Writing Your Memories

Library of Dust, part 2: Scared Out of My Mind

2011-05-28T10:03:00.001-07:00

Many stories have escaped the walls of any asylum although most have died within. One such story was the experience of a child – a sane child whose spirit may have been a bit rebellious for the time, but none the less, she was and is perfectly sane.

Sharon captures her haunting memories in the following essay written in a writing class I facilitate.

SCARED OUT OF MY MIND

In 1955 I was placed in the Oregon State Hospital for the criminally insane in Salem along with three other escapees from the Hillcrest reform school for girls.

After breaking free from Hillcrest, the four of us were picked up early one evening by staff from McClaren School for Boys. We had no idea no where we were going, and it was a quiet and somber ride. That would be the last silence I would experience for several weeks.

Hillcrest authority had warned the girls that runaways would not be tolerated and had suggested we would be transferred to Rocky Butte Jail in Portland. I believed I had prepared myself for jail. We had joked about it among ourselves laughingly, using the jailhouse phrase “we can do that standing on our heads”. So, of course, I was confused and bewildered when after a short ride we pulled up before a huge, looming and ominous building that housed Oregon's insane … about 3,500 patients at that time. It looked like what it was … a house of horrors! I could never have prepared myself for what would meet me inside.

My carpool partner and I were separated from the other girls, and I never saw them again. My memory of this place begins after entering the first of a session of wards where I was slightly relieved by the relaxed setting of Danish-style furniture and young people milling around for the most part, looking quite sane. Between each ward and locked door there was a hall or a short screened walkway. The heavy, solid doors were locked behind before the next was unlocked. One of the next wards housed older women; some were sitting in the wicker furniture that was familiar only to that ward. They were a scattered group with some talking to themselves or others, but it was nothing compared to primeval chaos that greeted us when we entered the back ward that was to be my home for the next three weeks … a ward for the criminally insane.

When passing through each ward into the next, it seemed as if we were descending deeper and deeper into this world of madness, peeling off layers until we reached the “back” ward where I was assigned. The constant racket and uproar overpowers my memory of the foul smell, but they were both overwhelming. I was scared out of my mind.

The building was constructed in 1883 with high ceilings, old fashioned lighting, and heavy screened windows. It was a perfect expectation as to what an Insane Asylum would look like, including the tormented occupants.

A group of women surrounded us as soon as we entered. I did not move even as they pressed close and picked at our clothes muttering and asking questions without needing answers. Surely, they were not going to leave us here in this snake pit. Well, they did!

It was near bed time, but they first took us to the shower area which also held two deep bath tubs set in the middle of the room. This arrangement provided space for as many attendants as needed to control the patients who became unmanageable. On this night, the tubs were used to disinfect or delouse the two of us, washing our hair with a nasty smelling liquid, even though we had come from a state institution. It was the rule. There were many other rules.

Two of us were placed on this ward, but we were separated. After being “disinfected' and issued a faded worn nightgown, I was taken to the bathroom and then instructed to leave my shoes outside the door of a room that held two cots. I was strapped to one of them with a heavy leather strap and wide leather cuffs that secured my hands to my waist. The other cot under the tall screened window was empty. I tried to convince the attendant that I was not crazy, only here for punishment. They ignored me, telling me I would be in restraints for twenty-four hours. “It was the rule.”

There was little sleep that night. It was February, and the wind was howling outside; the patients were howling inside. Tormented pitiful cries along with repetitive chanting, hollering, and pleading came from the women now restrained in bed.

Someone was allowed up to pace the hall. She was chanting “Jesus don’t care, Jesus don’t care” over and over, louder and louder. I was a stranger in a strange place and was thrown completely off guard.

I laid in bed trying to relax and not struggle in the restraints. I fought the claustrophobia and the fear. Just about then a hand came through the space between the wall and the radiator and grabbed my head. The wall that separated the room and the hall was cut away providing a spot for a radiator which heated both areas at the same time. The space around the radiator was large enough for a hand to reach inside. My friend who was released from her restraints to use the bathroom had seen my shoes outside my room and used the chance to scare me. My screams blended with the others.

Morning came, and my door was open, but I still was strapped in bed. One of the patients entered my room, a heavy-set, sloppy-looking woman. She talked softly, sweetly to me and reached under her dress for a comb that was left with just a few scattered teeth. I pleaded with her to leave as she leaned over me and started to comb my hair. She rambled on not paying any attention to my pleas, and I was afraid to make her angry as I couldn’t defend myself. She quickly left when a childlike girl or woman bolted into my room taking an aggressive stance with hands on her hips and screaming, “You're in love with Doctor Dreis are you? Aren’t you? I saw you take him down and intercourse him.” I was afraid this agile little monkey-like gal jumping around was going to tear into me. Just then a matron arrived and released me to wash up and have breakfast. She left me with a bleached cotton print dress which was common issue, and I hoped it would help me blend in with the other patients. Most of the women seemed to be living in their own worlds, talking and using wild hand gestures to get their point across to the imaginary people they were directing all their energy toward.

My first experience in the dining room is the only one I remember vividly. I sat down with a dozen or so patients at the long wooden table set with dented tin plates and cups and a solitary spoon for a utensil. In the midst of this first meal a young woman sitting at the head of the table announced in a loud voice, “I use Listerine”. She took a big gulp of coffee, threw her head back, and gargled. Then she spewed it out over the table, following it with peals of laughter.

Others would spit food back in their plates or take or give food to others sometimes causing a squabble, but more often this was tolerated or not even noticed by what I guessed to be heavily sedated women, some with drool spilling from their open mouths. I couldn't eat. I tried to convince myself to drink the milk. Take a sip, I love milk. I couldn't do it. Everything seemed so vile. I learned to drink coffee. Black coffee was all I could stomach ... I found myself looking forward to mealtime for the coffee which other than a couple bites of bread I dunked would sustain me through my stay. I was close to hysteria, myself, and I was so grateful when they told me I would not have to finish the 24-hour restraint rule.

After breakfast and lunch any patient that could function at all was required to “Block.” This required pushing a large block of wood covered by a heavy cloth on the bottom with a broomstick handle. This was a twice-a-day, seven-days-a week routine, and it went remarkably smooth. For as boring as it was, it was meant to provide exercise, and, of course, it helped keep the floors polished. Everyone moved exceptionally slow, some suffering with physical disabilities, pushing and polishing single file up and down the hall, around and around for an hour. ...........................................................Blocking tool on right

I got the first look at my surroundings that morning while I blocked, meekly staying in line, trying to blend in, and not drawing any attention to myself. One end of the long hall provided the sleeping rooms, some single, some double, and at least one larger room that held bedridden patients who were in constant restraint. Their yelling and pleading for help was a continual day and night background for the repetitive babbling and pitiful whimpering which never stopped anywhere on the ward. The terrible pathetic sight of their struggling to free themselves is unforgettable.

Blocking was over this first morning and my friend from Hillcrest was not there. They must have moved her early. Separating us, I later learned, that was another fear tactic which I must say was effective. I was on my own here, and there wasn't anywhere to go.

Several times I sought out someone who was exempt from blocking for different mental or physical problems and would place them in line, put the block in their hand, and sneak away. This didn't work very well as my plan would be foiled when my stand-in would wander out of line and foul things up or just wasn't capable because of the lack of strength or balance. Today I wonder if some younger patients were disabled with Muscular Dystrophy or other disfiguring diseases. Shame on me!

The opposite end of the hall held the open “day room” and the nurse's station. There was always activity here. The nurse's station was next to the door, and patients gathered to wait for the doctors or other attendants who stopped there before leaving the ward. There were always several inmates trying to push or beg their way out, pleading to go home. No one likes to be locked up even if they are crazy.

There were two or three women who wore red cotton pajama-like suits that were buttoned around the waist and across the shoulder, allowing them to be undressed without taking off the leather belt and cuffs that were never removed. They were not required to block, and one of these poor souls was hunched in a corner snarling at anyone who looked her way. Her hair was tangled, and she looked and acted menacing. The sloppy woman with the toothless comb couldn't resist the temptation. She stopped and tried to fuss over the hunched woman. It was over in a flash. The crazy woman had her down, and her teeth were locked onto her arm. When separated she was bleeding where a hunk of flesh was missing. The comb which was considered contraband was confiscated. Personal possessions were not allowed on this ward.

There were a few exceptions to that rule. An elderly lady in a single room, who had been a resident for 30 years was allowed to have a broom and spent her days sweeping her room hour after hour. Later, when I tried to engage her in conversation, she brushed me aside. Absorbed in keeping her floor clean, this sweet-looking, little gray-haired grandma always wore an apron.

I went to the day room where there was a television playing with the sound of a game show adding to the pandemonium. I found a place where I could sit with my back to the wall to stay out of the way until I could get my bearings. There were several people in the room; some were staring at the television with blank faces, not understanding the dialogue. I never had a chance to brace myself before the “little monkey” who had been in my room earlier, jumped in front of me again screaming and accusing me of “intercoursing” Dr Dreis. I was still scared of this tiny little fairytale creature, but my hands were free, and I could at least protect myself. She abruptly stopped, went to the heavily screened window, and standing with her legs apart, she lifted the front of her dress and slowly swayed back and forth singing “beautiful, beautiful bluish-green eyes” over and over until she was calm and left the room.

Sometime in the first few days I was taken off the ward to have my photo taken. Fingerprints? I can't remember. I do remember that I was taken through a dimly lit tunnel that smelled like a musty basement. There were tracks laid throughout the tunnels, and I later learned they were used to transport food, laundry, and other supplies between buildings using a small rail system. It was also used to transfer patients, which made it a convenient way to keep them from the public eye. I had expected to see a doctor at the end of the tunnel or someone with information. I was confused as to why I was still here. Were they planning on keeping me, testing me? Treating me? Will I see a doctor? I had questions, but no one to ask.

I felt alone, but as the days went on, my fears lessened. The initial fright had turned into more of a defensive mode. I was still leery and cautious but not saturated with the initial fear I had experienced when first thrown into this surreal never-imagined world.

As I became more comfortable, I was curious about these women. I approached several of them looking for someone to talk to and perhaps to help me navigate through this nightmare, but there was no common ground for conversation. I listened to a woman in her early forties who had tears in her eyes when she spoke of being married and cried when she told how much she missed her children. She was so lucid that I wondered to myself why she would be on a ward for the criminally insane.

As we were talking, the big door opened, and she was up off her chair, trying to squeeze her way out while she desperately pleaded her case. She was joined by several other women all desperate to escape. I found something else to do, but I sought her out again feeling sorry for her. She was so quiet and sad apart from some of the more aggressive or heavily sedated women. The entire scene was pathetic. I can't say it enough.

A few days later, while blocking after lunch, this same thin, delicate, red-haired woman began singing “Bringing in the Sheaves, Bringing in the Sheaves.” She had a beautiful soprano voice, but she sang louder and louder, higher and higher as she went around and around until the song progressed into a high pitched scream. The attendants filled one of the deep bathtubs, and two of them wrapped her in a sheet and immersed her in the cold water which subdued her. In the next few days she was taken off the ward for a shock treatment. When she returned she was withdrawn and mute.

I approached anyone who could finish a sentence. I spent time with a young woman who was probably in her thirties who told entertaining stories about hobnobbing with movie stars. As a young girl in the fifties, I enjoyed the movie magazines that were so popular and kept us up to date on the personal lives of the stars. And now, I was privy to the inside stories.

She named different leading actresses and actors she had met and run with. She described the houses of the stars where she partied in Hollywood. She took me to California with the sunshine and the beautiful people, a wonderland she was a part of ... and who knows it may have been true. She was a pretty woman, and even in her cotton day-dress she played the part of a glamour girl to the point of being pretentious. I spent as much time listening to her stories that she would give me.

One morning while everyone was blocking in the hall, I saw some staff and a doctor escort her to a room which was set up like mine as the radiator was cut into the wall. Each time I passed her room I would stop and have a look. Today they had strapped her in bed and had a cart on wheels which was rigged to give portable shock treatments. I watched them put the cones on her temples and apply the shock. The only other thing that I remember is how hard she slept, how she snored so loudly for so long, and how she was so quiet and subdued when she recovered. She was blank when I spoke with her next. That was the end of the wonderfully entertaining stories.

Soon after the shock treatment she was allowed a “day out”. It was a day off campus and most likely with her parents. I wondered if that was the purpose for the shock treatment, to subdue her for her visit. She caught my attention on her return because she was dressed in street clothes. I followed her when she went into the bathroom. The always-busy staff had taken their eyes from her before she changed her clothes, and she had decided she was going to wash her long, beautiful, full-length camel hair coat.

The bathroom had a long community sink with multiple faucets, and the movie star lady laid out her coat in the sink and turned on all the faucets. The overworked matrons now had to deal with this ruined coat which probably cost as much or more than a week of their wages. I speculated that maybe her parents had some influence as she was the only patient I observed that had left the ward with the exception of those who received shock treatments.

At this point I was more at ease with the surroundings and sought out ways to fill the days. The hospital did have a movie night, but the criminally insane weren't privilege. I spent some time playing cards with a little, feisty, older lady who wore mitts on both hands as she would shred clothing, bedding, or whatever she found to satisfy her compulsion.

It was a selfish act on my part. It was a bargain deal. They removed her restraints, and I would play cards with her to weasel out of blocking, although for me it was just about as boring. There was a partial deck of cards, and the “Shredder” did all the dealing. After being restrained it probably felt good to use her hands. She was in complete control. I didn't even need to play my cards. She played them for me and with no rhyme or reason. I liked this little lady because she was so out-front, bossy, and spoke her mind. I should have spent more time with her.

About a week after arriving, the matrons who were always short-handed asked me to help with the showers. I agreed only if I would be on the drying end of the operation. The more violent patients were showered with their restraints intact. Even so, I was uneasy with these naked, sullen women, some of whom spent their days cuffed, either on their feet in their pajama suits or on their backs, and a few on sheepskins. Some would recoil and cower at being touched while others would fight even though their hands were cuffed. They kicked and struggled when they were dried and dressed. More than once I called for backup because they scared me. I hated this chore, but once doing it I could hardly ignore the fact it made it much easier and faster for the overworked help.

I stayed clear of the patients restrained in their beds. I ignored their futile cries and pitiful pleas for help. The same pleas you might hear repeated in nursing homes today. The same smells you'll find there, as well.

I did not witness any intended abuse for my three week’s stay. The matrons I talked with were from around the Salem area. They were of the same make up as the Hillcrest matrons; some of whom had also worked at Fairview next door. Middle aged housewives for the most part, overworked and undoubtedly underpaid. Strong women who must have a matched mindset to rebuke the women following them constantly, clamoring for attention, and asking questions that have no answers. To spend day after day with such despair and heartache and in turn be required to clean the woman with feces smeared on her and the wall of the bathroom or to calm the two fighting over a single scrap of paper or to deal with the woman who undresses whenever a male was present. All this is a constant whirlwind of insane actions blended with the other lost, catatonic souls with bent heads set on over medicated bodies. I wondered what the turnover in this job must have been?

My grandparents came to see me. They told me my parents had been here, but were turned away. I hadn't had a letter because communication was not allowed the first thirty days. My grandfather was persistent, and we were allowed a short visit. He brought me hope along with box of chocolate Turtles. After three weeks of bread and black coffee, I counted the hours until meal times when I was allocated two of the delicious sweet pieces of chocolate and caramel. I nibbled, savoring each tiny bit until the after-flavor had long passed.

It was just a few days after their visit that I was taken to the office of the Superintendent where I met my grandparents again. They had been to the District Attorney's office in Salem, and grandpa had demanded my release. He got it. I was getting out of here!

The meeting with the superintendent draws a blank other than a visual of a large, kind man behind a large desk. I do know I left the State Hospital not knowing where I would be going. A nineteen year-old I knew who was released from Hillcrest, was sent back for parole violation when she married. Amazingly, they allowed her husband visitation. What a goofy world! Being an adult in her circumstance didn’t keep her out of Hillcrest, and perhaps I was to return as well. So, being eighteen would not assure my release. They could return me to Hillcrest if they wanted. Anyway, I felt their intention may be to send me to jail. I welcomed either choice after this experience.

Again, I was on my way to an unknown destination. Only, this time I was surprised and overjoyed when I arrived at the modern Donald E. Long Juvenile Home in Portland. I later discovered that Hillcrest wouldn't take me back because they believed I was the instigator in the runaway.

After several days of peace and quiet in the Isolation Unit, but still certainly concerned about additional incarceration, I went to court. It was brief. The judge asked questions and ruled the State Hospital had been severe enough punishment, a harsh lesson, and he turned me loose. I will bypass any further restriction. Free and clear.

Sharon H., 2011

Photos courtesy of David Maisel
Library of Dust

For more information:
Claiming Cremated Remains
Oregon State Hospital

Emily, 28 May 2011

Library of Dust by David Maisel

2011-05-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I review non-fiction memoirs, but this is the first time I have written about a photographic book which tells nothing of the memories of its subjects, and little about their lives in general.

So, why is this a topic?

It is a story of lost lives; lost memories. It is part of life that is too often pushed aside and forgotten. It is a story that few wish to share, but everyone needs to face. For this reason, the story begs to be told so families will share the secrets hidden behind the doors, the forgotten family members.

Library of Dust by David Maisel, part 1

Dust: the deterioration of solid matter.

Dust to dust: the Biblical cycle of life.

The Library of Dust: canisters filled with dust, shelved as books, and hidden away for decades. Living dust that interacts with its vessel as if trying to escape…one last escape to freedom.

The Oregon State Hospital was established in 1883 in Salem to house mentally ill patients and the criminally insane. In 1913, the hospital’s cemetery made way for a new building, so the bodies were exhumed, cremated, and placed in copper canisters in an underground vault. This practice of cremation continued until 1971.

The hospital provided a “safe place” for relatives who no longer fit in the public’s world. It was a place for them to receive care; a place for them to be forgotten. This was a place for those individuals which time has tried to erase. But now their memory is brought back to the surface by one individual whose philosophy is to record “things that aren’t intended to be seen”*.

David Maisel, originally from New York City, but currently living in California, visited the State Hospital in 2005 and in 2009 to photograph various parts of the asylum, but especially the copper canisters which have been stored in an underground vault for decades, repeatedly flooded, and hidden from the world. When I first saw his work online, it was immediately clear that his background in design and structure transformed the misery of this institution into mesmerizing art.

Thousands of copper canisters that entombed cremated psychiatric inmates were exposed to continuous water damage resulting in an array of colors and patterns as the water corroded the copper shells. In his book Library of Dust (Chronicle Books, San Francisco), Mr. Maisel captures the eerie essence of the canisters, each one as individual as their human contents once were.

Maisel’s coffee-table-sized book contains four articles by noted scholars and fifty-four cremation canisters as well as many other photos highlighting various rooms of the hospital. These essays give us insight into the reasons so many colorful minerals corroded these canisters as well as our cultural views on death and cremation.

Geoff Manaugh, former senior editor at Dwell magazine, in his commentary “Mineral Kinship” states, “Indeed, the canisters have reacted with the human ashes held within.” He contends that “We, too, will alter, meld with the dust and metal; an efflorescence. This, then, is our family narrative, one not of loss but of reunion.”

