Jan 1st 2014 - Happy New Year. What a great time to start to write your story, or the story of a family member or someone you know. Let's just do it!!!!
Getting started is always a challenge – and I have some
suggestion that will help you get going.
Some things to start with:
1.
Get a
folder (a simple plastic or manila folder is ok to start with) – though as
your journey continues you will probably find a plastic storage box is
best.
2.
Collect photographs. It maybe that you have to expand your search
to other family members to get a great collection. You need to choose around 20 good ones, but
remember, (a) you can post them all on a free blogsite after the story is
written and (b) you may need to check copyright on some photos if you wish to
use them.
3.
Collect letters
– while not many people write letters these day, thre may still be some that
have been “saved” by family members
4.
Items of
interest – artworks, sewing, etc.
5.
Documents
– copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, school reports etc.
When writing about my mother, I have most of the letters she
wrote to me over a 50 year period, though most have very little of great
interest. At least I have her
handwriting and often details of family events.
Sadly my mother did not always date them, and I didn’t either when I
received them, so they are a “mish mash” but still of value.
There are few photographs of my mother when she was very
young – 100 years ago there were not many cameras around, so photos are rare.
I am lucky that my mother was an artist and I have saved all
of the china painting that she gave me, and some I retrieved after my father
passed away, as well as one of her landscapes.
I also have some of the certificates from competitions for floral art
and cake decorating.
Also I am fortunate that she started to write her own story
some 30 years ago and for a while we both worked on it together.
It is also worth writing to people who knew the subject of
your story. In my mother’s case, she has outlived all her siblings, however,
many of my cousins have information that might be helpful. In fact shortly I will be writing to them
seeking information. I have a plan which
I will share in a future post.
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| My mother - Ida Joyce Watson (nee Ragless) - photo taken around 1942. |
