Tools for Writing Family Stories

 

Get Your Ducks in a Row

Today, we will put the spotlight on the actual writing of your Family Stories. Those who are writers will have many of the tools needed to make the stories interesting and shine. People who want to leave a legacy with these stories but are not writers can use a few pointers. Maybe those who are writers can use a little review, as well.

The following list is to make you aware of what can be done when writing your stories. Is it a must to do all these things? Of course not! If you do make use of these suggestions, you'll end up with a more interesting read. As always, it's entirely up to you, but it's going to help you keep your ducks in a row!

A. Show vs Tell:  Yes, you are telling a story, but if you can show your reader what is happening, they will be drawn into the situation. This is not easy. You must work at it. You could say:  John was on his way to the store. Or, to make it more inteesting and show what he is doing, try:  On his way to the store, John ran three blocks, then jumped over a pile of logs someone had left in the way. He fell flat into a pile of leaves on the other side. Uncle Lenny came running.... 

B. Verbs:  It's a common practive to overuse the passive verbs like is, was, were, are. If you change them to an action verb, you will be showing what happened. And no, you do not need to change every single passive verb in your story. Just change as many as you can. ran, jumped, whirled are far more interesting.

C.  Tense:  For the kind of stories you will be writing, you'll most likely use past tense because it happened in the past. The important thing is to keep it all in past tense.

D.  Description:  Here is where you can shine. Take some time to describe a place or a person that is important in your story. When a reader can 'see' a place or person, they will continue to be interested. It brings your story to life.

E.  Tension:  You don't want to give away your ending too soon. Set the scene, introduce the people involved, write about what happened but keep the best part for last. Or close to the end.

F.  Repetition:  When we write, we all have a tendency to repeat words close together. It's something that can be changed when you go back to edit your story.

G.  Edit:  Edit? Oh yes, this is an important step. When you feel like your story is finished, put it aside for a couple days, or longer. Then, go back over it and check for the things listed above. Make your changes. You'll end up with a stronger, more interesting story. 

If the above seems like a lot of work, you're right. It is. But, it's also well worth your time and effort. When one story turns out to your satisfaction, you'll have the incentive to move on to another one. And another....