The late Terry Toedtemeir, geologist, historian, and Portland (Oregon) Art Museum’s photography curator, in his contribution “The Soul Remains” discussed the various minerals appearing on the canisters and that although copper is known to be resistant to corrosion, multiple minerals have formed on these canisters presenting an array of colors. Toedtemeir states that “X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed that the particular corrosion product is a complex copper phosphate mineral known as sampleite,” a rare mineral found in arid regions, yet is appears on these water-logged canisters along with many other minerals. He further postulates that the make up of the water as well as the contents of the canisters could have affected the corrosion, but that this was a surprisingly short period of time for all these minerals to form.

Michael S. Roth, historian, curator and author, shares some background on the role of asylums in the United States and our cultural views of madness and death in “Graves of the Insane, Decorated,” a title taken from an 1886 Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon) news article about decorating the State Hospital’s cemetery on Memorial Day.

David Maisel writes the last contribution, entitled The Library and Its Self-Contained Double, where he recalls his photographic visits to the hospital. In 2009, he returned to find that the hospital and ended his book with one more shot, the new library of dust. In effort to preserve the existing, unclaimed canisters, have placed them in individual black plastic vaults row upon row, each with a metal plate number, now appearing more like a huge library card catalog, or in the least more modern shelves on which to place those lives. Sadly, each copper canister is also encased in a plastic bag with a baggie tie, and Mr. Maisel reports that condensation is developing inside the bags.

There is something very sad that the natural elements of the physical body and the earth’s minerals are now encased in man’s unnatural creation, plastic, which can have the lifespan of up to 600 years … so much for dust to dust.

Part two in this series is the memories of a past inmate.

* "Strange beauty, transformation, secrets and loss" by Leah Ollamn, Los Angeles Times, Sunday, January 4, 2009, an interview with David Maisel.

Photos are the courtesy of Daivd Maisel.

Read and see more at Library of Dust

Emily, 28 May 2011

Did I Write What I Thought I Wrote?

2011-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

Often we write a memory and find ourselves off in another land, following a road into the woods, winding in and out until that road becomes a narrow path. We have strayed from our original intent or missed it altogether. We have become tangled in the undergrowth of that forest. How do we return to our original objective?

How can you be certain that you are writing or have written the story you intended to write? There are two basic approaches: You can put the effort up-front to insure you convey what you intend or you can do the work at the end.

The simplest is to do the work in the beginning by writing an outline, even a loose outline, and following it. If you wait until the end, then you must analyze your work in pieces, asking yourself the same questions: Does this sentence say what I intended it to say; is it relevant to my story?

First Method: Outline

1. Write down your topic or thesis in sentence form. One of the biggest problems with formulating a thesis is the scope of it. Often the idea is too broad (usually as a result of not being specific enough for the desired length of writing) or involves too many or too few things for the story.
A clear, well-defined thesis statement is used to unify the entire piece of writing. It defines the scope of your writing, helping to determine what should and should not be covered. It represents the first step in establishing the document's structure.
.....Example:
........Topic: The person I admired the most is my grandmother.

2. Under that list at least three points you wish to convey.
.....Example:
........Topic: The person I admired the most is my grandmother.
...........I. Features I consider to be most admirable
..........II. Why I chose this person
.........III. Examples of why I admire this person

3. Next add detail to each point.
.....Example:
........Topic: The person I admired the most is my grandmother.
..........I. Features I consider to be most admirable
..............a. Good role model – include examples
..............b. Contributions to or influence upon community/society
.........II. Why I chose this person
..............a. Commendable qualities
..............b. Particular skills
.......III. Examples of why I admire this person
.............a. Influences my life – give examples
.............b. Motivates me to inspire others – examples of what you have done

4. Continue with the outline until you have added each part you wish to include.

5. Check the outline for continuity. Omit what does not fit.

6. Write. (See Writing Tips and Suggestions below.)

7. Compare your outline to the story to see if you omitted information or added extra.

8. Revise your story after letting it set for a while so you can get a fresh view of it. (Repeat items 6-8 until you are satisfied.)

Second Method: Write First

1. Write one sentence or, at most, a paragraph about what you want to convey.
.....Example:
..........The person I admire the most is my grandmother who has inspired me to go farther than I had ever dreamed.

2. Write your first draft using the Writing Tips and Suggestions below, but do not try to write the first draft and revise it at the same time. Set the draft aside for a while.

3. Reread and ask yourself ....
.....a. Why did you choose this topic?
.....b. What information did I intend to convey?
.....c. Does that writing match the what I intended? (Ask yourself this question
after every line, and concentration on one section of your writing at a time.)
.....d. Does the draft include enough detail to satisfy the intended reader?
.....e. Does the text flow smoothly in a clear, logical order?

4. If it does not, refocus and rewrite where needed.

Writing Tips and Suggestions

With either method, the following should be considered when you write.

1. Make every word count. Be aware of what your words mean (Use a dictionary.) and make certain that the meaning aligns with what you are trying to say. Writing is communication; we need to communicate as accurately as possible.

2. Focus on describing moments with feeling and insight, and not on scenery. Your writing must tell more than what the reader could see on the front of a postcard.

3. View the moment through a microscope, not a telescope. You may not want to tell the reader everything you know, so focus in tightly on the most significant details.

4. It is not just about the story you tell, but it is also about how you tell that story. The skillful use of alliteration, allusion, metaphor, and other literary devises separates the good writing from the great.

5. Think about your reader, and write to them, being aware of how they will react to your words.

6. The best writing is unlike anything anyone has ever read, so when you write something especially clever, unique, or “arty,” double check it to make sure it makes sense.

7. Listen to podcasts about grammar, and read books and blogs about it. I recommend the podcasts Grammar Grater and Grammar Girl, the books Writing With Style by Trimble and The Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker. If you are revising your work and something strikes you as strange, look it up. It will add to your overall knowledge of grammar, usage, and the written word.

8. Reading is the single best way to add to your vocabulary and your knowledge of language and writing.

9. Write with the proper Tone. Tone is the quality in your writing that reveals your attitude toward your topic and the reader. Tone comes from your choice of words, the structure of your sentences, and the order of the information you present. Using incorrect tone can influence the reader incorrectly.

10. Write in the active voice. Active voice makes your writing clearer and more direct. It makes the “doer” in the sentence clear. When you write in the active voice your tone will not sound bureaucratic the way passive voice does.
.....Example:
..........Active voice: I will deliver the cake as soon as you call.
..........Passive voice: The cake will be delivered as soon as you call.

Skeletons in the Closet

2011-01-09T14:26:00.000-08:00

“Writing a life story means dealing with the discomfort that past episodes and people may bring. Because the task requires us to face our own embarrassment and even the censure of our family, we need to thoughtfully and critically analyze the bones of the past.”1

No family is squeaky clean. Everyone has skeletons in their family’s closet, and what to do with them is your choice. You can choose to leave them hidden or expose them. Your approach in exposing them can range from a delicate mention to a full explanation of the circumstances. It seems the best approach to be to "tell, don't dwell." That is, do not whitewash your family history by excluding the story, but do not embellish it or make it the focus of your writing.2 Forward-looking Elizabeth Shown Mills, a noted genealogy author, states: “Let's don't bury truths our offspring may need for reasons we cannot anticipate.”

We must remember that what is scandalous in some societies is quite acceptable in others; what was unacceptable in earlier times is now less important. It was once a mar on the family that someone had a child out of wedlock, was sent to a mental hospital, had a birth defect, or was hung as a horse thief. Time and a change in society’s attitudes have erased that blemish on the family tree. However, there may be a living relative who has not conformed to society’s norms and is an embarrassment to the family. Those relatives are few compared to the whole, but it is still important to tell their story. Not everyone is all bad and each of us has difficulties getting through what life presents us at times.

Skeleton Pride

More and more people are sharing their wayward kin with the world. Australians are proud of their convicted ancestors; many genealogists hope to find some interesting family member embroiled in a scandal. We wear a badge of pride to know our ancestors had a colorful past. There are many websites dedicated to helping researchers discover more about their errant relatives and to boast of the family indignities. Below is a few:

International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists -- A site and mailing list for those who have an "infamous individual of public knowledge and ill-repute in their family."

Notable Woman Ancestors' notorious women

A Sampling of Prison Sites

Cyndi's List of prisons, prisoners and outlaws

Illinois Department of Corrections allows you to search for inmates, including those who have died or been discharged. Gives name, birth date, offense and physical description

Colorado State Penitentiary Archives

Proceedings of the Old Bailey (London's Central Criminal Court) 1674 to 1913

Old vs. New Skeletons

Writing about a family skeleton of long ago can be much different than letting one out of the closet who is living or whose victims are still living. Also, the degree of misbehavior suggests latitude in divulging the circumstances, and how you handle these situations may be very different.

Impact on Family

You must consider the impact upon the living family members. If there are relatives who may be upset with the details of the scandal, approach them with bits of information and gradually see if they are open to accepting public acknowledgment of the situation. Carefully write the facts so not to embellish nor to lie. If family members would be hurt by sharing the story with the entire family, then write the story as you desire and either share it only with those who are comfortable or wait until which time the family members who would be hurt are no longer living or have accepted the situation. Perhaps you may wish to chose to write the full truth and preserve it for future generations, regardless. If your writing will be published for others besides your family, then you need public documents to support your story.

Point of View and Tone

Consider your point of view and tone when you write about delicate situations. If you take the time to learn about the social history of your ancestor’s time and location, you can better understand why the event was or was not acceptable in that society. For example, if your family owned slaves in the early 1800s you may be hesitant to write about it as today slavery is so very sensitive a topic. Those were different times in the South then. You should not justify the behavior, but give the background of the culture that allowed this to occur. Writing with factual information, an understanding of the time without judgment leaves the reader ready to accept the history of the family, without condoning it. Remembering to write about the circumstances that lead to the unacceptable behavior shows that our ancestors or living relatives may have been doing their best with what they had. Writing with the attitude that we all try to do our best although we do not always making the best choices in a situation is a fairer approach.

Do not write to attack others or to defend yourself. Write to tell the story couched in the circumstance of the time and culture. When writing about difficult situations, stick to facts and events, refraining from judging your relatives. Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes, tells of the horrors of alcoholism and poverty in his family, yet he never makes a judgmental comment, but based his story on events written with love and humor.

One of the most difficult skeletons may be that of abuse: physical, mental and sexual. These topics are unacceptable, but common, in our current society. Instead of making these negative stories the focus of the family history, you can develop the roles of a husband, father, and how it took a strong woman to remain with an abuser or to get out of the situation and seek help for her children. You could look into the troubled childhood of the abuser or the financial circumstances which help create a short fuse that flared and singed the family. There were good times with the bad, no doubt and all should be shared.

Using Themes

You could develop your stories into certain themes: racism, interracial marriages, spousal and child abuse, effects on the family during Depression. You could also develop the story by explaining how writing this family history allowed you to see that this person wants to love, except he/she is too afraid to expose true feelings.

Lessons from the Closet to Brought to Light in Love and Forgiveness

When you go beyond reporting events you invite the reader to learn from the experiences. Lessons from the past can be used to deal with current problems. Family histories can “elevate the pain of the past with forgiveness, arrive (sic) at a larger truth about families in various stages of brokenness. There’s no self-pity, no whining, no hunger for revenge.” Write about troubled family members or ancestry with love and positive purpose. Do not write a history only to have your readers say, “Oh, that was terrible!” Invite your readers to experience the raw, human emotions and acquaint themselves with their ancestors.

Remember, you do not have to tell the whole story. Simply choose the degree of exposure that best suits your purpose. Keep a neutral point of view that allows your audience to make their own conclusions. Develop the negative situation into an enlightening, reasonable setting. Remember, you should not write the ‘perfect family’ history, but instead, a history that is perfect for your family.3

Questions to assist in writing about a family skeleton4

1. Does the episode fit within my life story's boundaries?
Living doesn't occur in a vacuum. However, if everything is interrelated, what is relevant, what should be included and what should be excluded?

Ask if the episode furthers your purpose for writing the story. Discovery lies at the heart of a life story. Focus on describing the past, instead of manipulating it to create an acceptable picture.

Ask if the episode explains a family dynamic or merely gossips. Because memoirs can further understanding of the present, an event that gives insight is of greater importance than if it solely titillates.

Develop criteria for what to include or exclude. Include episodes that expand current knowledge, reinforce existing information or add new evidence about the family. Include information that refutes commonly held belief, but omit what repeats the already-known.

2. Does the episode fit the thematic statement of my life story?
By focusing on causes, solutions or consequences, a thematic statement helps in dealing with a family skeleton. Issues and concerns that result from differing opinions about values, such as Cousin Susie's alternative lifestyle or Uncle Charlie's marrying "that woman" can be analyzed in terms of such a statement.

Look for recurring patterns to confirm that the episode fits the story's focus. Weigh the story's credibility. Consider the event's uniqueness and if it will add interesting detail. Decide if the story's inclusion shines light on other unexplored recesses of the closet. Ask yourself if the timing is good to include the story.

3. What's my strategy for uncovering additional information?
Hours of deciphering primary documents, travel to distant relatives or pressing reluctant sources for more information may become necessary once the closet door is opened. Try adding information bit by bit. Inch into the unknown, looking for confirming patterns.

Use a bridging technique to fill in blanks from uncooperative sources. Starting with reliable sources, build sets of known information and then span the space between. A reluctant individual may even help you build the bridge between the knowns, for cross-referencing can draw information from even the most uncooperative sources.

Decide when to stop. If a pattern has emerged, if all sources have been exhausted or if the information becomes repetitious, you may want to stop. You may decide that one more source is not worth the bad feelings that could result from pressing too hard.

4. Can I corroborate the authenticity of my story?
Proving a story true is not the issue. How you convince your reader of the authenticity of your interpretation is also important.

Utilize triangulation. Researchers use this method to test one source against another until satisfied of the interpretation's validity. You can do the same when writing about the family skeleton because more mention of it increases the chances of its truth. Weigh new information against established knowns. If a person raises concerns, get input from him or her by asking, "This is what I have found so far, what do you think?"

Use multiple sources of information, such as oral histories, contemporary interviews, documents, newspapers, books and diaries, to double-check what you have learned.

If you can't confirm every detail, remember research theorist Egon Guba's words, "Tolerance of ambiguity is a virtue."

5. Who is my audience for this memoir, and when will they read it?
Publishing a memoir means a different reading audience than if you write for yourself or your immediate family.

Consider not releasing the story. Instead, donate it to an archives, stipulating that it be sealed until the story's subjects die. Ask if the episode will make the individuals in your life story more real for future readers.

Remember that you are writing the story for the future. Life stories enlarge our families to include past and future, filling voids that have appeared with the weakening of the extended family. Family stories give us role models or generational perspectives for handling crises.

6. Have I maintained objectivity in the way I'm sharing the information?
Although bias is part of life, unconscious bias, conscious prejudice, or downright gullibility may threaten your objectivity about the family skeleton.
Remain open to other perspectives that aren't the same as yours, remembering Guba's words, "Having an open mind is not equivalent to having an empty one."

Strive for fairness in telling a story, asking yourself, "Is it free from distortion and bias?"

Ask if including the story is humane and handled with respect. Does it reflect respect for the person in the story?

7. Have I maintained a view of the whole picture, not just one side?
A holistic approach to writing a life story puts skeletons in a context, for who is to say what is right and what is wrong? Beware of using the word "should" either implicitly or explicitly. Avoid dwelling on the problem, emphasizing instead solutions. Let the reader know that you are writing your perspective. Episodes that may raise concerns can be introduced with, "From my perspective ."

Remind the reader that the episode is drawn from family oral tradition if that is the case. However, avoid allowing the multiple viewpoints to fragment the story.

Because each situation is unique, there is no formula for safely handling family skeletons. Opening the door for your skeleton is a learning experience whether or not the episode is written into your life story. And you may find that what felt like a warning was really a bony finger tapping out a message that the key to a well-written life story lies in focusing on how the world is experienced.

“The key for writing about our family’s skeletons is remembering that no matter what lies in the past, it does not affect who you are. You are the result of all the decisions your family has made in the past. You should respect your history, but not let it interfere with your future. Your family may have many skeletons. It is just important to keep an open mind and be ready for anything.”5

George Bernard Shaw once said: “If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.”

Sources: (Sadly, some of these pages are no longer available on the internet)
1. http://www.writersdigest.com/article/7_Tips_for_Telling_Your_Life_Story/
2. http://www.byub.org/ancestors/records/familyhistory/intro2.html
3. http://www.geocities.com/shhardatabase/writing_an_honest_family_history
4. http://www.writersdigest.com/article/7_Tips_for_Telling_Your_Life_Story/
5. http://www.reports24.com/genealogy/possible-family-skeletons-could-be-hanging-in-your-family-tree/

Emily
Jan 2011

Memoirs - Popular Book Genre

2010-08-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

For the last few years memoir writing has been a popular genre among publishers and the public. With my interest in getting everyone to write their childhood memories and family stories, I began collecting books of people I have met who have written about their life. I am now reaching the point where I have not met everyone, but I do try to get their autographs. I have never been interested in autographs, but I think doing so for this genre emphasizes the human connection to the stories.

Several books in my collection are listed at the bottom right of this website. I urge you to read them. The variety is amazing, and to know that these are real people who have lived through some unique times makes personal history so much more important than what is given to us in history books. You may not feel that your life is as unique as these, but to your descendants it is just as important. Many of us do not realize that we are living history daily and that our individual lives actually create our collective history.

The following is a short review of each book listed and my connection to the authors.

Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia by Mary Pacios, Author House, 2007
Mary Pacios was a childhood acquaintance of Bette Short, dubbed the Black Dahlia. After years of anguish over how Bette has been treated in the media, Mary wrote her own book, disproving all the suspects in this brutal murder, and reaching a surprising conclusion about who may have been the killer. Mary explained that once she stumbled upon the possibility of Bette’s real murderer, she tried to disprove the possibility, but too many facts pointed in the direction of this famous Hollywood star. Mary has twenty-five pages of resources to support her work. Do check that you read the most current edition.
Mary, an artist by profession, has been in my writing class for a few years and has nearly completed her second book. This one is about her life stories with the underlying theme of the struggles of women since the 1940s.

Code Name: Copperhead: My True-Life Exploits as a Special Forces Soldier by Sergeant Major Joe R. Garner, US Army (Ret.), Simon & Schuster, NY, 1994
Sergeant Major Joe R. Garner served in the Vietnam War with twenty-one of his twenty-seven years in the Special Forces. His book was so well documented that Simon and Schuster made no disclaimer regarding the content, unlike many Vietnam era books. His story tells about his exploits during a time when our country was in conflict over the war; during a time when we were told we were not in Cambodia, but Joe was there. These memories are written honestly by an athlete who left high school to help support his family; by a courageous soldier who was the first man to jump with an A-bomb on his back; by a brave combatant who saw his best missions as saving the lives of other soldiers.
Joe is the husband of my cousin Kathy who used her Singer Sewing Machine to remake parachutes for Joe and his team as the Army wanted to perfect their use for combat. I have had the pleasure of hearing many stories of events happening after the war which are related to POWs, MIAs, and mercenaries. Most of these are not in the book and do not shed a positive light on our government. Joe is from the hills of Tennessee and continues living in the wooded area of the Ozarks which he much prefers over city life.

Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot by Bruce and Andrea Leininger, Grand Central Publishing, New York, 2009
Some children have imaginary playmates, see what others call ghosts, or just make strange statements which adults dismiss as nothing. Given the religious norms of most people in the US, the majority of the population does not believe in reincarnation or ghosts. We have fewer reported incidents of such events when compared to other countries, but this story is considered the best case of a child’s past life memory in America. At age two James began to form sentences and revealed facts about World War II airplanes that baffled his parents. His father, a non-believer in past lives tried to disprove his son’s story. In the end, James was able to talk with the sister of the dead WWII pilot who died in a fiery crash. James was able to tell the sister information that only her brother would have known.
This family lives in a small town in Louisiana near the sister of my good friend. When my friend’s sister celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, this book, signed by the authors and son James, was distributed to the guests.

Run Jane Run: A True Story of Murder and Courage by Jane Wells, New Horizon Press, Far Hills, NJ, 1996
A Kentucky law forbade a wife from divorcing her husband if she was pregnant, so Jane endured abuse and physical beatings until her child arrived. She entered a woman’s shelter and divorced. Along the way, the legal system blocked her way and defended her husband. Her abusive second husband murdered her first husband in front of two of her children when he returned to help Jane. She is currently living in a different state with her children as the ex-husband is not in jail, but married again. Jane has completed a degree in criminal justice, political science and women’s studies. She currently works with battered women, and has appeared on Oprah.
I will only state that I know Jane’s youngest child well, and have had several conversations with her as their location must remain anonymous.

Son of Scarface: A Memoir by the Grandson of Al Capone by Chris W. Knight, New Era Publishing, LCC, New York, 2007
Chris discovered when his father died during his teen years that he was the grandson of Al Capone. Chris retrieved his father’s address book his mother was discarding. This book provided clues to his father’s identity, and lead Chris on a research investigation leading him to conclude that his father was really Sonny Capone. His story focuses on a mentally disturbed mother and times of joy when his father was home. It is amazing how much Chris looks like Al Capone.
Chris is a member of my Campania, Italy DNA Project. He tested and is hoping to have other members of the Capone family test. He was just another tester until I mentioned my interest in people writing their memories. He then told me about his book and sent me a copy. I hope to meet him some day.

Somehow, We'll Survive: Life in Japan During WWII Through the Eyes of young Caucasian Boy by George Sidline, Vera Vista Publishing, 2007
The Sidline family left Eastern Europe and lived in Japan where George was born. The book focuses on George’s life in Japan during World War II where the family dodged American bombs, avoided Germans who also lived in Japan, made friends with the American POWs in the house next door, dealt with food shortages, and attended English-language schools. How the Sidline and other Jewish families were treated by the Japanese was remarkable. His experiences and perspective of the war make a unique story.
George lives locally and spoke to my writing class about his life. The presentation was also attended by members of the Jewish and Japanese community as well as a local ethnic newspaper.

Often there is little we can control in our lives, but we do know that the events of our lives either strengthen us or break us. All of these authors have found success regardless of their past. They do not tell their stories for pity, but to record their lives so it may help others understand that good can come from evil, that understanding and supporting each other makes us stronger as a people. Only through telling the stories can the events live as testimony of a time that has been or needs to be altered ... of a time where understanding and acceptance is required ... of a time that will help all of us open our eyes and hearts to what is and what can be.

Our stories have unspeakable value. We cannot judge that value; only time and the future generations can.

Enjoy,
Emily
©Aulicino, Aug 2010

Who’s Who in the Family

2010-08-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Many of your personal stories contain family members which are mentioned from time to time. Some have their individual stories while others may play minor rolls for now. You may have referenced a particular grandmother or favorite uncle often. Have you clearly stated which grandmother or uncle? Do you find yourself repeating the connection in other stories? Are there relatives you have not mentioned?

This may be the perfect time to create a family directory to clarify who’s who and to ensure everyone has at least some small part in your memoirs.

This directory can include each member of your immediate family as well as your aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. You may choose to go back as far as you can with family members, even if you do not write stories about every individual.

Write a short paragraph for each person, recording their occupation, interests, and hobbies. Include their relationship to you and to other family members (i.e., the wife or husband of…). Give any dates of birth, death, burial, and marriage as well as the location of each where possible. In what town or part of a town did they resided or, if living, where?

You may wish to add something personal regarding your relationship with each person. This could be how close you were, what you remember most, what traditional activity you did with them.

No doubt this can be a writing that is continuous as you may wish to add more ancestors or to include new family members added through birth or marriage.

Consider placing this directory in the back of your compiled stories or as an appendix.

Enjoy,
Emily
“Memoing” My Memories
Topic 301: Who’s Who in the Family
©Aulicino, 21 Jun 2010

Legacy of the Sandwich Man

2010-01-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years, I have given my writing students a topic that asked who has changed their lives and whose lives they have changed in some way. It is often a subject that we think requires some great act or one that results in some momentous change. This is seldom the case.

My local newspaper had such a story which needs to be shared. Although I wrote the topic prior to this, the story illustrates what I had in mind.

The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon), November 22, 2009, Section O, page 2. “The legacy of the sandwich man” by Margie Boule.

I paraphrase this powerful piece without violating the privacy of the family involved.

A middle-aged man (I’ll call him Sam.) died suddenly, and the family published his obituary. Another man happened to see the photo and recognized the deceased. He visited the chapel where the viewing was held, but entered when the family had left. As this man appeared to be homeless, the lady (I’ll call her Ellen.) overseeing the visitation followed the man into the chapel fearing he would steal something. When Ellen asked if she could help the man, the homeless gentleman turned, and she could see tears in his eyes as he asked if this was truly the sandwich man.

The homeless man told Ellen of standing outside a building Sam passed daily. Although the man asked for money, at some point Sam decided to offer him a sandwich instead. A few times a week Sam would walk by, handing the homeless man the sandwich and never preaching to him about his situation. The man told Ellen that he shared the sandwich with others.

The funeral was held and hundreds of people attended, giving testimony of Sam’s other good deeds of helping the elderly, loaning money, supporting co-workers, etc. His family had no idea these acts of kindness had occurred.

The homeless many did not attend the funeral, but his story haunted Ellen and the stories of Sam’s kindness at the funeral made her wish she had known him. A week later, Ellen bought an extra sandwich and headed to the building where the homeless man was stationed. She handed him the sandwich; he smiled and said thank you. She continued this kindness until her company moved her to another suburb.

She started telling Sam’s story to her family and friends. She urged them to pass out sandwiches and many do. One of her friends has a bag of socks in her car and gives them out. Ellen has given her umbrella to a mother and child walking in the rain. She has purchased extra fast food to share with those more in need.

Ellen stated that Sam has changed her, and she now looks for ways to help others. The legacy of the Sandwich Man lives on in Ellen and her friends.

In this New Year, you can be the Sandwich Man. I challenge you to do acts of kindness every day and not to judge those people in need. Do not just say thank you or open a door; stretch yourself to do better than that. Make a list of what you can do; add to the list often; check off what you are doing. As you practice more random acts of kindness, more ideas will come to mind for your list.

To start your ideas, try these:

1. Carry protein bars in your car or your purse and hand them out to people on the road or sidewalk who need help.

2. Most cities have a location where you can purchase food certificates for the homeless. Buy those and pass those out. Be sure that you are in the area where the restaurant is as most homeless have difficulty getting around.

3. For the holidays and winter, purchase hats, scarves, gloves, and coats of all sizes for children. These can be dropped off at various shelters or schools.

4. In August gather school supplies you find on sale at various stories. Donate them to your local school. They will use them for those who cannot afford the items.

5. Take your old clothing to a Women’s shelter for the women and their children.

6. Take your used blankets and pillows to shelters.

7. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.

8. Help an elderly neighbor with cooking, cleaning, or doing errands.

9. Take food regularly to your local food bank.

10. If you are behind a person in the grocery line who is carefully counting their pennies or returning an item, let them know it is their lucky day and you are giving your change to help or buying the item for them.

11. Greet everyone on the street even if they do not return the gesture. Be sincere and ask how they are or wish them a good day. SMILE

12. Carry items in your car that you no longer really need. Everyone has more coats or gloves than we really need. Did you make cookies…hand out bags of them. Share what you have; hand them out to those who need them. You are better off than half of the population!

So how does this fit writing your childhood memories and family stories?

Think back on who gave you a little boost when you may have needed it. Maybe it was only verbal encouragement or they let you off the hook in a situation. Write about the people who changed your life, even in small ways. Write about how you have helped others in the past and now that you will continue the legacy of the Sandwich Man.

BUT more importantly, for this New Year…

As we age we either get sweeter or become grouchier. Which way are you leaning?

Vow to make the future better for everyone. Give of yourself so that you can receive; help those less off than you; practice random acts of kindness. In doing all this your days will be happy. You never know how much you touch another person and what a difference you make in their lives. Live as if there is nothing more important….because there isn’t!

May the New Year bring kindness and generosity to every heart. May it start with each of us!

Enjoy,
Emily
1 Jan 2010

Children Find Meaning in Old Family Tales

2009-03-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Many of you may know that I administrate a writing group on Yahoo. Recently, one of its members sent me an article from the Wall Street Journal (March 11, 2009, page D1) entitled: Life Stories: Children Find Meaning in Old Family Tales by Sue Shellenbarger.

As this article clearly supports my opinion on the value of sharing family stories, with permission from the author, it is reprinted here.

MARCH 11, 2009, 3:36 A.M. ET
Life Stories: Children Find Meaning in Old Family Tales
By Sue Shellenbarger

When C. Stephen Guyer's three children were growing up, he told them stories about how his grandfather, a banker, lost all in the 1930s, but didn't lose sight of what he valued most. In one of the darkest times, Mr. Guyer says, when his grandfather was nearly broke, he loaded his family into the car and took them to see family members in Canada. The message: "There are more important things in life than money," says Mr. Guyer, of Littleton, Colo.

The tale took on new relevance recently, when Mr. Guyer downsized to a small house from a more luxurious one. He was worried that his children, a daughter, 15, and twins, 22, would be upset. To his surprise, they weren't. Instead, their reaction echoed their great-grandfather's. "What they care about," Mr. Guyer says his children told him, "is how warm are the people in the house, how much of their heart is accessible."

As parents cut budgets, many are finding family stories have surprising power to help children through hard times. Storytelling experts say the phenomenon reflects a growing national interest in telling tales, evidenced by a rise in storytelling events and festivals. New research bears out the value of family stories, linking teens' knowledge of them to better behavior and mental health.

An Emory University study of 65 families with children ages 14 to 16 found kids' ability to retell parents' stories was linked to a lower rate of depression and anxiety and less acting-out of frustration or anger, says Robyn Fivush, a psychology professor. Knowing family stories "helps children put their own experience in perspective," Dr. Fivush says.

The trick is telling the stories in a way children can hear. We're not talking here about the kind of story that begins, "When I was a kid, I walked to school every day uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow." Instead, choose a story suited to your child's needs, and make eye contact to create "a personal experience," says Sherry Norfolk, chairman of the National Storytelling Network, a Jonesborough, Tenn., nonprofit. "You don't have to tell children what they should take from the story," she says. "They can intuitively understand what the moral is."

When Carla Freeman's daughter became anxious a few years ago about having to change schools, the Atlanta mother related her own childhood stories of switching to another school in her community. Her old friends dropped her and, at her new school, "I was kind of an oddball" at first, she told her daughter. But Ms. Freeman bounced back and made new friends. She credits the stories with helping her daughter, now 12, develop resiliency and the ability to "hold herself together" against challenges.

A touch of humor helps. At Scott Prengle's Dallas home, his son Bobby, 17, has heard tales about his grandfather growing up in times so hard that his hungry schoolmates would devour apple cores left over from his lunch. As Bobby tapped a nearly empty salad-dressing bottle over his salad at dinner one evening, Scott laughed and invited him to do as his grandfather did: Put water in the bottle and shake it up, to use every last drop. Scott says his father's frugal habits "drove us crazy, but the idea was that nothing went to waste."

While Bobby declined to water down his dressing, he says of his grandfather that "I follow in his footsteps" in other ways, saving paper clips and rubber bands. And when Scott recently trimmed the family budget, he thought he saw an echo of his late father in Bobby, in the way he calmly accepted the loss of his oft-used gym membership.

Even when you think your children aren't listening to your stories, Dr. Fivush says, they probably are. Thomas Pontes thought his children, 12, 14 and 16, shrugged off tales of his grandfather, an immigrant farmhand who worked his way up from living in a barn to owning a home. To Mr. Pontes, of Providence, R.I., the story shows "the kind of optimism you need to pick yourself up from a field somewhere tending cattle" to cross the Atlantic, fueled solely by hope.

But when I asked his daughter Katie, 16, about the stories, she not only remembered them, but said they've "helped me become more appreciative of my life and how easy things are for me." Even if kids don't seem to appreciate family stories, she says, in time they'll "realize just how important they are."

Ms. Shellenbarger, resident of Portland Oregon area, is the creator and writer of The Wall Street Journal’s “Work & Family” column for which she has received several awards. (See: http://familiesandwork.org/site/events/wlla/site/honorees/2005bios/shellenbarger.html)

Thank you Ms. Shellenbarger.

Emily Aulicino
Portland, Oregon
©29 March 2009

Making History by Kim Pearson

2009-03-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Making History: How to remember, record, interpret, and share the events of your life by Kim Pearson, Primary Sources Books, an imprint of Wyatt-MacKenzie, Issaquah, WA (www.primary-sources.com). ISBN: 978-1-032279-75-7. Copyright 2007. $24.95.

I do not usually review books, but when Kim sent me a copy, when several from my writing classes were interested in it, and as her idea of writing is similar to mine, I decided to mention it in my blog.

Many books have been written on the topic of writing one’s memoir. Formerly, there were the books for grandparents which asked basic questions about their lives, then came the books with the one-line topics. The latest generation of memoir writing books encompasses the reasons for writing, various topics, and suggested leads for those topics. Ms. Pearson’s book falls within the latter.

The book begins with excerpts from her writing class and from her own experiences. Although the book may start out a bit slow for some of us who have been involved in teaching such classes, there are many interesting stories which could give the reader ideas and activate the reader’s memories.

Making History is divided into sections: Why Tell Your Stories?, How to Tell Your Stories, and How Your Stories Fit into History with several chapters for each. She explains why she wrote the book and offers her sources (mostly Web sources) and some suggested reading.

Most of us understand that writing is therapeutic, although many genealogists wish to embellish their research by going beyond the dates and places of their ancestors. Many of us write to record those family stories and childhood memories for the future generations. Ms. Pearson gives ideas on how to deal with too much information as all of us have too little time to write all we really know about our lives and those of our ancestors.

From that point, Ms. Pearson divides her book into various sections (Economics & Politics, The Social Fabric, Wars & the International Scene, Technology & Science, Crime & Disaster, Arts & Entertainment, Lifestyle Activities, and The Weird, Trivial & Hard-to-Classify) and offers a detailed timeline for each period. Timelines start in 1930 and most end in 1989 with a few ending earlier. However, the best part of her book ends each of those chapters with ideas on which people can write. Usually there are about a dozen paragraphs for each chapter like the following.

“Scan the events timelines. What sparks a memory? Is there an event listed that makes you think, ‘oh yea, I remember that’? If so, write about this event. How did you learn about it? Di you talk about it? With whom? Were you inspired to do something because of this event? Did this event change your life in any way? Change your thinking?” (p. 119)

All though the timelines are extensive, they are not, of course, all encompassing. Many of these events were probably overlooked in most of our lives, but one never knows what statement will trigger a memory. You can supplement these timelines by using the Internet, if needed.

I suggest using this book as a workbook; that is, one needs to mark it up, underlining and starring important topics and ideas as the book is read. Use post-it notes so you can return to relevant topics and suggestions.

I am pleased to see this quality of book for writing one’s memories, especially as I have used similar techniques in teaching students and know them to work. I have applied the same method of including detailed prompts in my own publication (See the icon on this blog at the right.) and would encourage any of you not to purchase any book on writing prompts unless there is more detail for each topic than just a line or two.

Emily Aulicino
© Mar 2009

Memories from a Photo

2009-02-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

“Memoing” My Memories Topic 21:

Memories from a Photo

If you have not worked on your Timeline lately or cannot recall what else to add, try going through your old photos and jotting down events that happened around them. Hopefully, you have already written the names, locations, and dates on EVERY one of them! Your descendants would greatly appreciate that. If you are like me, you may do it in spurts! It took two broken ankles to get many of them done! I am not hoping to finish the job in the same way, however!

Often looking at the old photos, sharing them with your family, children or grandchildren, you start to recall why that photo was taken, the details of that trip, the wonderful times with those friends….

Choose a photo from your life or one of a family member and write about the circumstances around that photo; your thoughts and memories at that time. Take the time to reflect on how life was then, and possibly how it has changed. What were the people in the photo like; what are your fondest memories of them…?

Remember to include your photo with your computer or paper files.

Reminder: What other photos could you use to help add to your Timeline or stories?

Suggestion: This and the previous ideas are from my booklet "Memoing" My Memories which contains 130 similar prompts on a huge variety of subjects. This booklet is worth the value as it contains many ideas within each prompt. The sprial bound booklet is available by emailing me at: aulicino@hevanet.com

Kreative Blogger Award

2009-02-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

Earline Hines Bradt at AncestralNotes has presented me with this award.

What a wonderful surprise. I'm very surprised and deeply humbled.

Thank you Earline!

Here are the instructions:
1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.
4. Link to those sites on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

Although this was difficult to decide, my list of nominees are:
1. The Photo Detective
2. Dear Myrtle
3. The Geneaholic
4. The Chart Chick
5. Forensic Genealogy Blog
7. The Practical Archivist
6. The Genetic Genealogist

The Neighborhood

2009-02-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Below is another excerpt from my booklet. As you can see, those I am posting here are not in order listed in the booklet, but are some random topics to give you the range of ideas and approaches to writing your childhood memories and family stories. This particular topic developed from a teaching strategy and was written in 2003. It is a wonderful subject for many, many stories, and some of my writing students have used it as an underlying theme for their entire memoirs. Even if you lived in several neighborhoods, this can section your life in to various units and allow you to write many memories within the time span, giving the reader an entire picture of your life.

"Memoing" My Memories Topic 8:

The Neighborhood

As we have discussed your childhood home/homes in Topic 4, let us focus on the neighborhood in general and the activities and the events surrounding it. No doubt this could result in countless stories, so we’ll start with a great brainstorming technique to give you the bases for future writings, as well.

If you lived in more than one home, pick one for now, but try this with all of them, if you can. A neighborhood could just be the block on which you lived or the few houses surrounding your rural home.

First, think back to what your neighborhood was like. Was it rural, urban, or suburban? Did you live in a large or small town, in the middle of the city or on the perimeter?

Who were the neighbors? Can you remember their names? Which houses were theirs?

Was there a unique member of your neighborhood...a kind person who asked you to do errands and tipped you enough for a candy bar or ice cream...a grouchy person whose yard often harbored your baseball or balsa wood airplane...the person whom no one knew well…? Was there a bully on the block? (Even if it was YOU!)

What games did you play in the street or yards with neighbor kids? What games differed from the summer through the winter? Where did you play—a vacant lot, the end of the street, a particular yard? Did everyone get along?

After thinking about these things, draw a map of your childhood street. Add some features unique to each house and the names of the people in the houses. Now choose an event centered on this area and write. Be certain to jot down other ideas on which to write later. There is no doubt many great stories to tell….

