Families have unique histories of their foundation and existence. The stories are interesting to read for generations. Writing a family story may be a daunting task so writers at MyCustomEssay want to share their expertise with you to make it fun and easy.
Writing the story of the entire family requires a huge investment in time and historical research. Numerous families have tried to write their histories, but only a few have succeeded. There are great lessons to learn from successful family story writers. Here are ideas that will make it easier to complete the family story.
- Own The Story
The reader will be looking for a unique narrative regarding your family. Such a narrative has names, locations, experiences, and a voice that is unique. Avoid telling the story as other people have done in the past. The most effective style is to tell an individual narrative.
The narrative does not have to follow the chronology that other people have adapted. It may involve children, education, business, positions, and other factors. Choose an idea that is unique to your family and use it to anchor your narrative. Imitating other stories will discourage readers from considering your work as serious. Imitations do not add any value to literature or storytelling.
- Involve Other Members Of Your Family
A single member of the family cannot be the custodian of all memories in a household. The perspectives of one member of the family may also be biased and fail to impress. You will be surprised at the wealth of history that family members hold. Denying them the opportunity to contribute will leave holes or missing links in your narrative.
- There Must Be A Protagonist Ancestor To Anchor Your Narrative
The best family story is anchored on a protagonist. The protagonist becomes a patriarch or matriarch who influences the philosophy and fate of all members. This protagonist may be alive or dead.
Most families pick grandparents who are influential in the setting up of the family. It could be the most learned, successful businessman, a socialist who brings everyone together, and such other ways of identifying antagonists. The best antagonist is one whose influence can be seen in the lives of all members of your family. Feel free to develop your writing skills by sharing your views and life stories anonymously on this discourse; you will learn a lot from the comments you receive from people.
- What Is The Goal Of Your Narrative?
Each family has a role to play in society. There are families that produce top administrators in the area. Others are known for their spiritual leadership. Some families will be unique because they have sporting roots. Your narrative should seek to share these qualities with society. Choose an idea or goal that you will be advancing in your story. In most cases, the goal becomes the constant theme in all your chapters. It also enables the reader to appreciate the influence or position of the protagonist.
- Create A Storyline Or Synopsis
Draw a storyline that will guide your narrative. The storyline gives you a limit on the areas to cover and enables you to focus on elements that will create the best narrative. It is impossible to capture all the details about a family in a single story. In fact, families will stretch for centuries and would only result in an endless book.
The synopsis also gives you specific areas where you will be researching. You avoid spending too much time on issues that will not go into the book because they are peripheral. Editors and co-authors will also tell you areas that will enrich your narrative yet have been left out. A synopsis helps you to create the most solid guide for your writing project.
- Create Chapters That Are Relevant
Identify the pillars that will form your chapters. Some writers have settled for generations to represent the chapters because they have common properties. They also show progress over the years, and readers will find it easy to relate to this arrangement.
The chapters should capture detailed information about the specific group you have chosen. Avoid including information haphazardly through the chapters because your story will be incomprehensible. Disorderly information will confuse your reader.
- Relate The Story To The World
Families live in the same society that the rest of the world is living in. Relate incidences in your narrative to occurrences that people outside your family can understand. For instance, you may relate the birth of a matriarch with the world war, a major sporting event, terrorist attack, earthquake, world record, and such other noticeable occurrences. The relationship created enables readers to create a context for the narrative.
- Include The Good And The Bad
Readers will dismiss any story that appears to paint a perfect family. Such a narrative lacks the real hook that compels people to read. Choose the good things that happen in the family and blend them with negative experiences. Choose the experiences that will help you advance the overall agenda. For instance, it defeats the purpose to depict most of your family members are unruly, yet your overall theme is that of an orderly family. The good and bad demonstrated in the story must be aligned to the idea you are driving.
- Spare Time To Write
A family story is not fiction. It involves incidences that can be verified by third parties. You, therefore, need sufficient time to complete writing the story. Failure to dedicate enough time will leave your story sketchy. It might also take too long to complete the story such that you lose the magic. Readers, editors, and reviewers can always tell whether the writer dedicated sufficient time to writing. The quality of the resulting work will betray you.
While you know more about your family, an editor must form part of your team. Involve the editor in polishing your story and ensuring that the language is acceptable for publishing. A story that will be read by the world must be interesting to read. It takes a professional editor to tighten the loose ends and help you to produce a captivating story about your family.