Gathering the Stories

This was the easiest part for me, but may be one of your most difficult. I was fortunate in that my Mom and the rest of the family did most of the text work. All I had to do was put it together. The very best source of information you have is family members. We all know someone who has told us stories about the old days. They used to be boring. Now they are invaluable. Talk to that family member as much as you can and write it all down or use a tape recorder. If you are really lucky, they will have a word processor and you can just exchange disks.

Failing that, badger people and get all the anecdotes you can. After you have all the stories you are likely to get, try to assemble it into some kind of order. You will probably make several starts before you get the final version. Don't try to get a finished product on the first pass. The best approach is probably just to get them arranged in some kind of order that you can work with when you assemble the finished product. Remember that you don't have the pictures yet, and how you put together the final version will depend a great deal on what pictures you decide to include and where you decide to put them. You will go through several rewrites before you get what you want. The important thing is to get as much as you can. Its always easier to take stuff out that it is to make additions.

Personal Opinion:

I think one of the most interesting things about our Journey are the small events that add a personal touch to the whole process. Every generation has had its pivotal event that defined the generation. For my parents, it was the Great Depression and World War II. My generation was defined by Vietnam. Try to tell your story from a standpoint of how the larger events affected the lives of everyday people. If readers of your story or visitors to your site want to know about the historical events, they can read a history book. They will be much more interested in your family's lives during these events.



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