topic that a fair number of genealogists could improve—making the jump from the sterility of names-and-dates-only compilations to the richness of interesting narrative.
Doug Tattershall’s slim volume published by Genealogical Publishing Company touts the difference between genealogy and family history as turning on the ability to tell an interesting story about your ancestors, and I think he’s largely correct in that assertion, particularly if a researcher wants people other than genealogists to read and enjoy their work.
“We work hard to discover our family tree. But what we [and the people we are writing for] really want to know is our family story,” Tattershall writes.
Tattershall identifies what he calls the elements of a good story: “strong characters, a good plot, and the theme or point of the story—all based on the facts uncovered by your research,” and he uses examples from his research and that of others to illustrate his book, both figuratively and literally.
He highlights several genealogical sources, all of which genealogists are well advised to use (but often do not delve into deeply enough), such as oral history, personal letters and diaries, newspaper articles and obituaries, lawsuits, and local histories.
There are also chapters on the timelining of ancestors as well as media such as paintings and photographs, and the author drew on his own experience and that of several other storytellers to compare formats for your storytelling—written narrative, audio, video, blogs, and podcasts.
The final chapters emphasize the importance of creating a storyteller’s outline to keep everything together; some examples; and a helpful family story worksheet.
Tattershall’s a little dated in his knowledge about genealogy; in an early chapter, he notes that genealogy standards “draw primarily from the legal profession,” which was true at one time—preponderance of evidence used to be the term of art for genealogical proof, but it was replaced a generation ago with the Genealogical Proof Standard, which the author finally gets around to mentioning far later in the book. He gives a decent recap of the proof standard but doesn’t emphasize how much a written conclusion is a part of that process.
Another source of bemusement is that he says people have 32 “fifth-great-grandparents,” which if that phrase is short for the generation with five “greats” (the way I normally use it), then each person has 128. Perhaps he means the “fifth generation back from the individual, but not including the individual,” which is a novel way to saying it.
Still and all, Tattershall’s storytelling rubric is worth a look for those writing the family history.
***
Storytelling for Genealogists: Turning Family Lineage into Family History by Doug Tattershall, 84 pages, $18.95, Genealogical Publishing Company (Baltimore, MD).
1 Comment
For Sale
The Best of "Roots & Branches", Fifth Edition published July 2017, edited by Terri J. Bridgwater.
It contains a selection of columns from Beidler’s award-winning newspaper column (currently published in the Altoona Mirror), which is the only syndicated newspaper column on genealogy in Pennsylvania.
The book can be ordered online, or purchased directly from Jim when he speaks at a conference.
Tamar
1 month ago
Hi James,
Thanks for passing this on to your readers.
I agree 100% that it is the stories from our families that are the enticing bits
that most people would like to know. Way more than dates and lineage!
I will be diving into my Mother’s Story, growing up in Southern Germany during WW1,
and emigrating to Chicago in 1928 – at the height of the depression.
It will be a challenge to write a compelling story because I am not inside my mother’s head
and heart. But I certainly will try.
Have you made a story out of your German heritage?
Best Wishes,
Tamar