Writing your family history - What's holding you back? How are you future-proofing your research?

I have started writing my family history, again.  I have had many false starts, but never got very far. The difference this time is that I have a plan in place. I have already started the outline, and I have joined a writing group that will keep me on task (Book Babies be Born!). What was holding me back?  I believe two things hold us back, fear and inertia.  FEAR, which is often quoted as False Evidence Appearing Real by an unknown author, is the thing that holds most of us back: Fear of , doing it wrong, Fear that we have bad research, Fear of being wrong, Fear that no one will appreciate us, Fear that we haven't finished, Fear that we need to do more research, and the list goes on.  Inertia is the force required to change your state to moving, changing speed, or stopping.  You've been researching and now you have to stop to write, WHAT!!  I can't stop.

Actually, you can stop, and you don't have to be finished with your research to write your family history.  Just do it!  The fear is just that fear.  You can ask for help, gather in a group to start and support each other, join supportive groups (e.g. The Infinite Receivers Club, a FaceBook group) to gain general support.  There are many options.  How shall I do it?  Paper, computer, tablet, typewriter, stone carvings, it doesn't matter which medium you use.  Some will be easier to work with than others.  Stone carvings may be a little hard to edit, but the medium doesn't matter, what does, is that you are comfortable with what you are working with.  What if you've made a mistake or you're research is wrong?  Well, unless your using those stone carvings, it's very easy today to put out errata.  That's what that word means when you see it in non-fiction books and magazines.  Then when the next printing happens, you correct the mistake.  Oh no, my cousin pointed out my error with all the documentation to prove it.  That's okay, thank them, and post the errata, and fix it in the next printing.  Of course, do make sure that their research is ready to publish, and ask their permission.  This is a family history after all.  So why shouldn't the family help out.  Maybe before you publish, you can ask everyone to send you a family story, photos etc.  They are contributing to their story too.
Look for books or eBooks to help with the writing.  I am currently using,  Guide to Genealogical Writing: How to Write and Publish Your Family History by Penelope L Stratton and Henry B Hoff C.G., FASG.  I have learned much from this and many other forums about how to write my book.  Now, I have the tools, the support, and the gumption to write my family history.  If you need help, ask for help, from me or someone else.  The faster you get going, the faster you will finish.

How are you future-proofing your research?  One way is to publish your family history.  Some other ways are to give explicit instructions in your will as to what you wish to be done with your research.  Using a lawyer may be helpful to make sure all of your instructions are followed.  You also want to approve someone to access your websites, should you pass or are incapacitated.  Take care of your family's history.

Take the Plunge

First post of the New Year

Today is Polar Bear Plunge Day.  Did you know I was a polar bear swimmer back in my Girl Scout days?  At Girl Scout Camp Sandy Brook in Huntington, Massachusetts, I would get up before the other campers and go swimming in the lake.  Brrrr, it was cold, but it was also fun.  Today, Polar Bear swimmers take the plunge for charities.  It takes courage to plunge into very cold waters.  Just like it takes courage to plunge into your family history.  Today, I only have my memories of that wonderful camp.  I was told the Girl Scouts sold the land, and more's the pity.  Many of our loved ones have also passed into memory this past year.  It's time to break out and do those interviews and start that family history.  If you've been doing your family research for years, it's time to start writing a book and preserving that history, and checking your will to be sure there are instructions of what to do with your research, and who has access to your websites.  Don't assume your heirs will take care of it with the same love you have for it.  It's a New Year!   Take the Plunge.