Write (your family history) Now- Decisions

There are lots of ways to begin a family history project. You can be as creative as you like. You can choose one person in your family to focus on or work on the whole family at once. You can use technology like a tape recorder, internet and word processors, or you can just grab a pen and a pad of paper. You can focus on a specific period of time, like the depression era or use a more general approach. You may choose to work chronologically or skip around. The possiblities are endless.

But what matters most, is that you start. And to start, all you need to do is begin thinking about what it is you want to accomplish by creating something that has never existed before; your written family history!

Before you begin a family history project, you will need to make a few decisions. In order to do that, answer the following questions;

1. Who do you want to begin with? This may be one person or several.

2. What period of time do you want to cover? You may choose a person's entire life or a more specific period, such as their married life, or their childhood.

3. Do you want to work at gathering information alone, or enlist the help of other relatives?

4. What do you want the final result to look like? Though it is not mandatory to decide this right now, it is helpful to begin thinking about it.

Now that you've answered the questions, you are ready to begin gathering information. Next time- Getting Organized

Karen