When writing family history, it is important to "get it right," as there might be generations using this information.
First of all, you want to decide where you want to begin your history. Do you want to go back generations or do you want to go back only several generations? Perhaps you might only want to tell your generational story, minus other generations. That is the first question to be dealt with.
After you decide where you want to start, you need an outline. What do you want to include in your story?
Where were you born? What are your parents/grandparents name and perhaps their backgrounds.
Do you have any siblings? If so, are they married and do they have children? Name them and perhaps tell something about each one.
The hard part is now. You have to refresh your memory and think back on the things you want your family to remember. These are things that you remember -- maybe, your first bike and how you learnt to ride it with your dad's able hands guiding the handlebars.
Perhaps your school days were part of your fond memories. Relate these.
If married, how you and your spouse met. Where you went on dates, etc?
Just jot down the thoughts, not the whole story. After you lay out the items you want to include, go back and elaborate on the events.
When you get started, you might think about something else that you would like the next generation to know, so it is best to use a three ring notebook to place all of your writing in. Whenever you finally have written down everything you want to include, then you can catalog the stories in a more concise manner. After this is done, you can decide to have books printed for everyone who should have one.
If you are going back in time to earlier ancestors, the public library and the internet offer fine resources for reference. Also, there are various sites you can reach by merely putting in the surname you are researching.
Do not hurry with this work of art. Make sure that the information is accurate and concise. A family history will be a treasure for years to come. So many times, people regret not putting their life story down on paper. Remember everyone has a story to tell, and someone is waiting to hear about it.
