Great advice on writing a memoir from writing coach William Zinsser.
Here's an excellent article by author William Zinsser, one of our favorite "writing coaches," courtesy of The American Scholar. In it, he describes the personal history his father wrote and what it meant to him.
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Your family history book - should you DIY or hire a designer?
You've collected a lot of family history information and now you want to put it in a lovely book to give to your family for Christmas. Or perhaps you've been working for months on writing a personal history. Now what? How do you get your stories and photos into physical form?
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Our annual graveside memorial service at the family ranch in Southern Utah, where my Uncle Glendon and two of his children are buried.
On Memorial Day we remember those men and women who died in active military service. The holiday was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. Today, it serves as a day to remember any of our loved ones who have passed on.
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David Brooks asks the question: should you live for your resume or your eulogy?
New York Times columnist and PBS commentator David Brooks recently gave a five minute talk entitled, “Should you live for your resume … or your eulogy?" Brooks suggested that there are two selves within each of us: the self who craves success, who builds a resume, and the self who seeks connection, community, love — the values that make for a great eulogy.
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What is "the cloud," exactly?
If you don't understand what cloud storage is, you're not alone. I'm going to simplify it for you.
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My pretty mommy, Doris Wood Armstrong. How I wish I had asked her more questions while she was alive.
This survey, commissioned by A Place For Mom, Inc. (the nation's largest senior living referral service), revealed that 28% of Americans don't feel they know, or knew, their mothers as well as they would like.
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Paul Revere and Abraham Lincoln ponder their legacies.
After I spoke at the Salt Lake Rotary Club last week, author and educator Quinn McKay came up to me and said, “You have heard of Paul Revere and Abraham Lincoln, but what about Israel Bissell?” Upon seeing my puzzled look, he proceeded to enlighten me.
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Do your pictures look like the one on the left? Here's an easy way to improve your reproductions without using any special lighting or equipment.
If you do a quick Google search on this subject, you'll find lots of setups that professional photographers use to photograph artwork or other shiny subjects. They usually involve two artificial studio lights, a black mask behind which to put your camera, and even special lighting diffusion "tents." These are all terrific tools for professionals who need to get reproduction-quality shots. But what if you don't have any of that stuff?
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All those story ideas, rolling around in there. How do you capture them before they get away?
You know you want to write a personal history, memoir, or autobiography -- someday -- but it's so overwhelming. Where do you start?
What most people do is to start writing about their birth, and continue writing chronologically until they get burned out about halfway through kindergarten.
So what if I told you there is an easier way? Here's a simple tool you can start using any time, even if you're not going to start writing for quite a while. (It's also quite fun to do.)
Read moreJust to make your Friday a little better, here is a hilarious and touching obituary that was published last year in The Sun Herald in Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi. He wrote it with his daughter before he passed away. It makes me wish I had known him. (And I totally agree with Harry about the Daylight Savings Time thing.) Just a little food for thought -- an obituary, in many cases, could be the only lasting record of one's life. So make it a good one!
Read moreHow do you get from dry genealogy facts to a compelling story? This presentation from RootsTech 2020 will hopefully inspire you as well as give you tools to write your ancestors’ stories. (Audio with slides) Join me on a fascinating journey as I find one of my ancestors and write her story.
We are so excited to be back at RootsTech live this year! Come by and see the Pictures and Stories booth (#1609) and see some of the many new books we’ve helped our clients create. Alison is giving two in-person classes: The Seven Deadly Sins of Building a Digital Archive, and Making a Genealogy Story Book. Hope to see you there!