©Aulicino, Sept 2003

Writing Your First Memory

2009-02-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Up to now, I have covered various elements of the writing process and will continue do so, but mixed with topics which may be of interest to those who are writing their childhood memories and family stories. The topics either appear in my current booklet or will appear in my second volume. They will be selected at random and will not be in any chonrological order. Most people accomplish more by writing what motivates them at the time rather than starting at the beginning of their lives and continuing to the present.

These topics are based on the idea that you are keeping a Timeline of your life and make reference to it periodically. There will be other reminders, as well.

I will not be posting a vast amount of my booklet, but only samples. Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing my booklet, please email me at: aulicino@hevanet.com

“Memoing” My Memories Topic 1:

Writing Your First Memory

A bit of a double entendre here! Yes, this is your first writing piece and it will (for now) be your very first memory. Who knows how much more you will recall as we push forward!

Think back to your earliest days. You must honestly choose your earliest memory. YOUR memory…not an event your parents described to you or you recall from an old photo...unless you REALLY REMEMBER being there. In your mind, you have to seek the memory of actually being present. This may only be a fleeting memory…not long, but you can write about the circumstances around it.

Don't be alarmed that your first conscious memory may be later than others. I know some VERY intelligent people whose memories go back to age five or six only. There are a few who can remember back to age three, but, seemingly, not the majority.

You will get a chance to write about earlier events that your parents, friends or relatives have helped you remember all these years, but for now...the oldest memory YOU can recall.

Return to your Timeline and write this memory in the appropriate year. You may have to base the year on the location, who was present with you, what you wore, the season, the approximate age of the people around you, etc. Get as detailed as you can, but if you haven't the time, make notes in your file first...add as you recall the incident.

©aulicino, 6 Feb 2009

Take Time to Read Your Story Aloud

2009-02-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Edit Is a Four Letter Word, con't

The letter T is for:

Take time to read your story aloud

Reading your story aloud helps your writing flow with ease. When we write the words come silently from our brain. Often what we think we are writing and the clarity of it is not what our hand is doing. Our thoughts mask our actions. When we reread a story we have writing soon after it was composed, we often read what we intended to write. To us it may sound smooth, sensible, and clear. This is not always the case, and for this reason, we must read aloud and have others read our work aloud.

It is important to wait a few days or so after you have written your story to read it aloud, however. Waiting will help you find where your writing lacks smoothness and clarity. The same is true if you read it aloud at the various stages of editing. Your voice overrides what your brain intended to write, allowing you to read exactly what you did write.

Have others read your story as well. If you or another person stumbles in the reading, examine the sentence for clarity and flow.

Once you have decided that you are done, put the story aside for a few more days. Then return to it to see if it sounds as good as you had previously thought. Your readers and those great-great-grandchildren will appreciate your clarity.

Summary:
There you have it: EDIT is a four letter word…one we can learn to love.

Educate yourself on grammar and punctuation rules.
Draft as many versions as needed for clarity.
Incorporate word and sentence variety.
Take time to read your story aloud.

Mary P., a student in my writing class once stated: We write for ourselves; we edit for others. This is so very true, and, as the purpose of writing is for others to read it, we must sharpen our editing skills.

Once you use these techniques I’ve outlined from Theodore Cheney’s book Getting the Words Right and those I have developed through my teaching, you will greatly improve not only your editing skills, but your writing, as well. When you edit with such focus that these methods require, you will begin to see your own personal writing style. A writing style evolves. Removing the excess and striving for clarity in your work, will allow you to recognize your style.

Writing Style will be a future topic.

Remember: Although editing is a difficult and lengthy task, you will develop skills that will improve your writing in the initial stages so editing will become easier. There is much detail here, so take one step at a time. Your readers will love you for the improvements, and you will be proud of your work.

©Aulicino 5 Dec 2008

Incorporate Word and Sentence Variety

2009-01-23T12:28:00.001-08:00

Edit Is a Four Letter Word, con't

The letter I is for:

Incorporate word and sentence variety

“Variety is the spice of life” someone once said. Redundancy is quite the opposite, and if our lives held nothing new and exciting, they would be very boring. This is so very true of writing. We must strive for variety and not accept redundancy. Shake up your writing! Bring it to life with spice!

Word Variety:

To incorporate word variety, we must understand redundancy. Redundancy includes repetitiveness as well as excess, but it is useful for emphasis, for remembering something difficult, and for establishing a mood. Often we use more words than needed to express an idea, or we repeat ourselves unintentionally. Redundancy in oral presentations and in writing, unless needed for emphasis, is not a positive trait for an author. Using redundant phrases and words shows thinking errors, and does not ease the flow of your writing.

There are several types of redundancy, and the following situations often harbor unnecessary words that can be easily corrected.

1. Repetition of
....a. Pronouns (I, he, they, etc.)
....b. Boring verbs (is, was, had, got, etc.)
....c. Adjectives and qualifiers (really, so, a lot, fantastic, very, etc.)

2. Two words which indicate the same meaning (Tautology)*

3. More words than are needed (Pleonasm)

4. Phrases when a word would convey the same meaning

*The terminology is unimportant, but expanding your vocabulary is always important.

1. Repetition of Pronouns, boring verbs, and adjectives and qualifiers

We use the same vocabulary constantly. Often we write as we speak. It is much easier to say he did this or that; we went here or there. We are concentrating on getting ideas across to someone, but are not concerned with how we state those thoughts. We have all been taught not to say I over and over, so we do try to avoid that, but what about the other common pronouns? We don’t realize how often we use the same simple verbs or constantly say a lot, awesome, fantastic, etc. Do you every use a thesaurus?

....a. Pronouns
The easiest way to recognize our redundant vocabulary use is to circle all the pronouns in your story, and omit what you can by using names or reworking your sentences.

Original:
After Rob left the house, he stopped by Rachel’s to pick her up for the show before she left on her own.

Revised:
Rob left the house in time to grab Rachel so they could ride together to the show.

Four pronouns were narrowed to one.

....b. Boring Verbs
(See the previous post: Edit by Rewording)

Word variety includes using exciting verbs rather than boring ones. Check your sentences for overused verbs that are forms of to be and exchange them for verbs which show action. Limit your use of common verbs such as had, have, get, take, etc. If necessary keep a list of the verbs you tend to use and some more exciting replacements for them.

To find these boring verbs in your writing, take a pen which differs in color from that you used to write and circle all the boring verbs. Then with another pen circle the non-boring verbs that you used more than two or three times. Now replace these verbs in a variety of ways.

You may substitute one verb for a better one.

Original:
Sam ran down the hill and came home before the storm.

Revised:
Racing down the hill, Sam arrived before the storm.

You may restructure or combine your sentence to eliminate a verb.

Original:
Orin was late for school, and he was panting when he reached the room.

Revised:
Panting, Orin entered the room just after the tardy bell.

....c. Adjectives and qualifiers
The over use of words which describe (adjectives) or limit a noun (qualifiers) are no different than any other redundant word: limit them; remove them; change them.

Original:
We really had a fantastic time with a lot of our friends. We always enjoy their company, and we always exchange a lot of gifts. What a fantastic night!

Revised:
We had a wonderful time with our friends, enjoying their company and exchanging gifts. What a fantastic night!

In the revision, no word is repeated…except a.

2. Tautology, the error of saying essentially the same thing again in the same sentence
Many of these phrases are so blatantly used in our culture that we do not realize the inaccuracy.

Advanced forward
Future outlook
False facts
Few in number
Usual custom

He wrote his own autobiography.
Let us glance briefly at the facts.
The reason was because….5.

3. Pleonasm, having extra words in a sentence than can be deleted without changing the meaning or structure of the sentence

Original:
Deep puddles of water wrestled against….

Revised:
Deep puddles wrestled against….

4. Phrases replaced by one word6.
The reason is because……….because
Based on the fact that………..because
In regard to…………………..about
Despite the fact that………….although
At this time…………………..now
In the very near future……….soon
Actual experience……………experience
Cancel out……………………cancel

Sentence Variety:

Sentence variety means every story needs to have sentences that vary in length and in structure. Reading short, choppy sentences does not allow good flow of ideas and events. Reading lengthy sentences gives the piece a pretentious air, makes it difficult to wade through the extraneous words. Either situation will not encourage your reader to continue through the story. A variety of short, simple sentences along with compound and complex sentences provides the diversity to keep your reader interested.

Short sentences are used to emphasis a point and to give impact to an idea. Compound sentences link together closely related ideas. Complex sentences show relationships between more important ideas over supporting ideas. Careful use and placement of the various types of sentences adds power to your writing.

Simple: He left yesterday.
Compound: He left yesterday, and he took nothing with him.
Complex: After leaving yesterday and taking nothing with him, I knew it was over.

Add details to improve the overall structure and to provide an opportunity for more exciting verbs. Do not have most of your sentences with the subject-verb pattern. Use phrases to alter the structure.

Original:
Sarah wasn’t happy at school because she had few friends.

Revised:
Having few friends reinforced Sarah’s dislike for school.

Sentence Phrases
Using several phrases in your sentence allows you to alter the sentence structure. The easiest way is to develop phrases for your sentence that tells where, why, when, and how. Those phrases can then be move to various locations to determine which way sounds best.

Example:
Matt ran. (kernal sentence)
Matt ran home. (Tells where Matt ran.)
Matt ran home to arrive before the letter carrier. (Tells why Matt ran home.)
Matt ran home yesterday. (Tells when Matt ran home.)
Matt ran home quickly. (Tells how Matt ran.)

Sometimes you may wish to use several of these phrases, but seldom do you want to use them all. Often after you construct the phrases, you may wish to change the verb and alter some of the phrases.

There are three locations for any phrase: the beginning, the middle, the end. Some sound better in one place than the other. For this reason, practice moving them from place to place to determine what sounds best. Also, commas are used after a phrase that begins a sentence and sometimes if a phrase is in the middle of the sentence.

Examples:
Yesterday, Matt raced home quickly to arrive before the letter carrier.
Matt raced home quickly, yesterday, to arrive before the letter carrier.
Quickly, Matt raced home yesterday to arrive before the letter carrier.
To arrive before the letter carrier, Matt raced home quickly.
To arrive before the letter carrier, Matt raced home quickly, yesterday.

As you can see, the yesterday in the fifth sentence is not smooth. Some are better than others, but this gives you some variety.

Using a gerund for sentence variety
A gerund is a verb with an ing ending. For this sentence structure, your subject must be doing two activities at the same time. Note the comma before the gerund.

Original:
Jason picked at his food.
Jason fed the dog when no one was watching.

Revised:
Jason picked at his food, feeding the dog when no one was watching.

Paragraph variety:

Just like a single word or a short sentence gives emphasis to an idea, so does a short paragraph. Each of these stands out among the average size, but they all lose their emphasis if overused. Make them count where needed.

Remember: Overuse of any word or structure devalues its impact.

Next, the letter T in that Four Letter Word Edit.
T is for Take Time to Read Your Story Aloud.

Source (adapted from):
Cheney, Theodore A. Rees. Getting the Words Right: How to Revice, Edit & Rewrite, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1987.

6. ibid., p. 64-66.

©Aulicino 5 Dec 2008

Draft as Many Versions as Needed for Clarity, Part 3

2009-01-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Edit Is a Four Letter Word, con't

The letter D is for:

Draft as many versions as needed for clarity

Part 3: Edit by Rewording

Often rewording means to make substitutions that improve your writing. Individual words or phrases can be omitted or altered. Making these changes can lead to accurate, clear writing. In rewording there are several areas to examine.

Inspect your verbs carefully.

1. Eliminate forms of the verb “to be” (am, is, was, were, are, will be, would be, etc.) as much as possible. This verb can be reduced…

a. By using more exciting verbs and by adding commas and adjectives.

Original:
The bookcase where I sat was made of oak and was filled with law books from floor to ceiling.

Revised:
The oak bookcase rose to the ceiling, displaying volumes of law books.

b. By omitting the form of “to be”

Original:
Peering in the store window, the toddler was eyeing the spotted puppy that was lying next to the blond one.

Revised:
Peering in the store window, the toddler eyed the spotted puppy lying next to the blond one.

c. By combining sentences, most forms of the verb can be eliminated.

Original:
Her hair was bleach-blond and it was thinning. Her deep brown eyes were sparkling with mischief.

Revised:
Her bleach-blond hair was thinning; her deep brown eyes sparkled with mischief.

2. Strive for the most accurate verb possible. Every word in our language has a slightly different meaning; therefore, endeavor to find the one which expresses exactly what you wish to say. This is easily done by reading each sentence, focusing on the verb and determining what other verb could convey a truer picture of the event.

Original:
The young man was watching the women’s faces as they entered the room.

Revised:
The young man scrutinized the women’s faces as they entered the room.

Original:
The cigarette smoke encircled the room.

Revised:
The cigarette smoke engulfed the room.

3. Change passive verbs to active verbs. In reality, it isn’t the verb that is active or passive, but the subject. When the subject is doing something, there is action. Action gives the sentence a better “voice.” As you read your sentences notice if they bog down your thinking or the flow of the action. Once you notice the verb and you have transformed it to the most accurate one which conveys your meaning, see if the subject of that sentence is doing the action of that verb. Alter the sentence to remove the passive voice. If this cannot be done, you need to eliminate the sentence or realize this sentence requires the passive voice. Changing from passive to active voice can alter the meaning or it can clarify it. Understand what you intend to say and be certain your meaning is not altered with the change.

Original:
Service is provided to the diners with the utmost professionalism.

Revised:
The restaurant serves it’s diners with the utmost professionalism.

Original:
Mills End Park is the world’s smallest park and is 452 square inches. The attraction to the people is amazing. The park draws people from everywhere.

Revised:
It is amazing how Mills End Park, the world’s smallest at 452 square inches, attracts so many people.

The preposition by often indicates passive sentence construction.

The following word endings, although not passive in themselves, do attract weak verbs and passive constructions: -ion, -tion, -ment, -ance, -ancy-, ization. These endings are found in such words as, determination, , concession, announcement, realization, etc. When you notice these words in your writing, determine the verb from which they derive and try to restore the verb in the revised sentence.

Original:
The authorization to proceed came from the CEO.

Revised:
The CEO authorized us to proceed.

Original:
The concession was made by the company that the workers needed the raise.

Revised:
The company conceded that the workers needed the raise.

Original:
The announcement about their engagement came as a surprise to everyone.

Revised:
They announced their engagement to everyone’s surprise.

Scrutinize the Nouns, Adjectives and Adverbs

In poor writing, weak verbs lean on adverbs and poorly chosen nouns lean on adjectives to gain descriptive accuracy. Verbs and nouns are assisted by accurate adverbs and adjectives, but to often, a novice writer over indulges.

Original:
The tall, skinny thirteen-year-old ran quickly down the hill.

Revised:
The lanky teen raced down the hill.

Appeal to the Senses

Every reader is stimulated with words that appeal to the senses: see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. A good writer uses sensory words which convey emotion and draws the reader into the story. These words activate the reader’s mind and helps him or her recall experiences. As with everything, moderation is important. Do not use description excessively.

Original:
The pizza smelled good.

Revised:
The pizza’s spicy aroma filled the room.

Be Specific

Good writing includes concrete details rather than abstract terms. These details mimic life more closely and breathe life into the story. A good writer uses specific details which evoke images in the reader’s mind.

Original:
The old man wandered down the alley in torn and dirty clothing.

Revised:
The shell of a man wandered down the alley in tattered rags.

Remember: Choose your words carefully for clarificaton and to keep your reader interested.

Next, the letter I in that four letter word Edit.
I stands for:
Incorporate word and sentence variety

Source (adapted from):
Cheney, Theodore A. Rees. Getting the Words Right: How to Revice, Edit & Rewrite, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1987.

Draft as Many Versions as Needed for Clarity, Part 2

2008-12-31T10:46:00.000-08:00

Edit Is a Four Letter Word, con't

The letter D is for:

Draft as many versions as needed for clarity
Part 2: Edit by Rearranging

Unity
Often a story must be rearranged in order to create a harmony, a unity within itself. Everything aspect must blend and every area must not go beyond the intended focus. This step in revising your draft looks at the unity of individual aspects of writing. Before you begin, you need to review the purpose and direction of your writing. What is your goal for this piece? What is the focus? What message are you trying to convey?

The following areas must agree; they must be consistent throughout your writing.

1. Subject matter – Did you stay on subject or go beyond it?
2. Scope – Have you omitted some areas of your topic or have you stayed within the guidelines of your focus? Working from an outline could help keep you organized.
3. Tone – Does your story have a mood, an attitude which is consistent throughout the piece? Can the reader determine easily that your story is serious, sad, humorous, etc.?
4. Style – Does your style shine? Does the style of writing remain the same voice to the end?
5. Point of View – Did you switch point of view?
6. Characterization – Did you develop believable characters with realistic actions?
7. Scene – Do you move your reader through various scenes with ease? Do your characters interact with the scenery as needed, and is that scenery developed?
8. Tense – Are the verbs in the same tense or if there’s a reason to have different tenses, have you kept them in proper sequence. That is, if a subordinate action happens before the main action, the subordinate action must be in the past tense.
9. Sentences and Paragraphs – Does each sentence deal with similar ideas? If the ideas are distinctively different the sentences are not unified. For a unified paragraph the sentences must be related to the paragraph’s topic and be in a coherent sequence.

Coherence
A coherent story is a combination of logic and form and deals with putting the various elements of your writing in good order. This includes the sequencing of words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into chapters, etc.

The major methods for organizing are chronological, spatial, and from general to specific. In using chronological sequencing, decide whether your story is best told from past to the present, present to future, or present backward to the past? Or should you start in the middle, then go back and then forward? Descriptive passages are usually best suited for spatial logic. The author should move the reader’s eye in a logical sequence such as from left to right, up to down, etc. when describing a scene. When using general to specific organization or vice-versa maintain this order throughout the story. Choose the method that best fits your story and maintain its unity throughout.

All references need to be unambiguous for the writing to be coherent. You must not lose the reader through confusion. Be careful of sentences that begin with pronouns. Does the previous sentence clarify to whom or what the pronoun refers? Refrain from using multiple pronouns in a sentence as the reader may become confused as to who did what.

Be certain that phrases are in their correct places. Check any sentence with multiple pieces by moving the phrases around to make the meaning clear.

Original:
The keypunch operator incorrectly punched in a program, which created a power failure in the building where she worked for two days.

Revised:
…which created a power failure for two days in the building where she worked.2.

Smooth transitions between ideas in sentences as well as between paragraphs are important for clear understanding. When there are several ideas are of equal importance, the sentence needs a parallel structure.

Original:
She had never gone to a part alone, much less an event like this.

Revised:
She had never gone alone to a party much less to an event like this.

Original:
Readers appreciate your getting to the heart of a matter in a hurry, rather than being forced to red through paragraphs or pages to find it.

Revised:
Readers appreciate your getting to the heart of a matter in a hurry, rather than forcing them to read though…

Original:
We can attack at night or we can do it in the light.

Revised:
We can attack by night or by day.3.

When ideas are not of equal importance, the ideas must not be placed in a parallel form. Some ideas are subordinate to others, and the sentence must clearly indicate that for the reader. For these types of sentences it is best to use one of three logical orders.

1. Time – Lay out the events in the order they occurred.
2. Relationship – Show cause and effect as needed. Time order often reflects the relationship between events.

In the following example, the order of time is used. However, this sentence also shows the order of relationship…a cause and effect.

After the storm abated, I went below. Because the porthole had opened during the storm, damage to the crew’s quarters was severe.4.

