Computer Genealogy Specialists

Ideas for Writing a Personal History

(Article 35)

"I urge all of the people of this church to give serious attention to their family histories, to encourage their parents and grandparents to write their journals, and let no family go into eternity without having left their memoirs for their children, their grandchildren, and their posterity. ..." Spencer W. Kimball.

"It is absurd to think that life begins for us at birth. The pattern is set far back; we merely step into the process." (Kathleen Coyle) Remember that the palest ink is better than the strongest memory. "In a very real sense, the writer writes in order to teach himself, to understand himself, to satisfy himself." (Alfred Kazin) "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I write and I understand." (Chinese proverb)

One of the more delightful ways to jumpstart a personal history is to be interviewed and recorded by someone who knows you but is not familiar with your history. Some wards implement an SOS program of Save Our Stories. Each of the young men and women are coached and asked to interview an older member of the ward. They ask questions similar to those listed below. The results are heartwarming for both the adult and youth as the generations begin to understand and appreciate one another. The important part is to ask open-ended questions then let the story teller be free to narrate. Only interrupt to clarify an item or ask a new question after the last one is fully answered. When the interview is finished, the recording is transcribed onto paper for the story teller to have. Interviews can be conducted in person (preferred) or by phone or computer link (need special recording techniques).

Tell me ...: (Note: a chronology {time-line} of related experiences prepared in advance can help tell the stories.)

‚ Your name, when and where you were born, and the names of your parents and siblings.

‚ About your childhood, where you grew up, what you did, and how you were raised.

‚ About your grade school, junior high, high school, college, and training you have received.

‚ About your more memorable teachers, friends, people that have influenced your life.

‚ About your greatest successes, and failures. How did they happen, and how did you respond.

‚ About your courtship and marriage.

‚ About your first child and how each subsequent child was unique.

‚ About your work experience.

‚ About your travels, hobbies, and what you do when you have spare time.

‚ About your church and community activities, the positions you have served in, and what it meant to you.

‚ About your activities during the war (which war), the friends you made, and how it changed your life.

‚ About your testimony and what it is based on.

‚ About your goals, aspirations, and plans for the future.

‚ What advice would you give to the youth of today?

Another way to rapid-start a personal history is to gather photo albums and memorabilia and tell someone about them. If you like you can group them according to the mind-jogger list that follows. If they represent a shared experience between husband and wife, siblings, or parent and child, you might consider a brain-storming session when more than one perspective is recorded. After the recording is transcribed, keep the recording as a representation of the voices and personalities of those speaking. Allow the story tellers to make corrections, changes and additions to the written story. Finally, have someone perform the editing function to eliminate useless phrases, busy-words, and liven the narration with stronger action verbs and descriptive adjectives. The final result, however, is always under the control of the story teller(s).

Personal histories are best kept to a reasonable size (3 to 10 pages), giving an overview of one's entire life, to date. Family members are more likely to read this history than a large bound volume. The history should be supplemented by any number of historical events (See sample story on next page.). Histories and stories should be informative, interesting, and uplifting, indicating the lessons learned from all experiences. Pictures and page decorations help liven the text and give interest. It is a good practice not to wait until you die before sharing the history or events with family members, but rather send them copies as they are created.

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35 Ideas for Writing a Personal History