Write a Personal History: Difference between revisions

== Introduction  ==

A personal history is one way to leave a legacy that descendants will treasure for generations. As you create your personal history, you should make sure the information is accurate. If you leave someone else to rely on memories and secondhand stories to create your history, it may not reflect your life accurately. Resources and information in this lesson include:  

Computer discs, hardware, and software programs can become outdated with time. After a few years, you may have difficulty finding a computer or computer program that will read what you have recorded. You should review the medium you used on a regular basis. (Once a year is best.) Before it gets hard to find equipment to play or read what you have recorded, you should transfer your history onto an updated medium.  

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| valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" align="left" | '''Expert Tip:''' If you plan to record your personal history electronically, be aware that electronic media does not retain quality for very long. Electronic recordings should be transcribed onto archival quality paper. &nbsp;If you digitize it, then it will last forever.<br>

<br> Scrapbooking has become a popular form of preserving memories and can be a great alternative or addition to a written personal history. It focuses on documenting special events through the use of photographs and other memorabilia. Scrapbooks tend not to be as comprehensive as a written personal history, but they provide an excellent visual history. Scrapbook supplies and classes on scrapbooking are often readily available.  

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| valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" align="left" | '''Expert Tip:''' Keeping a journal and a scrapbook together can help you create an excellent history of your life. Narratives and journal entries help provide greater historical and interpretive context to each photograph in your scrapbook. <br>

*Advice you wish to share with future generations. These words may be the most precious words you leave to your loved ones.

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| bgcolor="#ffff99" | '''Expert Tip:''' If you plan to create something to be printed and published formally, check with a few publishers. They will be able to tell you what you need to know to prepare your materials for publication. This information could prevent extra effort retyping or reformatting your work later.

Another way to get started when you are stuck is to start at the easiest part of the story you want to tell or to begin with a subject you want to write about. If you find that you just cannot continue writing, consider recording your thoughts and memories into a tape recorder. You or someone else can transcribe the recording. Then you can add additional details.  

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| valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" align="left" | '''Expert Tip:''' If you are using a computer to type your personal history, remember to save your work often. It would be very frustrating to lose all your hard work because of a computer failure.<br>

You must decide what input to incorporate. Decide which feedback is useful and which is not. Sometimes a reviewer will express a concern that will indicate a problem besides the one mentioned. For example, a reviewer might say that a certain story is too long. But perhaps length is not the real problem; you may need to consider instead how you tell the story or how you describe important events.  

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*''From Memories to Manuscript—The Five Step Method of Writing Your Life Story'' by Joan R. Neubauer

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*[http://www.personalhistoryhelp.com Personal History Help.com] (10-step program to writing a personal history.)