3. Emphasis – Place the most important event first to emphasize its significance.

After the storm, I went down below. The crew’s quarters were severely damaged—the porthole had opened during the storm. This, after I had just conducted a storm rill in which Howard had been permanently assigned to dog down that particular porthole.

The above example does place the focus on the open porthole rather than on the storm. For this reason, the author must be wise in selecting the type of order that best fits the focus of the writing.

Smooth transitions
One of the easiest ways to have smooth transitions between sentences is to repeat a key word or a key thought from the previous sentence. Sometimes you may wish to use a synonym, but sometimes the same word works best.

Although there are some trite phrases commonly used for transitions between paragraphs, the same technique of repeating a word or phrase used with sentences can be used with paragraphs. Often the key word, phrase, or idea in the final sentence may be repeated or restructured to use in the first sentence of the next paragraph.

Another type of transition is the one between scenes. Often the author can move the reader from one scene to another with a few simple words.

Example:
Marge sat in the den at the computer, busily typing as the wind howled. Soon creaking sounds began to intensify. She ran to the windows to see what tree was soon to be history.

Next door, the McGill’s peered from their window, gasping in unison as a huge branch from the elm just missed their house.

As you can see the words next door moved the scene from one location to the next with ease.

Another method is to leave extra line of space between paragraphs indicating that extra time has passed and, therefore, a change of scene.

In some cases, the author may choose to use the last sentence of a paragraph to change the scene rather than the first sentence of the next paragraph. Sometimes, the author may only hint at a change of scene in the last sentence. This would be done to continue the rising flow of excitement.

Example:
Bent over the desk for hours, I had managed to block out the sound of the furnace starting and stopping and the creaks of the old house while trying to focus on my writing. I was under a deadline, and the pressure was mounting when…brrr-inggg! Dang, the phone!

I raced to the living room to quiet the monster, tripping on the kids' toys….

The phone ringing indicates an immediate change of scene, whether the phone is in the same room or another.

All parts of the story must be coherent, including the beginning, middle and end. Check your story to see if it flows well between these major elements. The plot is usually hinted at in the beginning and then is developed in the middle. Here the conflict becomes apparent to the point of crisis. The ending provides the resolution of the conflict and ties up any loose ends.

Remember: Although editing is a difficult and lengthy task, you will develop skills that will improve your writing in the initial stages so editing will become easier. There is much detail here, so take one step at a time. Your readers will love you for the improvements, and you will be proud of your work.

Next, the letter D (part 3 of 3) in that four letter word Edit.
D stands for: Draft as many versions as needed for clarity.
Part 3 covers Edit by Rewording

Source (adapted from):
Cheney, Theodore A. Rees. Getting the Words Right: How to Revice, Edit & Rewrite, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1987.

2. Cheney, p. 59.

3. ibid., p. 64-66.

4. ibid., p. 69.

©Aulicino 5 Dec 2008

Draft as Many Versions as Needed for Clarity, Part 1

2008-12-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

Edit Is a Four Letter Word, con't

The letter D is for:

Draft as many versions as needed for clarity
Part 1: Edit by Reducing

Editing takes time as I have stated. Even if you choose to write only a couple of drafts and call the last one your final, it is wise to leave several days between each draft. This allows you to get a different perspective on your story. You get a fresh new look at it if you put it aside. This will help you find questionable areas and help you discover how they may be corrected.

The purpose in editing is to make your ideas clear to your reader. There are many methods to editing for clarity, so try one at a time. Remember, draft as many versions as needed for clarity. Do not mentally state you will do only two drafts before you ever begin, but leave that door open. In doing so, you will find the light at the end and be happier for it.

The following method of editing is only one way and will be presented here in three separate sections due to the length of information. The idea of editing is to first remove chunks of text that do not fit the story or chapter. Then to gradually fine tune each paragraph, each sentence, and then your words and phrases. By looking at the large picture first and narrowing your scope, you reduce your work. Remember, editing takes time, but you’ll love the finished product as will your readers.

The major steps for this section are as follows:
Part 1: Edit by Reducing
Part 2: Edit by Rearranging
Part 3: Edit by Rewording

Remember: You write for yourself; you edit for others.

Part 1: Edit by Reducing

Nonprofessional writers are excited to see so many words on a page; however, the professional is pleased to cut their writing into precise text. It is the quality of the words, not quantity that separates the novice from the pro.

When we write we tend to record everything we can recall on the subject or situation. Writing in this manner helps us remember better, and often we are either jotting facts in the margins or writing sentences out of order as more pops into our minds. This often leads to excessive information that hampers the flow of the story.

In your first revision, look for chunks of verbiage that are not needed. How do you find these chunks to remove? Ask yourself if these pieces actually move the story forward. It is very difficult for the novice to remove parts of the story, but save these chucks as they may be revived later for another story or included in this one after alterations.

After removing the larger chunks, focus on the remaining parts and rewrite to smooth any evidence of your splicing and dicing. The reader must not realize you have eliminated sections, but see only a smooth flow of ideas.

The following is an example of reduction:

Original:
The restaurant was set back from the road approximately 100 feet. There was parking on both sides of the restaurant and the area set aside for parking was separated by an area of well-kept grass.

Revised:
The restaurant was set back bout 100 feet, with parking on both sides of the well-kept lawn.1.

As you repair your writing, stitching the story together, you may notice other smaller reductions which are necessary. However, do not complete these reductions at this time. Flag them in some way and return to this job later. Think of this as cleaning out the attic. You can only throw away so much at a time and must stop for fear of tossing something you may later regret. Putting time between your reductions will give you a better perspective on what is really needed.

Once you are ready to continue reduction, look at individual words to see if a larger word is less precise than a more simple word. The goal is clarity and accuracy of meaning. Each word has a slightly different meaning and the writer needs to use the most precise word possible.

As we scrutinize our writing we will find unnecessary words and phrases. For example, instead of writing, “…was very comprehensive in nature,” drop the in nature. Those words do not alter the meaning.

Next, the letter D (part 2 of 3) in that four letter word Edit.
D stands for: Draft as many versions as needed for clarity.
Part 2 covers Edit by Rearranging

Source (adapted from):
Cheney, Theodore A. Rees. Getting the Words Right: How to Revice, Edit & Rewrite, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1987.

1. Cheney, p. 33.

©Aulicino 5 Dec 2008

Educate Yourself on Grammar and Punctuation Rules

2008-12-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

Edit Is a Four Letter Word

The letter E is for: Educate yourself on grammar and punctuation rules

Volumes have been written on grammar and punctuation rules. Not only does our language constantly change, but the experts do not agree on some conventions. Different types of writing require different editing conventions. We write differently for newspapers than for books. Memoir writing is allowed more laterality than technical writing. Even publishing houses have their on editing standards.

For reasons of form and emphasis, some writers choose to break the rules. We all know that a sentence must have a subject and a verb, but for emphasis, sentence fragments are sometimes used or even one word. Paragraphs are to have a topic sentence and supporting details, but there are times when a writer uses only one sentence. In dialogue, bad grammar, and colloquial phrases are allowed. Informal writing allows contractions (I’ve, we’ll, isn’t), but technical writing does not.

For all these reasons, any writer may find it difficult to edit for grammar and punctuation.

The internet is a good reference, but use only websites which are authorities on the subject. Avoid the blogs as they allow readers to provide answers and whose authors often do not have the qualifications needed to fully understand the nuances. Editing for grammar and punctuation is not an easy task.

Reliable websites

The Perdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Covers the basics in an easy to understand manner and provides worksheets and answers.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Rated number one by teachers. You can buy a book or use some online links, complete with interactive and graded quizzes.
http://www.grammarbook.com/

Guide to Grammar and Writing
Has an extensive index, provides quizzes and allows you to ask questions.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Next, the letter D in that four letter word Edit.
D stands for: Draft as many versions as needed for clarity.

©Aulicino 5 Dec 2008

Edit is a Four Letter Word

2008-12-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, Edit—that four-letter-word which keeps many from writing and others with constant migraines. In Farewell to Arms, Hemmingway wrote the last page 39 times. When asked about this, his comment was that he did so to get it right. This may be a bit extreme, but editing takes more than one or two attempts at revising.

All of us want to leave behind our very best work. That is our vanity. However, your descendants will be grateful for whatever you write. You may choose just to write your memories and stop there, or you may wish to edit your stories and be confident readers clearly understand.

For memoir writing you should not use words to impress your reader, but rather use your natural language. Do not use words beyond your best vocabulary unless the words clarify your meaning more precisely. Your natural language is your everyday expressions, the vernacular. This natural language is used in informal situations and gives your personal history color, individuality, and variety. Even when writing dialog, use the essence of the actual speaker. Capture their personality and attitude. Editing is still important when we use the vernacular.

The language for your stories should be consistent with the tone of the events. Humor is written with a different tone than is a spiritual experience, one being light hearted with the use of hyperbole (exaggeration) while the other more sober and formal.

After writing your first draft, keeping the above tips in mind, you are ready to edit. That four-letter-word for writing is often one which is neglected for many reasons. Most people really do not know how to edit. They do not know where to begin nor understand that editing differs from proofreading.

The goal of editing is to make your reading more easily read. You must use language in a way that you do not call attention to the language, but leave the focus on the story. Language should clarify the meaning you wish to convey. The attention should be on what you wish to express and not how you express it. However, clarity is required for that result.

Books have been written on the many approaches to editing, but with the limited space of a blog, only highlights can be addressed. For the next few articles, various aspects of editing will be examined in more detail. The areas covered are as follows:

.............Educate yourself on grammar and punctuation rules.
.............Draft as many versions as needed for clarity.
.............Incorporate word and sentence variety.
.............Take time to read your story aloud.

Editing takes time. If you feel overwhelmed in the process, just focus on particular sections or aspects of the procedure. As you attempt to edit using the various methods, you will become more aware of proper writing, and you will improve the first few drafts as well as your over all writing. After corrections have been made, you will see your personal writing style emerge. If you are interested in creating that final draft to ensure clarity of your stories, be patient and work methodically toward that end. Perfection takes time.

©Aulicino 5 Dec 2008

Breathing Life into Your Stories

2008-11-20T21:14:00.000-08:00

There are several methods to bringing your story to life and avoiding the chronicling of mere facts. These processes help you breathe life into your characters and your story’s environment in order to create a full, dimensional picture. Life is multi-faceted with layers upon layers of complex feelings, emotions, and actions. Your characters must come alive and exhibit those traits. You must engage your reader into caring about your characters.

Each of the techniques below goes beyond the mere stating of facts. In order to get your reader involved in your story, you must be involved. In order for you to be involved, you must create a picture in your reader’s mind that resembles what you see in your mind’s eye when you relive the story. Your story must be full of details, but written in a descriptive, creative way. However, do not go to the extreme with adding details or you will lose the movement of the plot.

The methods used for enhancing your story and making it come alive include:

1. Developing your characters
2. Being descriptive and using imaginative language
3. Setting the tone or mood
4. Having an stimulating opening paragraph
5. Using exciting verbs and a variety of sentence structures
6. Using various literary devices such as Foreshadowing and Flashback
7. Using a point of view which best allows you to tell the story

(These topics will be addressed in more detail in furture blogs.)

These techniques can be divided to help you focus on developing your characters and your story setting. Use the following questions to guide you.

Character Development:

1. Have you shown the character’s personality and physical traits through their actions in the story? Do your characters pop off the page with personality or are they only two dimensional?

2. Do the characters show their action and reactions rather than you just stating those behaviors?

3. Do you show what motivates your characters?

4. Do you make your characters’ world real to the reader?

5. Have you researched your character or the times in which your character lived to add depth to the story? Often doing this research helps you recall small facts about the situation.

6. Are you introducing too many characters at once, so the reader cannot bond to any of them? If you do not develop your characters the reader will not care about them.

Story Structure:

1. Is your opening paragraph exciting? Have you used an event to capture the reader’s interest? Have you considered flashback?

2. Have you set the tone or mood of your story by using words to describe the scene rather than just stating the setting?

3. Is there some type of conflict or struggle in your story, and do you build the action to that point?

4. Do you use imagery which brings the story alive and underscores the action? Has your description included some of the five senses?

5. Have you used imaginative language in imaginative ways? Is your story burdened by clichés, boring verbs, or repetitive words? Is your sentence structure redundant? Have you created your own similes and metaphors?

6. Are you showing as well as telling your story? Are you using your character’s actions to tell the story?

7. Do you loose your reader with the lack of transitions between paragraphs?

8. Have you foreshadowed major events? Give your reader a clue that something exciting is coming.

9. Do you use a Point of View which works best for the story?

Remember: In life there is drama, and your stories need to reflect life. It is important to put yourself into the story to understand the characters and their motivation. This helps your reader care about your characters and become involved with the story.

Your story’s heart is beating...^./\...^./\...^./\

Emily
©Aulicino, Nov 2008

Blogs and Other Surrogate Homes

2008-11-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

Although many people join a writing group or choose to write on their own, there are others who create blogs or find surrogate homes on the World Wide Web to house their personal journaling or family stories.

There are many advantages to using Internet resources for your writing. The most obvious being that you can easily share your stories with family and friends, and you can receive feedback quickly. Also, many sites are free, and there are many pages to help you with ideas and with improving your writing skills.

Blog, blog, blog

Blogging is comparable to having your own Editorial Page in the newspaper. You can write about anything you wish as often as you wish. The topics for blogs are endless. You are only limited to your imagination.

The word Blog is a contraction of Web log. Companies, corporations, newspapers, and other industries use blogs, but the most common type is the personal blog. Personal blogs are often commentaries reflective of one’s life or opinions. They make perfect spots for recording your many family stories, past and present. AND…the best part??? They are FREE!

Another wonderful advantage of having a blog is that if you are a member of Facebook, a social networking system you can add Blog Networks. By adding the Blog Networks application, you can choose which blogs you wish to read. This application puts your favorite blogs on one page so you can easily click to find them on the web. Perhaps you would want a blog on how to write your stories or on grammar. Other personal blogs which contain the authors’ family memories could give you ideas for yours. Through Blog Networks you can easily find more readers for your personal blog. There are a growing number of genealogists on Facebook who write blogs not only about their own family, but on many aspects of genealogy from “How To” to preserving photographs and more. It is a wonderful source for networking, for getting ideas for your blog and for inspiring you to write your memories.

Blogs are simple to create, even for the novice. There are choices on how to organize your website and steps to guide you through the process. You can add photos, videos, various icons, and hyperlinks. You can allow others to comment or not. You can edit any part of your blog at any time. If you need to correct or add material to a story, it is easily done.

Although there are many more sites on which you can create a Blog, the most popular sites are:
www.blogger.com/
http://wordpress.com/

A Surrogate Home

Some writers do not have time nor interest to maintain a blog as one is often self-pressured to posting a story every week or so. For this group, there are places where you can post your stories for your friends and family to read. You could also solicit the help of your family to add their stories or to made corrections and additions to yours.

www.webook.com
On WeBook you can invite friends to read your stories, make comments and vote on the best ones.

I do not know anyone who has used the following sites, but they are free and seem helpful.
http://www.writersarea.com/
http://www.storyofmylife.com/
http://www.webbiographies.com/

There are many more options online, of course. Be sure to read their sites carefully. There are some that charge a one-time fee, as well.

I encourage you to open your realm of possibilities and venture into new lands. Consider being a blogger or finding a surrogate home for your stories on the Net. You will bring much joy to the genealogy community in sharing your wonderful memories as well as gain self-satisfaction for your accomplishments.

©aulicno, 7 Nov 2008

All Memories Past and Present

2008-10-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Most of us are interested in writing about our childhood memories and family stories, bringing the past to the present. Most of those reading this are genealogists, after all.

We have been taught not to forget the past as remembering and understanding our history will help us not to repeat the parts we wish to ignore. It is very important to record what our ancestors did, how they lived, and what they thought. It is equally important, however, to record the present…that fleeting present that so quickly becomes the past.

Not only would your great-great-grandchildren wish to know what life is like now, but they would want to know more about the person who is preserving their family heritage…YOU. It is only fair that they understand you, your interests, and what your life is like currently.

It is often difficult to write about ourselves and about the present. We believe that the Internet will preserve every thought, every artifact, and every move our society makes. We often believe that our presence is of lesser importance than our past. To you that may be so, but you are not writing your memories for you, but for your descendants…and not just your children or grandchildren. You must consider a larger view and understand that your work will be passed along for many generations. Those who read about you and your family stories may not understand the terms we use today, or the specifics of our society. For these reasons, you must record the present while preserving the past.

And just how does one do that?

Many of you may already record snippets of the present and do not realize it. Those who keep a date book, write on a calendar, write letters or emails are recording the present. Gather all these into one place. That place could be a timeline which I have discussed in previous articles. Your Timeline can be used for your childhood memories, as well as a diary for more current activities. Using a computer and disciplining yourself to jot down the events of the week on a certain schedule will greatly help.

However, there are some very important topics that should be larger stories. Most of these are covered in more detail in my booklet, but for the one-line version of a few ideas, you could include writing about:

1. How and why you were given your name.
2. Your personality. (Just what do you know and understand about yourself?)
3. The role various organizations play in your life. (clubs, religion, social groups, etc.)
4. The people who have influenced your life.
5. The lessons you have learned within your life.
6. Your typical day or week.

Lastly, there are the events in society today. These are very important to record as headlines are being made daily. The following are just a few topics of great significance in recent times.

1. Where were you on 9/11, and how did if affect you and our society?
2. Rising gas prices over the last few years with a bit of relief in the present.
3. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
4. Our unique political race for President. (We will make history no matter the outcome.)
5. The financial turmoil we are experiencing.
6. The growth and direction of technology.

When you are writing about those ancestors or about your childhood, remember that you will be an ancestor to others, and they will wish to know more about you as an adult. You and the present climate are just as important as your past family members!

©aulicino, 29 Oct 2008

Writing Prompts: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

2008-10-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Writing prompts, like most things in life, come in a variety of packages. Basically, there are three types: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Rather than tell you about these different styles of prompts, the following is written as an experiment to show you how well each works.

To take those three types of prompts in reverse, I’ll start with…

The Ugly

Most of us do not consider all the previous topics I have posted on this blog when we begin to write our family stories and childhood memories. Frankly, knowing about Getting Started, Timelines, Writer’s Block, Organizing Your Stories, Revising, Point of View, etc. is not necessary for you to write a wonderful selection of stories for your descendants. You only need to begin with any memory that your recall.

SO…let’s begin with that memory….

Well? Have you written on that memory? Could you think of a memory or are you still deciding upon which one to write? Was that ugly or what? Imagine doing that for all your childhood stories. How quickly would you get discouraged?

The Bad

Ok, now, let’s try this experiment. For the remainder of this article, do each step as you read it. Do not look ahead as you will only cheat yourself. Try this little test, and allow me show you the differences between writing prompts and how they affect your stories.

First, take a couple sheets of paper, your favorite writing tool, and a clock or timer.

Next, set your timer for two minutes or watch a clock, if possible, while you write.

Write any and everything that comes to mind for the next two minutes on the prompt below. Write down whatever you are thinking, even if it is not on-topic. You may have to write that you cannot think of anything.

PROMPT: Write about a time when you were a child in your neighborhood.

Stop when you reach two minutes.

Were you able to choose a story quickly or did you spend much of the time thinking? How much did you write?

The Good

Read the following prompt and do the suggested drawing. Then proceed to write your story. After you have written, answer the questions below the prompt.

