In May of 2020 I challenged myself and others to write every day for a month about a family heirloom or artifact (see the Family Artifact Challenge posts). Here are 10 lessons I learned from this genealogy writing experience.
1. Deadlines help you focus
Committing to an ambitious (but achievable) goal can help you focus. When I had a daily deadline there wasn’t time to worry what to write about. The deadline also kept me from going down too many genealogy rabbit holes.
2. Perfect is the enemy of the good
Overall I am quite pleased with what I produced. I hope you were happy with what you wrote. Writing everyday helped me become comfortable with the idea of a “good enough” blog post. There is no perfect.
3. Quantity can lead to quality
Good family history and genealogy writing comes from LOTS of family history and genealogy writing. Sort of like learning the piano — practicing a lot makes you better.
4. Writing leads to surprises
When you write about your family history, even things you think you already know about, new details often emerge. A fresh look at an old document might reveal details that you have overlooked for years! Not only are you documenting your family stories when you write, but you are also discovering them.
5. Report the details and the story tells itself
You still have to sit down at the computer or with pen and paper in hand. But, if you just start reporting the details a theme or narrative will emerge. Whether a sentence, paragraph, or page these are the important bits of your family’s story.
6. Writing helps you remember the story
You may be THE historian in your family. Writing helps encode these stories in your brain in a way that makes them easier to retrieve and share. You will be viewed as the genealogy expert in your family.
7. You get more than you give
Every time I shared a new piece of writing about our family history I received some NEW information from family members. I also received countless expressessions of thanks and inspiration. This challenge helped me connect to my family, past and present.
8. Genealogy writing is fun
Just trust me on this one.
9. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
I have been consistently writing about genealogy and family history for almost 4 years now. Some months have been more productive than others. What started in 2016 as an impromptu piece about my grandmother has grown into a portfolio of over 300 blog posts! I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
10. Writing family history helps you cope
This challenge started at the height of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and quarantine. With high anxiety and extra time on my hands I needed something to focus on besides facemasks and hand sanitizer. Writing about my family artifacts provided a healthy distraction.