How to Write Compelling Stories from Family History

by Annette Gendler

Have you inherited the responsibility of preserving your family history? Do you wish you could transform your old photos and artifacts into entertaining tales? Want to record all those great remember-when’s but worry your writing will bore your relatives to tears? Author and writing instructor Annette Gendler has helped countless eager writers over her many years of teaching at StoryStudio Chicago. Now she’ll show you how you can turn your treasured family saga into a captivating narrative you’ll be proud to share. How to Write Compelling Stories from Family History is a concise guide for converting your heirlooms and oral anecdotes into engaging prose. Following Annette Gendler’s step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn how to decide which memories are best suited to chronicle your loved ones’ unique journeys through life, and what makes them an absorbing read. Supported with personal examples and writing prompts at the end of each chapter, you’ll quickly be giving voice to your ancestors’ adventures. ”…a treasure chest of advice for any nonfiction writer.”
—Rebecca McClanahan, author of The Tribal A Memoir of Family, Community and a Century of Change ”I’m gathering info about my family by doing weekly Skype sessions with my parents, and I am trying not to panic about how I will turn this into a book later. This book gave me a lot of great ideas and a way forward.”
—Lana Raykin, advance reader How to Write Compelling Stories from Family History is a must-have resource for anyone interested in preserving their lineage. If you like actionable advice, no-frills-added instructions, and guidance from a memoir specialist, then you’ll love Annette Gendler’s easy approach.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

154 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2019

About the author

Annette Gendler’s new children’s book, Natalie and the Nazi Soldiers, is based on her mother-in-law’s life as a hidden child in France during the Holocaust. Annette is also the author of the guide How to Write Compelling Stories from Family History as well as the memoir Jumping Over Shadows, the true story of a German-Jewish love that overcame the legacy of the Holocaust. All of her books deal with an aspect of family history. She offers online courses on writing stories from family history and lives in Chicago with her family. Visit her at annettegendler.com and sign up for her newsletter!

Reviews

[Deb Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Ms Gendler's book very much. She has writing prompts scattered throughout the book which got me thinking about how I would tackle various angles of family history. It will definitely be stashed as a resource book on my writing shelf.

[Judith Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book, with useful ideas on almost every page, so many that I had to stop my usual folding of page corners. There are many ways to use the book, including prompts to spark your writing, and readings from several authors that illustrate Gendler's points. Now let's see if I can actually follow some of these suggestions!

[Gabriele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the very best “how to”make stories from your family history. Annette Gendler gives tools and short cuts to framing your story and making it reader ready. I know I will give a few of these this Christmas.

[Cami Petty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this craft book. It was an easy read with good pacing and relevant examples. Sometimes I read craft books that are WAY too dense or make me feel overwhelmed about writing. Not this one! Each chapter was short and to the point and explained the concept of the chapter really well. At the end of each chapter, there were little writing prompts to help you get started if you were totally lost. The prompts made writing seem easy and motivated me a lot!

The book was well formatted and very easy to read. If I ever have a question about how to write/ approach something in particular, like how to do research, how to focus on the plot, and who or who not to include, it’s easy to find!

If you’re not SUPER into Family History per say, this book is still very useful if you’re interested in writing creative non-fiction. It helps you understand how to navigate writing real people/ places with sensitivity.

I appreciate that this book also explained the importance of Family History (without taking up too much time) in a variety of ways. Some people do it or religious reasons, some people do it to honor the dead, and others do it to learn from them... and probably much more!

[Marge Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource written in an approachable style

I found the material well researched and delivered less text-bookish and more like receiving a series of letters from a friend with whom you have a shared interest. The author provides good examples of how to tell stories about your family in a concise and humanized way that makes their life stories relatable and often touching. Less is more seemed to be her approach which I absolutely agree with. She provided excellent examples , had a great resource section and was well laid out so a reader can easily locate specific areas they are most interested in or wish to return to. As an aside, as a writer myself, I loved the parking lot technique!

[Lynda Heines · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received this book, I was a bit disappointed since it was such a small book. However, when I opened it up and started reading it, I found so many tips and it even answered a question I've had about the book I've wanted to write. I love how she has examples in the back to demonstrate her point and also the prompts at the end of the chapters. It's a great book if you are interested in writing your family story making it interesting for others to read. It will be a book I'll refer back to often.

[Ineke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are writing your memoirs I can recommend this book to you. It gave me many ideas and ways to work with information from the past and use it in my memoirs. After every chapter or section, the author also gives prompts on the topic which triggered many memories.

[Lynette Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really helpful. The author has lots of ideas in how to get started and each chapter includes writing prompts to help you post these new ideas into practice. I read it on kindle unlimited, now I need to purchase it for reference!

[Laurie]

Did not choose to complete.

[Susan Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical guide

Very thorough in her approach to writing family history. I recommend this book to anyone just starting out. She also provides good examples and a great bibliography.

[Jean Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to follow book, with some useful tips on planning to write a family history story. Great little reference book.