“Memoing” My Memories Topic 8: The Neighborhood

It is time to focus on your neighborhood as a child and the activities and the events surrounding it. No doubt this could result in countless stories, so we will start with a great brainstorming technique to give you the bases for future writings, as well.

If you lived in more than one home, pick one for now, but try this with all of them, if you can. A neighborhood could just be the block on which you lived or the few houses surrounding your rural home.

First, think back to what your neighborhood was like. Was it rural, urban, or suburban? Did you live in a large or small town, in the middle of the city or on the perimeter?

Who were the neighbors? Can you remember their names? Which houses were theirs?

Was there a unique member of your neighborhood...a kind person who asked you to do errands and tipped you enough for a candy bar or ice cream...a grouchy person whose yard often harbored your baseball or balsa wood airplane...the person whom no one knew well…? Was there a bully on the block? (Even if it was YOU!)

What games did you play in the street or yards with neighbor kids? What games differed from the summer through the winter? Where did you play—a vacant lot, the end of the street, a particular yard? Did everyone get along?

After thinking about these things, draw a map of your childhood street. Add some features unique to each house and the names of the people in the houses. Now choose an event centered on this area and write. Be certain to jot down other ideas on which to write later. There is no doubt many great stories to tell….
©Aulicino, 2003

Questions:

1. For the last exercise were you able to start writing within two minutes of completing your neighborhood map?

2. Which prompt produced the most ideas for writing?

3. By drawing the map of your neighborhood did you recall more events than with the first prompt?

4. Was it more difficult to write a story with the second prompt as you may have had many ideas?

5. Which method do you feel would be more beneficial to you in writing your childhood stories for your descendants?

Summary

The ugly business of trying to write your memories as they pop into your head is quite difficult given the busy lives we conduct. Perhaps memories might be triggered by events in our daily activities, but by the time we sit down to write, they may be gone. Often, by waiting until story ideas occur to us, we are apt to tend to other needs in life.

There are many, many bad prompts in books and on the internet. Many of us have received books from our children or grandchildren with these types of prompts and a lined page on which to write. Few people start these books and even fewer complete them. This type of one-line prompt can be useful, but lacks enough stimuli to assist people in writing quickly. You waste precious time “thinking” about a prompt when you could be writing.

The good prompts are those which do not waste your time, which provide suggestions to stimulate your memory, and which give you more than one idea for a story. This often cannot be done with one-sentence prompts.

The above prompt, The Neighborhood, is from my booklet “Memoing” My Memories which is available for sale. This booklet has 130 prompts using this detailed style to assist you in recalling your family stories and childhood memories. Although there are only 130 prompts, they are written to provide you with many more story ideas for each topic. The booklet also contains organizational tips, information on how to write a timeline when you do not have time to write longer stories, ideas for improving verbs and sentence structure, and some general writing tips. The booklet is spiral bound with a heavy cardstock cover and 70 pound Vellum pages.

Contact me directly at aulicino@hevanet.com to purchase this booklet.

©aulicino, 26 Oct 2008

Revising To Show, Not Tell

2008-10-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Journalists and other technical writers report information to their audiences. They convey information with enough details to get through the facts, fill the required space and appease their editors. Unless the story is “breaking news” for the journalist or the report is required reading by the boss, most of us hit the high spots and move on. Naturally, we do not want our descendants to treat our family stories and childhood memories in that manner.

Like the novelist, the family historian must engage their audience in such a way as to ensure the readers will continue reading the story. The key to all this is to provide enough descriptive detail to entice the reader into caring about the characters and the situation. Descriptive language is used to create images in the reader's mind and to enhance the story. Description must exist as part of the action and emotion of a character. Show how the characters behave and what they think through their actions and emotions. Do not just state (tell) an action or emotion.

And how does one do this?

For most people, the easiest way is to write the memory or family story focusing on the facts of the event, and then revise to add more detail, description, feelings, emotion, etc.

As you revise, it is important to be aware of your intended audience. Other than the facts of the situation, what would your audience like to know about their grandmother or a great-great uncle? Attach personality traits to your characters, but not by just stating that she was a strict person or he was the benevolent peacemaker. Do not tell, but show these traits through the character’s actions. What did great-grandmother do which indicated she was strict? How did others react to her behavior?

While you are revising your writing, notice the boring verbs and nouns. Replace those with exciting nouns and verbs to pull your reader into the story. For example, do not continue to say “my uncle Harry” or “he.” Describe Uncle Harry by referencing one of his traits. Begin a sentence with The old codger or As the peacemaker. These types of phrases not only reveal more about your character, but they alert the reader’s brain into thinking of Uncle Harry as more than just an uncle.

Besides showing what your characters are like, you must attend to the scenery with the same great care. It is easy to say She sat down with a cup of tea to write the letter, but it is much more interesting to describe the hiss of the kettle disrupting the silence and the evening shadows cast by the last light through the window, in order to set the mood of the letter writer in such terms that the reader sees a vivid picture of the scene and feels they are that preverbal “fly on the wall.”

Writing with descriptive evidence helps the reader make determinations about the character’s personality and behavior, thus, helping the reader evaluate that person. Getting the reader involved with the story in this manner entices the reader to move through the story with interest. They are not just reading words; they are getting involved and starting to understand the dynamics of their ancestors’ lives.

Just telling a story does not speak to the imagination of the reader. Every writer wants to be read and will be read if that imagination is sparked.

Remember to show through actions and emotions the characteristics of your ancestors and to paint a picture with your words that will be etched in your reader’s memory.

©aulicino, 23 Oct 2008

Capturing the Reader

2008-10-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

The whole point of writing is for someone to read your story. Yes, writing is therapy for the author, but any author desires to have readers. However, many writers of family stories tend to focus on only reporting the facts of an event, thus boring those who attempt to read it. We do not realize the reader’s excitement about our story is equal to having a hair transplant.

You must capture that reader, making him or her excited about what is happening so that the reader will continue reading. But just how do you do that?

One of my writing students summarized the method of engaging the reader as: Write for yourself; Revise for others. These are very wise words. Write your story as you remember it. This will tend to be factually-perceived sentences in chronological order. Then take the time to revise your work by using any of the methods listed below:

1. Begin your story with an exciting opening paragraph. Do not give away the climax of the story, but start with an event that draws attention and makes the reader want to find out more.

2. Use foreshadowing. This technique allows the reader to guess what may come next. Do not give too many hints of what is to come, but enough to indicate there are more interesting times which will follow.

3. Use flashback. By starting with an event, you flash back to an earlier time that is related to the story you are writing. For example, if a woman left her family without notice one day, you might look in that woman’s past to see if the behavior had occurred previously. You may discover that as a child she ran away from home. Your story would then flash back to that earlier time and the events of her leaving as a child.

4. Add more details using the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) so the reader sees what you see in your mind and feels how you felt at the time of the event…or how the characters felt, if you were not there.

5. Write with feeling and emotion. Grab your reader and make him or her that cat in the corner. Make the reader feel they are involved in the story emotionally.

6. Make the reader care about your characters by showing their personality and their emotions. Do not report who they are or what they did. You want the reader to identify with your characters through their actions in the story.

7. Write with humor. Fresh new sentences that are humorous are best. No jokes or trite lines that are so common they are boring. Try comparing two items which are not always related. Look for links, connections, or relationships. For example: Life has taught me that in the A Plan/B Plan scenario, “A” really means “Almost works" and the “B” means “Backup.”

8. Use hyperbole. This term only means exaggeration. You must exaggerate enough that the reader realizes you are stretching the truth, but not so badly that your humor becomes boring or trite.

9. Use metaphors and similes. Both of these terms compare two unlike objects. With similes you use the words “like” and “as.” With metaphors, the comparison is enhanced by the verb.

EX: The ship cut through the waves like a plow (similie)
The ship plowed the sea. (metaphor)

You must be the Master of the Metaphor, however. That is, write your own and do not rely on those over-cooked lines, such as: He was as strong as a bull.

10. Use exciting verbs and unique phrases in your writing. Avoid redundancy.

There are many more ways to enhance your stories, and the more you read and write, you will discover ideas which will get your reader involved with your story and your characters. However, do not overuse any one method. Variety is best.

Below is an example of a paragraph which reports the facts and one which enhances the reader’s interest. Which would you rather read???

Just the Facts:
Driving east along the A-5 from Bangor Priscilla and I entered the Snowdonia mountain region of Northern Wales. As the roads were narrow and our car large, I’m sure Priscilla was a bit tense. The area was beautiful and we stopped several times so I could better see it. One stop was where a beautiful river flowed down a narrow canyon. Tourists were enjoying the view on the rock above it. We took a few photos.

Revised:
We FINALLY found the A-5 and headed east from Bangor. No doubt Priscilla was white knuckling it for miles, but she maintained her wonderful demeanor as we climbed the northern mountain area of the Snowdonia region and ogled at the sites through the pass. Even though I live in a valley surrounded by mountains, they don't compare to the rugged beauty around every turn in Northern Wales. As the driver, I was unable to see the beauty as well as I liked, so several stops were made to inhale the wonders. One such stop was at a beautiful river which fell into a narrow canyon. Tourists were sitting on a rock above it, and we joined them for a picture or two.

AND, of course, the Monster Mercedes... not liking the lack of attention... started bleating for its mother (Hey, we are in sheep country here!). We had been having a time trying to find the source of its occasional beeps as we drove, but now, the beeps were replaced by rude screams, heard by all. You would think I was torturing the poor thing! At first I thought it was parked so close to the highway that the passing cars were setting off the alarm. The parking area was narrow. I finally discovered the source of its cries, but don't recall now whether a door wasn't completely shut, the trunk was ajar, the break wasn't on, the lights were aglow (MY car is much less than a Mercedes and turns off the lights automatically, but NO...NOT THIS THING! All I know is if that car didn't get its way, I heard about it. What an embarrassment! I could hear EVERYONE mumbling from each mountain top "those dumb Americans!" The beeping was still a mystery as we continued on our way.

©Aulicino, 11 Oct 2008

Organizing Stories into a Book or Booklet

2008-10-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

If you have written some of your memories, it may be time to look at organization from this point forward, providing you have not done so already. Organizing your collection of stories into book form can be daunting and can vary greatly as there are several options.

The first step, however, would be to determine your audience. If you desire just to record the many stories of your life rather than writing them into one cohesive book, your approach would be entirely different as, perhaps, would be your audience. There are people who have taken their life’s story or sections of their lives and turned them into autobiographies or novels. Most of us, however, strive to gather our family history in some readable form for future preservation. If the latter is your choice, you have many avenues which are less daunting than writing that “Great American Novel.”

You may choose to write your childhood memories and family stories as a timeline. This acts more like a lengthy diary, but would always be greatly appreciated by your descendants. However, it would probably lack the details to make the events of your life interesting. A timeline, nevertheless, makes a good outline for story ideas and does record the stories and events you may not have time to write. This timeline along with your more expanded stories is the ideal situation.

There are several choices in organizing your collection, and the most common is to put your stories in chronological order. You could also use a theme for each chapter or section of your finished product and include several stories under that theme. For example, you could write about the game of Chess over the four generations it was played in your family, putting it into one story. You could include all your family vacations and related stories into one chapter. You may choose to put all your school years into a section. There are many possibilities and below are just a few choices:

1. Order chronologically.

2. Begin with the present and use flashback to relive all the stories.

3. Order your stories by topic around a central theme or event.

4. Order the stories by groups of time (i.e., teen years; mid-life).

5. Organize vignettes.

For some writers, it is easier to write all your stories and then decide the order and format. Review what you have written, putting copies in piles that are related either in time or subject matter. Shift the stories around until you have everything organized in the best way possible. If it is difficult to recall all your stories, you may choose to use note cards and write one sentence describing each story, then shift those around to your liking. Understand that you may have to do some rewriting to find a perfect fit for all of them.

Once you have tried a particular order for your stories, ask yourself:

· Can the information be displayed in a more logical manner?

· Does it clarify in what areas you need to concentrate more?

· Does the order show the holes in your life or timeline so you are not neglecting a section of time?

· Is it clear where you have been and where you are going in your format?

· Are ideas for more stories indicated?

Adapted from: http://www.genealogy.com/201/lesson14/course14_05.html

Organizational Options for Publishing:

Besides including the obvious (Title Page, Table of Contents and perhaps even an Index), the following sections are the most important in organizing your book.

Introduction
Body of the text
Illustrations
Conclusion
Appendices

Introduction

Your book title should reflect the essence of its contents, but you need an introduction that explains the format of the book. By doing this you can simply use your individual stories in a logical order as a group of vignettes, hopefully around a central theme. If you can not carry a theme all the way through all your stories, then group them into sections. The chapters within those sections are your individual stories. The theme of that section (or of your book) is your transition tying the chapters together under a particular section, if you use sections.

Also…

Discuss the goal or focus of your book. Why are you writing your family’s story?

Explain the format of your book. Is it vignettes of your life and family or highlights that have influenced your life?

NOTE: Write the title of your story last. You can have a “working” title which may end up being your finished product, but reanalyze your title at the end. The title must reflect the content of the book. Subtitles can explain what the book is really; for example, Running Through Life: The Stories and Memories of …(YOU)……..

Body of the Text

Each of your chapters (i.e. stories) needs to have a clever, but useful title and the opening paragraphs should be exciting so the reader is pulled into the story and will continue reading. The text must be written in a manner to entice your reader to care about the characters. Your last paragraph is the transitional one that binds the chapters together. (For transitional information see pager 42.)

What to Include for the Body

1. Your family and personal stories.

2. Graphics, photos, recipes, memorabilia, maps, sketches, illustrations, etc. Photos of a child’s drawings or something they made, recipes with the ancestor’s photo and a short biography of them or stories about their cooking, maps of your neighborhood, and art or craftwork of family members are just a few wonderful items to add.

3. If there are family members, friends, or events that played an important role in your life, you might want to consider devoting chapters or sections of your work to these people or focus your story around the events which were major influences.

4. There might be some historical background information that you wish to include in your family history. This would help the reader put the family into an historical context. Be careful when making grand generalizations and keep in mind that historical events might not have had any impact on your ancestors' lives. If there were historical events that caused your family to move or change in some manner, then you might want to mention these items. Keep in mind that the events should have logically impacted your family’s history and not be totally unrelated. Using historical events to place your family within the timeline of history may be a good idea to give your readers a frame of reference.

5. Anecdotes could be added in sidebars as stories that you wish to include, but which do not totally fit your chapter. Perhaps these are related stories about a particular person in your chapter.

Ordering the Body—Many Choices

1. Make an outline of what you have written or intend to write. Change the outline as your progress, if needed.

2. Write all the stories first. Place them in a desired order either by moving the complete story from place to place or by summarizing it in a sentence or less on a 3" x 5″ card and shuffle the cards until you like the format.

3. Begin with your current life and flash back to how you reached your present status focusing on how all these events have shaped your life.

4. Place your stories in chronological order.

5. Order your stories according to large chunks of time, such as Childhood Years, Teen Years, etc.

6. Organize by themes: Family; Vacations; Holidays, etc.

7. Look at what you have learned in your lifetime and base your journey on a lesson or two from your experiences. That is, have a common theme or thread for all your stories that reflects what your life has taught you or what messages you wish to convey to your descendants.

8. Group your stories into sections. Each section could be titled such as: "Little Glimpses of Life on the Farm" or "Miniatures of My Life in the 1940s" or whatever seems suitable. Order your vignettes so they carry a thread through the whole section, maybe having a short explanatory or transitional paragraph every once in a while to gather the bits together in each subsection or an introductory paragraph at the beginning of each section to explain the grouping.

Illustrations

Types of Illustrations—Anything That Can be Photographed or Scanned.

1. Photos of people, houses, buildings, artifacts (heirlooms),

2. Maps of cities, neighborhoods, vacations,

3. Letters and their envelopes,

4. Signatures from letters, old petitions or the World War I Draft Registrations as found on line at http://www.ancestry.com/. Remember that old deeds do not bear the signature of your ancestor, but of the clerk writing their name.

5. Journals, transcribed if possible, and who has possession,

6. Certificates, including birth, baptismal, marriage, graduation, death, and other awards,

7. Ephemera (dance cards, pressed flowers, membership cards, postcards, concert tickets, etc.),

8. Historic illustrations (transportation, locations, furniture, etc.),

9. Clip art of textiles (quilts, clothing, needlework,

10. Recipes including a photo of the ancestor,

11. Photos of any items you or your ancestors collected.

Organization of Illustrations

1. Order the illustrations complimentary to the content of the book. Interspersing them within the text is best. It is most important to place the illustrations for maximum effect.

2. Label each clearly and place it near the text that refers to it.

3. Additional items could be placed in the Appendix.

NOTE: Without photos, graphics, illustrations, maps, sketches, and other types of images, your book may be informative with regard to the material, but it can also be made more interesting.

Graphics add life to a family history. Photos give your reader a chance to see what your ancestors looked like. Maps show towns and homes in relationship to other localities of importance. Scanned images such as signatures give interest to the details about people's lives. Pictures of towns, locations, houses, etc. enhance the experience of immersing the reader in your ancestors’ lives.

Writing a more current family history, you will have access to photographs, records, certificates, and hopefully personal items which give interest to the individual.

Just about anything you can either photograph or scan can be included!

Be creative. If you do not have a lot of items for an ancestor, consult historical books, the Internet, and other references for sketches or photos of clothing, furniture, houses, etc. which your ancestor might have encountered in his or her everyday life. Make certain these illustrations are copyright free.

Conclusion

1. Summarize your life from the aspect of the lessons you have learned and the people who have guided you or influenced you.

2. Reflect on how these events and stories have impcted you.

3. Reread your Introduction, reflecting upon it to help you write your Conclusion.

4. Look to the future and leave a message for your descendants with regard to your desires for them, the book, and your family’s history.

Appendices

You may wish to include the following:

1. A family history section and include a pedigree chart to show relationships among your ancestors.

2. Copies of news articles that relate to the family.

3. Copies of family documents.

4. Any information you wish to share, but which may not easily fit within the format of your book.

Sidebars

A sidebar is a short companion story that is a part of a longer story. It is often boxed or in a different typeface to set it apart. The sidebar may appear to the side of the original article, within it, or at the end. Side bars are optional and should not be overused.

In general, sidebars…

· provide additional information that can be easily used or digested.

· give helpful information that can clarify a part of the story.

· allow authors to break up an otherwise lengthy story into a manageable piece by some of the story in a couple of smaller sidebars.

· allow the writer to include the extra or background information for a story.

· can allow the author to add lineage information in a family history to clarify an ancestor’s position in the family.

· allow authors to give readers places to find more information on the subject. This could include organizations and their addresses, website addresses (known as URLs), books, festivals or events that relate to this topic.

· can include information that is fun, informative, or interesting as you know the readers will enjoy it. Add humor where possible.

· are loved by editors and may make the difference between a sale or not, that little extra oomph that pushes your piece into the acceptance pile.

Adapted from: http://thedabblingmum.com/writing/magwriting/sidebars.htm

How to Write a Sidebar:

· Write the sidebar before you write the main article. Doing this often allows you to focus your main article around the points that are in the sidebar. The sidebar communicates the small tidbits of information that you expand upon in the article or story.

· Use extra information from your main story. As you research the main story, you will generate more information than you can use. Put this information in a sidebar. You can use bullets to show quick statistical facts.

