Writing About Ancestors

Writing about ancestry is very emotional. Telling your family’s story makes you vulnerable because you’re exposing the family’s journey, good and challenging. The writer who takes on this task is bound by established facts, but is still engaged in the art of storytelling, walking back in time. Like a puzzle, sometimes the pieces fit neatly together as expected and at other times, the writer is surprised by what she discovers. Don’t try to change the story. Be authentic and own it.