Best Story Wins! Family History Stories to Win Hearts.

People love stories. Not just any stories mind you, but good stories. 

Stories capture our imagination, compel us to action, give us a laugh or move us to tears. 

Stories don’t even have to have a happy ending, but they do need to be well-told. Remember we have stiff competition for the hearts and minds of our intended audience.

All family histories are full of great stories, but not all family histories are well crafted.

While the material is probably there, learning to present a great story is an art and a craft, one that all genealogists and family historians would do well to learn.

If we want to engage our children and grandchildren in family history, tell them stories that excite them, thrill them and inspire them.

How about making some story starter cards like this for Thanksgiving:

Peaked your interest didn’t it? Want your family to get excited about family history? Tell better stories!

I know that other people are talking about how to engage their family in family history too. Might want to read Janet Havorka’s blog who is blogging about how she is attempting to get her 3 teenagers interested their family history.

How do you become a better storyteller? Here are some tips:

1. Watch good storytellers.What do they do to engage their audience?
2. Make the stories personal. People care when it is personal.

      Practice telling the story. Remember these 3 things make a great story –

Purpose

Truth

Action

Do you want to know more about how to combine family history, storytelling and blogging? Check out Cherish Bound's blog and read about the upcoming Story @ Home 2012 conference.

I will write more about it later, but check it out now for yourself!

In the meantime, pull out your best stories for Thanksgiving, leave out the source citations and how you searched high and low, yah-dah, yah-dah, yah-dah, save that for your fellow genealogist! 

For family - nothing but a great story!

WINNING!