Why Your Stories Matter — and Why Your Family Will Thank You for Writing Them Down
At a recent presentation given by six of my writing group, one of the things that struck me was their passion – the belief in their words, and the constant desire to write. As I listened to them outlining the stories behind the book, and the research involved, it made me think about all the stories that never get written. Our stories.
Every book needs research of one kind or another. Research for historical fiction is, of course, essential and several of the group write in that genre. Research jogs our memory about dates and events and helps us remember where we were and what we were doing. Those events are significant.
Beyond that research into the past, is the research into best methodology, best writing tips, best presentation, and once the writing is finished the best cover designs, the best marketing ideas, the best way to connect with a reader. But not all writing has to be in books.
While my memoir, Where Stories Lie Buried, being released in September touches on those conversation, its broader discussion is about stories inspired by genealogy and why they need preserving – like a time capsule. A story passed on for the future.
One of the topics older people are drawn to are stories of the past until the conversation comes around to, ‘but the young ones don’t want to know’. I’m not convinced that is entirely true. I agree busy mums and dads haven’t the time to focus on what once was, while they raise a family, but as I age and my children follow suit into their 50s, I often hear ‘why did I not know that?’ or ‘Why didn’t you tell us this before?’.
They might come to want more of those stories yet.
The grandchildren are still building their lives, and their focus is on the future. How will they make a living, where will they live, when will they have children (if at all)? The past does not concern them… nor should it – and yet, I’ve lost count of how many times I have heard genealogists and older people say they wish they had listened to their grandparents more, wish that they could read their letters or learn more about them now they are parents or grandparents themselves.
The cycle is perpetuated. In time, they too might want to know.
While we retirees live in the present, keep up to date as best we can and value family interaction as precious, our future is shrinking and we spend more time thinking about our past, what we did, what we loved, and what mattered to us. We should share those memories.
I would encourage everyone to write the stories down somewhere, add photos and dates and names. You do not need to write a book. A page about your childhood home, a paragraph about your first job, a description of the street you grew up on, or an amusing story. Anything is better than nothing – one day your descendants will thank you.
This memoir does not include my personal stories, this one is about my genealogy journey and my writing life. What I discovered, what I learnt, and how I put it into practice. It offers a list of resources tips on writing and genealogy but is not an instruction manual. It is my story of how my books came to being, what inspired me, and why I write. My personal stories are stored elsewhere.
Where Stories Lie Buried; A Memoir of a Genealogist Turned Author officially launches on 25 September. You can pre-order the ebook or add your name to the print book list.
