1: Gather Your Records
2: Gather Records from Others
3: Interview Relatives
4: Browse Memories
5: Prepare Uploads
6: Add and Tag Photos
7: Add Documents
8: Add Stories
9: Write a Brief Life Story
10: Add Audio Files
11: Use the Gallery
12: Solutions Gallery
FS Project 2
Translation Tips
Music
Project 2: Memories
Goal 9: Write a brief life story
Goal 9: Write a life story. Vault
Life stories provide a good overview of an ancestor's life. They are not meant to be long and detailed; you can use the Stories and Documents features to capture that kind of information.
Choices
A Write a personal story for yourself.
- Write the story in a word processor and save the file.
- In your Person page, go to Memories.
- Drag and drop your life story file onto your Memories Gallery, or click Add Memories and select the file from the dialog.
Resources
- For ideas on writing your own life story, watch the video.
BYU—Simple Tips for Writing Life Sketches in Family Tree—37:59 - 2020
- Learn how to deal with privacy issues in telling family stories.
FTM—Respecting Privacy in Family History Storytelling - Read these articles for tips on recalling memories from your life.
FTM—4 Ways to Jog Your Memories
FTM—3 Tips for Preserving Childhood Memories - Here are some ideas on writing your life story in five pages or less.
RT—How to Write Your Life Story—in Five Pages or Less - 2019
Exercise
- * Proficient: Write a personal story for yourself and save it to Memories.
B Write a personal story for an ancestor.
- Write the ancestor story in a word processor and save the file.
- In the ancestor's Person page, go to Memories.
- Drag and drop your life story file onto the Memories Gallery, or click Add Memories and select the file from the dialog.
- For ideas on writing a life story for an ancestor, read this article.
LDS—Me, a Biographer? - 1990
- Here are some tips for writing biographies.
LT—11 Do's and Don'ts of Writing Family Biographies
LT—Bridging the Gap: Writing a Family Biography Others Will Want to Read - Learn how to weave historical and community details into your ancestors' narratives.
FS—Places to Look for Engaging Details about Your Ancestors - 2018
AR—Breathe Life Into Your Ancestor's Story - 2012
Exercises
- * Good: Write a personal story for an ancestor and save it to Memories.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
C Keep a personal journal to record and preserve your own memories.
- Learn about the value of keeping diaries and journals.
RT—5 Great Reasons to Keep a Journal - 2017
AAC—Diaries and Journals—4:28 (requires a free account) - Get tips for starting your journal.
PR—How to Start a Journal
PR—Journaling Tips: a Beginner's Guide - Learn about creating a digital journal.
RT—3 Ways to Keep a Digital Journal - 2017 - Here are some ideas on improving your journal writing.
RT—3 Tips to Improve Your Journaling Habits - 2017
RT—Journaling and Personal History: A Guide for Everyone from Newbies to Self-Proclaimed Professionals - 2018 - Learn how journals can become a source for family history discoveries.
MH—Journals: A Source for Family History Discoveries - 2014 - Learn about keeping a journal with a busy schedule.
RT—Creative Journaling for Busy Parents—22:22 - 2022
