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Your ancestors are composed of more than vital records and family group sheets. Behind the names and dates are tales of love, loss, resolve and sweeping change—of history itself. Their stories are what will make them real to your present-day (and future) relatives, the ones who don’t care about city directories or census records.

You don’t have to be a writer to chronicle your ancestors’ lives. In You Can Write Your Family History, popular author and speaker Sharon DeBartolo Carmack explains exactly what it takes to create a compelling, highly readable, and entirely true story, whether you decide to write a biography, family history narrative, or memoir.

Carmack covers each element step-by-step, showing you how to:

• Select the best type of family history to write
• Decide on a theme
• Conduct efficient research to flesh out a narrative
• Put subjects in the context of social history
• Get the words down on paper