· Note resources. Your article may link to other topics of interest. Rather than putting this information in the main article or story you can write it in a sidebar. This makes the resource more noticeable and gives you the content you need for your sidebar.

· Follow the guidelines for writing a sidebar if you are having your work published. Check with your publisher on their criteria, but generally you must double-space the text, write the sidebar on a separate piece of paper, making sure that the information in the sidebar is correct and that your contact information and word count are at the top of the page.

Adapted from: http://www.ehow.com/how_2063484_write-sidebar.html

Index

Create an index if your finished product is substantial. There are computer programs that automatically index your writing or you can make categories that are important to your family and keep track of the pages on which the information is found. For example, you would want to include all names of people and locations, at least.

Transitions

Without transitions your writing will not progress smoothly and your reader will be lost. Transitions help guide your reader and help you emphasize the important ideas you wish to convey.

Transitions can be tricky, and if you find they are extra difficult either within your story or between stories, look at your organization. The flaw could be there.
For transitioning between stories for a book the following steps can help.

1. Determine your audience.

2. Write all the stories you wish to write.

3. Put a sentence about each story on a 3" X 5" card as if each story was a scene in a play.

4. Organize the “scenes” (stories).

5. Find an underlying thread that can tie the stories together by reading the last part of one and the first part of the next. Find a “hook” or theme that ties all the stories together.

6. Determine if stories fall into groups or flow nicely together.

7. Determine what is missing to tie together some of the stories and edit accordingly.

8. Rearrange stories as needed.
9. Write and rewrite your stories with the hook and audience in mind.

10. Write your first chapter and the final chapter with the “hook” and your audience in mind.

Copyrights

Copyright laws prohibit the unauthorized use of materials without consent from the creator, unless that material is in the public domain.

That means you cannot lift a chapter from a family history book, copy pictures or illustrations from an encyclopedia, or use a graphic found on a web site unless you receive permission from the author or person who created the item. The exception to this rule is if the item is so old that it is not longer copyrighted and is in the public domain. Works created before 1978 are considered to be out of copyright when they are 75 years old. So any book published in 1923 or before (which has not had the copyright renewed) is in the public domain. Public domain items are fair game for use. You can copy the materials and use it as you see fit. Reputable authors will always credit a source, regardless of the copyright status!

Any writing, drawing, web page, or other "work of authorship" is copyrighted the minute it comes into being. For instance, as soon as I wrote this lesson, it was immediately copyrighted to me. No one else can reproduce it without my consent. Although some items such as e-mails may appear to belong to you, always ask the creator before you include an object which may be copyrighted.

That said, there is a way someone could use a small portion of an article if desired. The Fair Use exemption allows individuals to include copies of copyrighted materials for criticism, commentary, education, research, and news reporting. Fair Use relies heavily upon intent of the person using the material. If you are reproducing material from another family history book simply because you are too lazy to research the material yourself, the use of the material would not qualify as Fair Use. If you used the same material to dispute or make comments about the author's conclusions, that would be Fair Use. When invoking the Fair Use exemption, you must be sure to use only a small amount of material (some people say 45 words or less), give credit to the source of the material, and make sure your use of that work will not harm the value of the original work. There are many excellent online sites dealing with copyright issues and the forms you need to complete to obtain your own copyright.

Unique Books for Family Stories

Personal historians have found innovative ways to share memories with their families by choosing a theme. You may wish to write smaller books for your family stories with the focus on a topic instead of trying to put all your memories into one volume. Two possible ideas are the Culinary Biography and the Legacy Letter. See the list below for other such topics which can be a compilation of stories for your family.

To create a culinary history, families compile favorite recipes along with stories about special dishes or mealtime traditions. Food is often the center of a culture and bears great importance within a family. It gives us life and sustains our being; it is steeped in tradition, both in the foods we eat and the reasons for sharing them. The dinner table has traditionally been a place to gather and share the day’s activities while nourishing the body. Holidays or certain days of the week require certain foods for some families. Recipes have been handed down for generations while some have been recent creations between mother and child. Some dishes are newly adopted into the family tradition, especially as marriages occur and families blend. There are many memories of food in our lives, from smelling the coffee in the morning to the wonderful bread baking or meat frying in the pan. We all have food stories to tell and recipes to share.

Stories about food can take many directions and may include tales of learning to cook, details of holiday celebrations or even reminiscences of long-ago fishing or camping trips. The culinary biography is typically shorter than most family histories and allows many relatives to share their stories. Do not forget to add stories, biographies and photographs of the persons who made the recipe for your family as well as pictures of the food.

Another idea is to write family stories in the form of a letter to the future descendents or to compile as many personal letters as you can locate in your family’s attics. These would, of course, include those popular Christmas letters. Your booklet with all these letters would also focus on biographical stories of those who wrote, along with memories of them and photographs. Many people may choose to end this booklet with a Legacy Letter either written by you, the author, or by all the family members who wish to contribute.

In a Legacy Letter, a person sets out values or advice for children or other family members. These letters are always emotionally charged, particularly while paying tribute to those who shaped his or her life in a positive way. These letters may be shared while the author is still alive, included in your book on family letters, or they may be passed along in a will. For some people, a legacy letter offers the chance to speak directly to a loved one; others write such letters to correct misperceptions about their lives or to give insight about the family or advice to future generations.

Other possibilities for smaller books or even for chapters in a larger work could include the following:

1. Use a vacation or road trip as your underlying theme to tell about the lives of those with you. With this you can easily flashback to other stories and memories related to the individuals and then return to the trip to include all those wonderful stories.

2. Focus on family holidays throughout the years. What threads are common and what events happen to be unique that time? Again, the use of Flashback can allow you to return to memories prior to the holiday and give you opportunity to clarify the uniqueness of each family member.

3. A book on your school days memories and how you have changed over this time from a child to an adult. Of course, add stories of all those who influenced you along your path, including those favorite teachers.

4. Stories from the neighborhood. Use a map of your neighborhood or draw your own and recall all the people and stories involved. Perhaps your family moved, so multiple neighborhoods could become an entire book or chapter. Do not forget to add photos and your map as these will enhance the stories you write.

5. Write about your life in a particular house from the house’s point of view. How curious was the house with little ones running around on its beautiful floors and how sad when they grew up and left for their own homes?

6. Chronicle a major family move. Include the reason for moving, all the preparation, the route taken, finding a new home, and how it changed the family’s life. Perhaps your family moved often. This theme could be the backbone of a complete work.

7. Hobbies, talents, or crafts of family members. Some families tend to be musical in nature or artistic while others have some unique hobbies.

8. Writing a family history which focuses on specific individuals, usually a particular ancestor can be the basis of your book with the rest of the family and their stories connecting to that particular ancestor.

Adapted from Storyzon: http://www.themonthly.com/shopping-11-07.html

Miscellaneous Resources

Note: These sources are provided for your convenience and are
not personally endorsed by the authors of this booklet.

Citing Sources: Focuses on genealogy, so consult professional manuals if needed.
http://www.genealogy.com/19_wylie.html

Copyright Laws: Explains Fair Use and what is protected by the law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/

Who Owns Genealogy? Gives additional information on Copyright Laws.
http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/14_cpyrt.html

Cyndi’s List: Focuses on genealogy resources, but offers many links for writing and researching.
http://www.cyndislist.com/

Getting Organized
http://www.genealogy.com/getting_organized.html

How to Donate Published Genealogies to the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/gifts.html

Adding Detail to Your Narrative
Although this focuses on more distant ancestors, the ideas work for any story.
http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=8296&cj=1&o_xid=0001029688&o_lid=0001029688

Although I altered the information from may sites, I have given credit to the authors. Do ivist their wonderful sites listed above for more information.

©aulicino, 2008

Writer's Block: Turning Roadblocks into Speed Bumps

2008-09-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Every writer reaches a block in production. Many of the people in my classes have found that joining a writing group greatly helps them with their lack of writing. One published author joined my class and came out of her writer’s block. She now writes daily and is well into her second book. Others have joined the class to get fresh ideas and to be surrounded by supportive writers. Sharing one’s stories with others gives you the confidence and desire to continue. Writing in solitude is not greatly productive for many novice writers.

Many people have ideas on how to break their writer’s block, and what works for one may not work for another. ALSO, what worked for you in the past make not be helpful at a different time.

Often a writer can push through the lack of ideas or inspiration, but generally, it is important to understand why you have writer’s block. Knowing the reason you can only stare at a blank paper, holding a mute pen, can help you scale that brick wall, turning your roadblock into a speed bump. Writing Roadblocks vary greatly.

Getting to the source of the problem rather than just finding a way out of your writing dilemma is best. To do this you must decide why you have writer’s block. There are many reasons for not being able to write. Some may be lurking in your sub-conscience.

No Great Family Stories.
You may experience different ones at different times. Some people who wish to write their childhood memories and family stories may fee they have had a sad or uneventful life, perhaps one not worth telling or one which may be of little interest to others. So, let me first state the obvious: If we did not have the bad in the world we would not know what is good. All lives are eventful. Events in our own world over decades shape us and you never know when your words, your life’s stories will help shape someone else.

Writing and Spelling Problems.
Perhaps you are not pleased with your writing or spelling. It does not matter that you write only a timeline, a rough draft stories, or a bound booklet. The idea is to leave these precious memories for your family and the future generations. Any one would rather have a poorly written, misspelled diary, journal or pile of stories over nothing.

What you write is more important than how you write. The goal is to get the stories down. Tips to help improve your sentences are available on the Internet, if you wish to improve. However, remember the goal of writing your family stories is to share them with your descendants. Maybe not the descendants you currently know, but those in the future generations. Any of them would rather have your boring sentences and misspellings than no stories of their ancestors. Perhaps they may wonder about your writing skills, but they will surely cherish every word you write.

Cannot Get Started.
You just do not know where to begin the story of your life. I would urge you not to start at the beginning of your life, but to write on what motivates you at the moment. However, in writing individual stories, you do not have to start at the beginning of any one story, either. You can begin at the beginning or at the end. Give the lesson you learned first, then go back to explain what happened. Remember: You are not entering a contest; you are recording your history. Relax and enjoy reliving it through your writing.

No Ideas.
There are hundreds of writing prompts on the Internet, many books on the topic, and you can email me to purchase a copy of my booklet. I am sure that after you read a single page of my booklet that you will be ready to write, if the topic has any relevance to your life. My booklet is not just one-line topics, but includes many related prompts and ideas to get you jump-started.

Besides using published prompts, you can gather your own ideas with some of these techniques:

1. Brainstorming. On a blank paper start writing the first things that come to mind. Perhaps you have a topic; perhaps not. Then add the answers to such questions as who, what, why, when, where, and how. Read your finish product searching for story ideas.

2. Webbing. This is another form of brainstorming. Write a topic in the middle of your paper and then write a few words that relate to the topic in random places on your page. Draw lines to connect related topics. You can also add ideas under each of those sub-topics. Think of this as a cross between the random thoughts of brainstorming and the organized ideas of an outline.

3. Free Write. Write for a set time, and write anything that enters your mind. If that is only the statement “I can’t think of anything to write” then write it until your mind changes its thoughts. Regardless, do not stop writing. The pen must continuously flow as quickly as you can write. Try to write for at least ten minutes and increase that time, if needed. A timer works greatly for this as you should not have any time to look at a clock. Once you have finished, read what you have and try to locate some kernel that sparks a memory. Maybe it will be a story on how you were stuck when writing a high school essay, even!

4. Notebook or Note Pad. Even famous aruthors are known to carry a note pad with them to jot down ideas as they live their daily lives. Keep a notebook with you and one beside your bed. Write down thoughts that come to you during the day or as you try to fall asleep. Often something in our lives triggers a memory. Perhaps you may wish to write about what happened that particular day. For your descendants to learn about everyday life is very worthwhile. Just think how much you would have enjoyed knowing about the daily lives of your pioneer ancestors.

5. Writing from a Photo. “A picture is worth a thousands words,” they say. Then you should be able to write a thousand words for it. Drag out the photo album and reminisce about each one. When and where was it taken? Who is in the photo? Why was the picture taken? Perhaps the photo reminds you of a story about one of the people pictured? Many stories can surround even one photo. Make notes so you can write about the other stories later.

Concerns about Sharing Your Stories.
You are concerned about sharing your writing. What if my family says the event did not happen the way I remember? What if some story I tell embarrasses or hurts someone?
These are legitimate concerns, but you must put everything in perspective by thinking ahead fifty years or more. What is the bigger picture?

1. Your Truth.
All of us have reminisced about an event only to discover our experiences and memories were totally different from another who was present. Each of us takes away from a situation the information that is relevant to us at the time. What we store in our memory is directly related to what is of interest to us and what our needs happen to be. Also, memory is stored in fragments in different parts of our brain which is why a smell or sound can help us recall what we think may have been a lost memory. Sometimes newer memories are stored in such a way in our brains that they alter the original memory a bit. These reasons are why people remember the same event differently.

What you write is your truth. It does not make it right or wrong, but YOUR truth; your point of view. If you have family members who disagree, encourage them to write their version and include both. Seeing the different perspectives can be very important as we all take away from any given situation something entirely different.

2. Family Skeletons.
Do not share your stories if you do not wish, but recognize that everyone can find something of value in what you have to say. We all have different abilities so no one can throw stones, really. As you write about a relative who has made some very bad choices in life, remember to find some good in that person as well.

All people have value. There is good and bad in everyone and life’s circumstances and our choices shape our lives. Some of us struggle more than others, but each of us tries our best to do what we think is right at the moment. We all make mistakes, and it is important to recognize those errors in ourselves and others. There are always kind and gentle ways of explaining problems. Focus on the good in people, but do not neglect the bad. Show the mistakes so lessons can be learned by the reader.

Writing these stories can bring the family closer together in a better understanding of the situation. Writing these stories can help the youth see that adults make mistakes and most often all ends well. We touch thousands of lives in our lifetime, and we will never know how we affect others. You affect others with your stories. People can find hope in knowing honestly how life really is. Rose-colored glasses hide sad eyes so bring the darkness to light and surround it with honesty and understanding.

Many more ideas are available to help you turn those roadblocks into speed bumps. After a while, your road will become smooth again.

©aulicno, 25 Sept 2008

Making a Writing Class Work for You

2008-09-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Joining a writing class is the best way to get your stories written. Most of us cannot continue to write in isolation. We need that weekly stimulus, support, and ideas to keep us focused.

I have a student in my writing class who tried several teachers until she found a good fit. So do not be discouraged if the first class you attend does not work for you. Give it some time, but find another class that meets your style and needs.

Once you enroll in a class, getting the most you can from it is quite simple. Although any choices you make are up to you, it does help if you can attend each class, participate in group discussions, praise and give helpful comments to readers, share your writing weekly so you can get feedback to improve your story, and ask questions whenever you need help.

Besides getting involved with what happens in your class, you can see further benefit by noting what you like about others’ stories and emulating those ideas in your writing. Take notes as people read, jotting down ideas on how they organized the story events, how they present some aspect of their story, and what unique words or phrases they use.

The more you provide for your writing the faster you will progress toward your goals. Try to set aside a few hours several times a week to write and rewrite your stories. Reward yourself for completing a certain task.

If you have a particular writing problem, ask for help from your instructor in how to make corrections. Examples of typical problems include:

1. All sentences sound alike. Most start with a subject, then a verb and then an object.

2. Verbs are boring. Over use of the same verbs as went, bought, sat, walked, ran, etc.

3. Words are redundant. You tend to use the same words over and over.

4. Story sounds dry or boring. If your story sounds more like a manual or a news article, you probably lack description and details. Use exciting verbs, phrases and action to get your reader involved with the characters. Readers must care about the people in your story.

5. Story sounds stilted or formulaic. You are probably being too descriptive or not writing with emotion. Write from the heart and show feeling. Use description and detail to paint a picture in your reader’s mind.

6. Paragraphs are confusing. Many small or large paragraphs can be a sign that organization is weak or you do not understand topic sentences and supporting details.

7. Story does not flow smoothly. Transitions may be lacking from one paragraph to another or from one story to another. This can be an organizational or word choice problem.

Come to class with questions about your paper. Be armed with a focus and be specific, asking listeners to pay attention to whatever particular problem you feel you may have. Ask for feedback on areas you feel are weak and make a note of the group’s comments. For example: If you are concerned that a certain part of your story may not be descriptive enough (or too much so), then before you read ask the group to watch for that issue.

As in any undertaking, the more involved you are, the more you get from the situation. At times, the effort may be difficult, but persistence does end in reward. Never judge your writing against another’s work as writing styles do vary, and we all have different skill levels. Everyone can improve their writing skills, but not everyone will have the same results just as not everyone will be a great swimmer. However, remember the original goal: It does not matter in the end how well you write, but that you leave whatever stories you can for your descendants.

E. Aulicino
©2008

Gathering Information for Writing Your Memories

2008-09-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

Gathering information for your family history comes from a variety of resources, including your particular memories as a child, family stories passed through the generations, tangible objects around you such as photos, and artifacts you have inherited or ones you wish to pass to future generations. Information stored in your memory can be stimulated through various sources outside of those in your possession, as well. Those sources may include researching on the internet or in books about your family’s history or the time periods in which they lived.

Memories are stimulated by sharing your stories with others and listening to theirs. For this reason you are encouraged to participate in a writing class on an on-going basis. You will be amazed at what you will recall and how much you can complete for your descendants.

Following are a few techniques that will help you gather more information.

Photos, Artifacts and Memorabilia

Take an inventory of all the items you have inherited and those you wish to pass to the next generation. These would include photos, recipes, ticket stubs, program booklets, documents, certificates, and various artifacts. An artifact in this situation is any tangible object you have acquired from a relative or friend that has sentimental value to you or to some family member as well as those you possess or have purchased that you wish to leave to your descendants.

By plowing through boxes of old photos and memorabilia and as you recall those keepsakes you inherited, you will remember many stories. As you sift through these items, consider these ideas:

..........When and where were the photos taken?
..........Who are the people in the photos, and what are their stories?
..........How did you obtain the memorabilia, and why have you kept it?
..........Who gave you the items you inherited; what is the history behind them and to whom did they belong?

Timeline

One of the best collecting and organizational tools for writing your memories is making a timeline of your life. This timeline allows you to recall the events of your life and to collect them in an organized manner. It will be your “Table of Contents” and should appear first in your filing system. Consider a timeline your outline while writing. You will add to it as you work and as your memories return to you. Although you may begin writing only a sentence or two, it can become a source of stories on which you can expand. If you do no more than just complete a timeline for your life, you have still left your descendants a wonderful gift.

To begin, write the years from your birth to the present on the left side of your paper. If writing by hand, leave several lines of space or put one year on each page. Be prepared to revise it. If you are using a computer, leave one line of space between each year and add information as you go.

Example:
Timeline (or you could title it: Events of My Life)

1947: Jun 6. Birth of Emily……blah, blah, blah….
Sept. Parents moved from an apartment to 1997 South
8th Street, KCK

1948:

1949: Apr. 28. Sister Teresa is born

1950:

1951: July. Major flooding of the Kaw (Kansas) River in Kansas
City, Kansas.

Information about the years you skip will be added later, wherever possible. As you will have more than one entry for many years, put them in the best date order, even if you have to guess. Note that each event has a separate line. Make certain that you indicate it is a guess by adding some note or symbol, such as: circa, ?, pos. (possibly), or prob. (probably). Try to add a location for each event. Be sure to add all the addresses where you have lived with a short notation of why you moved.

