Writing Assignment #3 Write About Someone or Something

Now it's time to start writing the text that goes into your family history book. Pick any character, incident, or story. Perhaps choose the one that you have the most to say about, or the most story details readily available. Do not choose something that you're still researching or feel confused about.

STEP 1:

Load up your Manuscript Document and decide which section of your book this story belongs. Remember who you've dedicated your book to. What are their questions? What don't they know? 

STEP 2:  

Start writing. Fire your inner critic. Lay off your perfectionist. Don't edit too much. Just type or dictate using Google Voice Typing. Once you get started you'll gather momentum and the words will flow more easily. 

STEP 3: 

After you've done some initial writing...celebrate! You've just done the hardest part of writing a book...actually writing.

STEP 4: 

After a break, come back and do some editing and re-writing. A suggestion is to copy and paste the original text and paste it back into the document a few lines down. That way if you delete a passage and later wish you hadn't you can just go back to your original text and grab it. 

As you edit, fix the spelling and grammar. Consider re-arranging the flow of the story so it creates some suspense or leads to  a punchline,  or interesting conclusion.  Try out the Hero's Journey. You'll be back to this section of your book several times so it's okay to leave the text "not totally perfect". 

STEP 5:

Post the text in our private Facebook Group Family History BookMakers  so we can all admire it and be inspired by your work!