What Was the Last Thing You Wrote?

You don’t have to write an entire book–but you should not write genealogical fiction either.

I like to research. It is fun to find things. The “thrill of the hunt” is what keeps many genealogists actively engaged in their pursuit of long-deceased ancestors.  It’s not always so much fun to look for things, but looking without finding is the nature of genealogy.

It may be the nature of life, but that is another story.

Writing that research up, if only for yourself–but keeping in mind a reader who is not familiar with your family–can really enhance your research. The grammar doesn’t have to be entirely perfect. The citations do not have to be in the correct form.

But you should explain your reasoning.

You should explain your conclusions.

You should have sources for your information. You should know what those sources are.

If you’ve never written any of your research up, start small.

Pick a date of an event or a relationship for one ancestor that you had to prove using more than one document.  One ancestor and one event or relationship. That’s a small chunk. It’s manageable.

You might be surprised what you learn in the process of writing.