Timeline Ideas
To expand your Timeline and to help you prepare for other stories, try to accomplish the following as you write about various topics.

1. Go through your photo albums or boxes and record their events on your Timeline. (Organize your photos, if you have not done so and be certain all names, dates, and locales are on the back. Use an archival photo pen to prevent damage to the picture—a huge task, so start now, doing a little at a time.)

2. Find those old Christmas Letters you wrote or you received. They are full of clues for your Timeline.

3. Did you or family members keep diaries or Journals? Locate them and record the information.

4. Do you have old letters from family and friends? They are full of great news which can enhance your stories.

5. Were you the one who wrote appointments and events on calendars and are lucky enough to have kept them? OR…perhaps you keep a date book. (HINT: These may be things you will want to do and keep for future memories, as well, and especially if you have children or grandchildren.)

6. Jot down ideas that come to mind when talking with friends and relatives. (I was at a friend’s house, and seeing a photo of her and her sister in a galvanized wash tub on a hot summer day reminded me of three short stories of my life—ones I had not remembered for years!) You never know when the memories pop into your mind so carry a notepad with you and leave one on your night stand or by your computer. Recording the memories that pop into your mind can be called “Flash memories” as they can leave as quickly as they arrive.

7. Go to many of the Web timelines by doing a Google search and seeing what historical events have happened during your life. Add these even if you do not remember them. Some you will remember, and you can write a brief sentence or two on them. If you were too young to remember these historical events, it will still be of great interest to your descendants how your life paralleled the great events in history.

8. Use your holiday gatherings to reminisce with friends and relatives about everyone's youth. You may be surprised what a relative remembers, and most people are thrilled to talk about the past.

9. Write the “flashing memories” from your notepad to your timeline.

Unknown Dates
When you cannot put a date to an event or a memory in your timeline, try these ideas:

1. List the month or season (summer, fall) under the year in your
Timeline.

2. Give an approximate date or age, but be sure to say it is a “good
guess” on your part. Example: about 8-10; teen years

3. Have a page or two for miscellaneous memories—ones that have no dates or have date ranges. Perhaps you could put them in groups such as “Elementary Years,” "High School Years,” “The 70s Decade,” etc. Just give each event some time frame.

Interviewing Tips

If you are fortunate enough to have living ancestors who can be interviewed, now is the time! There are several methods which can be used, but realize that once the ancestor begins sharing his or her memories your interview questions may change.

Interviews can be conducted over the phone, in person, by writing letters, by sending a blank tape (and perhaps a tape recorder), or by video taping the interviewee.

Many people love to be asked about their life’s stories, but they may not offer such stories on their own. Once deep in conversation with someone who genuinely cares, the interviewee may steer the interview in his or her own direction, sharing with you much more than expected.

There are many steps to good interviewing, and you need to be alert to the signals that will provide you with the stories you seek. Whether you are writing a letter, making a phone call or interviewing someone in person, let these tips guide you:

1. Always record the date, place and time of any interview along with the full name and relationship of the interviewer and interviewee.

2. Use a tape recorder since taking notes as someone speaks is difficult. Be sure to ask permission to tape record, however. Another option is to send blank tapes to a person to record their answers to your list of questions. Sometimes you may have to furnish a tape recorder for them, as well. It is very nice to record the voices of your family members for future generations. See future blogs for preserving cassette tapes.

3. If you are interviewing a person directly, make a morning appointment, if possible so everyone is alert. Often after lunch elderly people become quite tired.

4. Let the interviewee know how you will use the material and, if possible, have the person sign a release form giving you permission to record their story.

5. Ask clear questions with the easiest ones first.

6. Do not ask for too much information at any one time. Focus on one topic or area and let your questions come naturally from what you learn.

7. Refocus on the question or topic as needed from time to time, but permit the interviewee to follow the memories he or she recalls rather than constantly returning to your topic.

8. Ask your interview subjects “story-ending questions” as a way to wrap up his or her stories or memories. For example: Where do you go from here? What have you learned from your experience? What message do you want to pass on to the readers or descendants?

9. Take a photo of the interviewee.

10. If you are writing letters, include a self-addressed stamped envelope, and only ask a few questions in any one letter.

Research Tips

1. Always begin your research with yourself, recording the facts of your life.

2. Interview any and all members of your family, even on the same topics, as different perspectives on a situation can add more information about the event.

3. Check the backs of your photos as well as those photos of other family members for clues and information. As you do this, have family members help label the photos with full names, dates, locations, and relationships.

4. Add historical background to your writing by searching the Internet or the public library for information of the time and event.

5. Contact the family genealogist for more stories of the family or become the family genealogist. Your local genealogical society usually has beginning classes, and there are books in the public library to get you started.

6. Use the public library to locate newspapers of your ancestors or relatives. Depending upon the time period and location, you may find a few lines in the newspapers on your ancestors’ visits to relatives or about a family tragedy, marriage announcements, and obituaries.

Web Sources

Google is your friend! The Internet is the window to the world. At your fingertips, you have billions of pages covering every topic imaginable. There are many timelines on different aspects of our culture to give some background to your story’s setting. Google some products of your childhood (candy bars, cereal boxes, laundry soap your mom used, cars owned by you or your family, pets, etc.) or some scene from your past (vacation spots, movie theaters, etc.) and include a photo of it with your story. This is most helpful, if you do not have many photos that apply to your story. You may not have a photo of a family car, but recall many wonderful vacations or troubling repair stories. Using the Internet to find an example of this car will greatly enhance your story. The information for your stories that can be found on the Internet will surprise you.

The Internet has many resources which can help you identify time periods for photos as well, for example:

Hundreds of photos and clippings for fashion from late 1800s to mid 1900s
http://history.union.lib.nc.us/Women

You can also use the Internet to locate various topics on which to write. However, these topics are usually one liners, and often that does not help you compile ideas on a topic quickly, leaving you using your time trying to think of information for the topic rather than writing.

Books

There are many more books available than those mentioned here and on many more subjects related to researching and writing family stories. For example, there are excellent books on antiques to help you date your precious treasures and inexpensive booklets for birth years that give you prices of items, tell you who won the Oscars, report the news headlines and much more.

Although there are other excellent books on dating photographs the following two show how to use every clue in a photo to gain more information about it. As the author states, sometimes what is not in the photo is just as important as what is.

1. Forensic Genealogy by Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD, 2005, Rice Book Press, Fountain Valley, California, pgs. 220. ISBN: 0-9767160-0-3

2. The Dead Horse Investigation by Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD, 2008, Rice Book Press, Fountain Valley, California, pgs. 239. ISBN: 978-0-976-71605-1

As for writing topics, what you need to know, however, is that most books give you one-line topics with little space to develop that topic. This does not stimulate writing. If you scrapbook or are a genealogist there are many other books available with wonderful ideas on journaling and writing your family history. The following sources are much more thorough.

1. “Memoing” My Memories by Emily Aulicino, 2003, self published. Contact: Aulicino@hevanet.com

2. Celebrating the Family by MyFamily.com, Inc, Editors of MyFamily.com/Ancestry Publish, 2002 Barnes & Noble Publishing, 256 pages, ISBN: 1586635921

Gathering information for your family stories can be a rewarding experience. You can reconnect with family to get their versions, and you can get your photos and artifacts arranged and properly archived for your descendants. You might even organize a family reunion to reminisce and to collect more stories. You will have many lost memories return just by the interactions of attending a writing class. You will enjoy recalling those wonderful memories and get a better perspective on the unpleasant ones. BUT, best of all…you will have a compilation of cherished family stories to leave as your legacy.

©Aulicino, July 2008

Making Progress on Your Writing Project

2008-09-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

Writing a family history, whether it be one with a genealogical focus or just a compilation of your childhood stories, can take months and even years. How does one endure when the goals look so daunting? Just how do you progress and still keep your sanity?

The answer to these questions and to making progress on your project lies in your desire to meet your goals to a great degree, but also in good planning. Planning begins with breaking your goals into manageable steps, creating a routine, and using all available resources.

Goals Within Goals

When the goal looks very large, break it into smaller goals, smaller steps. If your goal is to complete all your family stories within a year or in time for a certain date as a gift for someone, then organize your tasks into smaller chunks and give yourself deadlines.

Maybe that smaller goal is to write ten stories a month covering a certain time period. In this case, make a list of what those stories will be and break those ten into what you can accomplish in a week. Some stories may be longer than others, so do not commit to three a week, but do work to get ahead of your schedule when possible as you just never know when other events of your life will interfere with your routine. Perhaps your style is to write your first draft for everything and then edit. Edit as many times as needed to make your writing clear for your reader.

Regardless of your plan, allow time between each draft before editing. After you have written, put the story aside for days or weeks before you return to it to edit. By following this plan, you will easily find places to correct. We often think we are writing what is in our mind, but upon closer reading (which cannot be done immediately after writing), you can discover omitted information, unclear sentences, and disorganization.

Pacing Your Work

As we are all creatures of habit, good and bad, finding time to write on a daily basis may cause much strife since adopting new habits is most difficult. Some writers may feel that they would not have enough about which to write during an hour or two daily. However, there is not just story writing to do, but adding to your timeline, rewriting a draft, and polishing the final paper. You may find that you will be writing more than one story at a time, thus having them in different stages of the writing process. Regardless of how much time you spend on writing, whether it is daily or a few times a week, make it a routine.

Getting Ideas From Others

Everywhere we turn there are ideas for stories if we are carefully watching and listening. Various books offer topics for writing our memories, and the Internet is crowded with them. The television or a movie may remind us of a past event. Even in our daily lives we often find a stimulus that takes us back to another time and place. It could be the comment of a friend, the mention of a location or certain event, or some memory that pops to mind while we are deep in our thoughts. Any interaction with people, places, and things can trigger a story from the past.

As these ideas quickly enter our minds, they are also apt to leave just as suddenly. For this reason, carry a notebook and jot down the ideas and the interesting phrases you hear. Keep a notebook beside your bed as ideas may occur as you fall asleep, during the night or just when you awake.

Of course, the ultimate way to find ideas for writing is in a writing class. As people read their papers, you will find some similarities to your life. Sharing stories helps everyone remember more stories from your past, thus giving you more ideas on which to write.

Making the Class Work for You

The old adage, what you put into something is directly proportional to what you get out of it, is also true of a writing class. If you come weekly with a story to share, the group will give you encouragement and help. As stories are read, you may find some clever phrase or a writing style that you wish to emulate thus improving your work.

Writing groups often discuss various aspects of their stories and memories related to a person, object, or event in someone’s paper. Often one topic of discussion leads to another with many people recalling their early days. These wonderful discussions can produce more ideas for your stories. In turn, your stories can provide all this for another writer.

Over time, a writing group bonds and friendships develop. You feel appreciated for your hard work, and, in turn, you receive more ideas for writing stories, learn how to improve your writing, see your writing style develop, and reach your goals. A writing class offers many opportunities to relive your childhood, to work through the tough times with support, and to produce a wonderful legacy for your descendants—even those who may never know you.

Make continual progress on your goals, and reward yourself for meeting those goals. You deserve it!

©Aulicino, July 2008

Organizing in the Early Stages

2008-09-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

When we speak of organization some of us will immediately look at our desk and scream! That is, if you can find your desk at all! However, when it comes to writing, there are a couple levels of organization. We can speak in terms of how to organize our stories into a finished product such as a book or CD, or we may mean how we keep our files organized while we are writing.

Regardless of your organizational choices, be flexible enough to change or update your system as needed.

* * * * *

Organizing in Preparation for a Final Product:

Some people write all their stories and then try to determine how to organize them. Other people need to build outlines not only for individual stories, but for the total overview of the finished product. No matter what you decide, be flexible as you may alter your organizational ideas mid-stream.

Following are some steps to help you organize when you begin your project:

1. Make a brief outline before you start to compile your stories. It should not take you longer than a few minutes. A Timeline of your life may be your guide. This becomes your map.

2. Write a few notes on what your finished product is. Not only does this help you develop and stick to a theme, but it helps you focus on an introduction and conclusion for your finished product.

3. Write—or at least think about—your story in sections, chapters, blocks, sub-themes. Again, it helps to keep you on track and forces you to toss out the material you do not need. Yes—as hard as that is—we all have to do it; however, as we want to chronicle all our stories, you may put some that do not fit well in an addendum, so do not throw them too far!

4. Interview family members or people relevant to your writing. Make a list of names, contact information, and the date of the interview. Be sure to get a signed release form allowing you to use the material. (Interviewing will be covered later.)

5. Stories are always more fun to read when you sprinkle anecdotes and quotes from people you have interviewed. Other quotes may come from diaries, letters, books, or old newspaper accounts. Use famous quotes if relevant to your story. (Be sure to document your sources.)

6. Try writing without your notes, but refer to your notes when you need to. Also make notes as you go about your daily life or as they occur to you. You may choose to incorporate them later or they may become other stories.

7. As you write, use transitions to move your story from one story to the next or one chapter to the next. Transitions help readers follow the story easily.

8. Justify everything you use. Ask yourself questions: Is this advancing the story? Why is this important? What happens to the story if I leave it out? (Remember, do not toss it far, but you may wish to “relocate” it until which time it may fit your overall goal.)

9. Know how you want to end your story before you start. It makes it easier to write when you know where to stop. So when you are thinking of your opening, think, too, of your ending.

* * * * *

Maintaining a Filing System:

Whether you decide to store your stories which are in progress or finished on your computer or in a paper filing system, there are several steps and approaches you might use.

One author I know keeps a filing system of folders in her computer for Stories in Progress; Stories Which Need Proofing; Completed Stories; and Stories Sent to Publishers. This system can work in paper form as well.

Another approach could be to keep folders for various topics or time frames. For example: School Years; Vacations; Teenage Years. Also, there could be some overlapping in some cases, and you may wish to consider a Miscellaneous file.

You may wish to use your computer for organizing your work in a series of folders and sub-folders, but , wisely, you may wish to print your stories as well. AND...don't forget to back-up your files!

There are many approaches to organizing your stories, and you need to find the one that works for you!

Getting Started

2008-09-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

For some of us, it is difficult to fill that stark white paper. Although you could just start writing or brainstorming ideas for your story, there are a few preparations that will help you reach your goal. You could make these decisions at a later time, but by making your choices now, the entire writing process can be much easier.

Before You Begin Your Project...

1. Establish your goals (purpose) and determine your audience.

The basic goal or purpose in writing your family stories and childhood memories is to record them for your family’s future generations. This can be done in various ways and many ideas are found in Chapter 8 of this booklet. Although you may be completing a booklet for your grandchildren, niece or nephew, your main audience should be those future generations who will only know you through your writing. Remember, whatever you write, make it as clear as possible to your reader, but do not worry about quality over quantity. Your descendants will love to have your misspelled papers rather than nothing.

2. Be committed to your project.

All of us have years of history behind us, and this means, of course, a lot to record for those descendants. In order to complete the task, it will be important that you have a commitment to writing often. Naturally, you will never “finish” your story as you create it daily, but by using a Timeline (This will be explained in a later post), you will have provided a great “outline” of your life as you continue to write individual memories.

Remember that from time to time your commitment may have to be renewed. Being in a writing class does help you to accomplish that as well as bring you to a higher level of commitment.

3. Provide time to write.

In order to strengthen that commitment, you do have to spend time writing on a weekly basis—ideally on a daily basis. Find a few hours to yourself and write whatever story comes to mind or work on your class topic. At the least, write weekly.

Plan your work time. How much time should you allow to write each chapter? If you have a deadline or one you have set for yourself (I have to get this finished before the family reunion!), you can readily determine how much time you need to allocate for the book. Do not forget to allow time for the pre-story (Introduction) and post-story (Conclusion and Appendices) sections of your book.

4. Be flexible in altering your goals as needed.

From time to time we get side-tracked. Life’s other commitments do get in the way. However, just be aware that you may have to alter your original goal of writing a 200 page book and opt for a CD. Or perhaps you will not be able to re-write all your work to perfection. Over time you may become interested in doing genealogical research on your family and incorporating those records as well as writing biographies of your ancestors and other family members.

5. Develop some type of organization.

The earlier you establish some sort of organization, the better, but do not make it an obstacle to keep you from writing. Whether you choose to use a computer or file folders, organize your writing chronologically until you have decided upon a particular format for the finished product. It will be easier to locate time related material if you decide to organize your final booklet, CD, etc. by topics or date ranges. Remember to back up your computer and to print copies of your work for safe keeping.

If you are not using a computer, you can write in a journal type booklet or on notebook paper and organize these into file folders in time related groups such as: “Childhood Years, up to age 12”; “Teen years, ages 13-19”; “Early Adulthood,” etc. It would still be wise to share your stories with a family member as you write so there will be a copy outside your home in the case of disaster. Family members also may help proofread, assist in clarifying the writing, and give praise for the wonderful asset you are giving the family.

Next we will cover Organization in the early stages of writing.

©Aulicino, 2 Sept 2008

Importance of Writing Your Memories

2008-09-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Many people neglect recording their own history and that of their immediate family. This is especially true of genealogists who are more busy collecting information on their ancestors than realizing that some day they will be the ancestor their descendants wish had left a journal of their life.

Many people do not have the time to start or know where to begin. In my presentations I show how to continue with your busy life and still find some time to record your childhood memories and family stories.

Often the question is asked by those living now: Why is it important to write my memories and family stories? They lament: My family knows me; knows my life's story. No one will really care about my life; it's really uneventful.

Most of us enjoy knowing a bit about the lives of our grandparents or parents and we often tell our children what we or family members did when very small. All of us possess a desire to know about our heritage. Those descendants in the next fifty years will also wish to know about their heritage and their ancestor's every day life.

We know that history is written by the victor, but it is the history…the story…of the common person that is most important. There are many untold stories that need preserving. It is important that these memories continue to live.

We also know that history which is not written soon after it happens is often forgotten or inaccurately remembered. Like the old telephone game, passing information orally looses its accuracy and detail...or becomes greatly embellished! Over the generations oral history can take on an aura of folklore.

Just as we are interested in how our grandparents made a living or paid $.17 for a gallon of gas, everyday life of the common people will be of interest to the future generations. Think about all the inventions and events that have happened during your lifetime. Our lives have moved rapidly in many ways. Yes, one can read about them in various archives or on the Net, but these are not YOUR stories. Those personal stories, full of your emotion, bring YOU to life in the eyes of your great-great grandchildren long after you are gone.

So why write our family stories? The following are only a few reasons.

1. For its personal healing. Writing is therapeutic. You may write learn about ourselves; to heal wounds; to realize how your life experiences have shaped you.

2. To create a bond with the family, as stories are shared and remembered.

3. To understand the skeletons in the family closet and to help family members accept everyone for whom they are/were and see their worth.

4. To bridge the gap between generations.

5. To better understand of ourselves, our family and its traditions, and of the trends we set for our children and future generations.

6. To leave your descendants a wonderful legacy of your family’s life.

7. To let your descendants know that life has its struggles and its rewards. To show them that even if you had a rough time, you landed upright. This gives the younger generation who struggle the hope and direction they need in difficult times.

In some cultures there is a belief that a person never dies until his or her name is spoken for the last time. Our friends and family do stay in our hearts after they are gone, and for that reason, it is all important to celebrate their lives through by writing your memories of them. It is equally important for you to record your life as someday, you will be the person whose name is spoken for the last time and by writing your memories, your legacy will live on.

Let's get started!

©Aulicino, 2 Sept 2008