Writing family history does not have to mean publishing a family history book. Here are three alternatives to a family history book.
Reports in family history software
Writing family history is made easier if you use family history software to document your research. You can easily write up your family history using the reporting and charting tools in the software.
The basic reports can be generated in a matter of moments, provided you have entered sufficient information to your family tree. With a bit more time, you can customise the basic reports and add extra content such as stories, maps and photo galleries.
Through customisation, a report can be converted into a book which could be published, if you wish. Alternatively, you can keep it as an unpublished PDF document.
Reports from Ancestry
Writing family history can also be achieved if you use Ancestry.com to document your family history.
Ancestry allows you to generate reports and charts. The LifeStory and Facts screens of individual profiles both have a print option, from which you can create a PDF document for an individual. The LifeStory is in the format of a timeline and it includes any photographs you have added to the Gallery for that individual. You can customise the LifeStory by editing text or by adding a biography.
The Facts report includes any source citations you have attached to the information. From the tree view in Ancestry, the print option takes you to an external site, MyCanvas, which allows you to create a family history book based on your Ancestry family tree (for a fee).
Benefits of writing family history as a report from software or Ancestry
The advantages of writing family history in a report format using online or offline software are that it:
- is easy to compile
- can be updated as your research progresses
- follows formats which are recognisable by other genealogists.
Sharing reports
In my article about whether you should write a family history book, I emphasised that there are different purposes for writing up your family history and different audiences.
The report format is great for sharing your research with other researchers and for helping you analyse the research that you have done so that you can generate new research leads.
Generally, report formats are not great for sharing your research with family, although the customisation options do go some way to addressing this limitation.
Writing family history as a scrapbook
Unlike reports, a scrapbook is a great format for writing family history to share with family or non-genealogists. I use the term ‘scrapbook’ loosely to mean a document that is built primarily from visual elements, such as photos and illustrations.
You could, for example, include the following in a family history scrapbook:
- a simplified family tree
- photographs
- maps
- extracts from official sources
- lists of children and family members
- images of family letters, signatures, and other family mementos.
Scrapbooks are more aesthetically pleasing than reports and convey information in smaller chunks, which means family are more likely to engage with them.
You can create a scrapbook in the traditional way, using an album and adhesives. However, I prefer to create digital scrapbooks.
The advantages of this format are that:
- it is fun to compile
- it can be updated as your research progresses
- production of a digital scrapbook is cheap, you can customise it for different family members and you can make additional copies when needed.
Source citations are optional in a scrapbook, if the audience is family.
Writing family history on a website
Creating a family history website is another fun way to compile your research and share it with others. Blogging platforms such as WordPress enable you to create a free (or low cost) website to share your research.
Your family history website can be anything you want it to be. A compilation of stories, photo galleries, family tree charts, surname lists and a way to communicate with family and other researchers.
The advantages of this format are that:
- it is fun to compile
- it can be updated as your research progresses
- one website can contain elements for different audiences (both researchers and family).
Using a website to write up and share your family history does present a few challenges:
- not all platforms allow family tree plugins
- a website does not preserve your family history in the way that a published book or depositing with an archive does
- information on a website cannot be printed unless you specifically include the means to do so.
More information
For more of my articles on documenting your family history, go to the Document page.
Post last updated 17 June 2024