Tell It Short 2nd Edition

Does the thought of writing your family history send you straight back to bed to hide under the covers? You're not alone. Most family historians agree that they enjoy research the most. What if there was an easier, more manageable way to share your family history, while telling the life stories of your ancestors in an interesting and factual way? There is.Tell It Short: A Guide to Writing Your Family History in Brief comes to the rescue, guiding and inspiring you to craft family history essays-the nonfiction version of the short story. Tell It Short gives those interested in writing their family history an alternative to the all-encompassing book by exploring the creative nonfiction essay form. This guide will show you how to share the stories of your ancestors' lives in a completely factual yet compelling manner. You will learn¿ key elements of effective nonfiction storytelling¿ ways to put ancestors into historical context without fictionalizing¿ methods for using appropriate speculation¿ several categories of family history essays: memoir, personal, humor, travel, food, and literary journalism¿ strategies for revising, editing, and proofreadingTell is Short contains helpful instruction, examples, and ten sample family history essays by Dinty W. Moore, Rebecca McClanahan, Sonja Livingston, and more. This guide will help you take your family history writing beyond the traditional begats into short works your family will enjoy reading.