On 12/22/2012 12:04 PM, Michele Lewis wrote: > http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8054&iid=4193235-00366& > fn=Gaz+B&ln=Sims&st=r&ssrc=&pid=18579481> Best I can figure, it's an R. Karen Packard Rhodes Home for the holidays in Middleburg, Clay County, Florida

Michele, You are a person after my own heart. I always mention the leaders in our field when doing presentations. I was always impressed with my husband when he would be able to tell me about the leaders in his field and how they impacted it. I look forward to your blog to learn more about the individuals you (we) choose. One thing I think that will be hard is to keep the list short. Depending on the area of genealogy I am discussing, different people seem to be the leaders. If we are talking about blogs, webinars, writing, sourcing, researching, the FHL, the institutes or even certain topics such as adoption, land records, military records, regional or state specific, each "leader" has different strengths that we need to recognize. Thanks for doing this; I, for one, will be very interested and plan to list your blog in my handout for my upcoming presentation. Margie in Washington State On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 7:55 PM, < transitional-genealogists-forum-request@rootsweb.com> wrote: From: "Michele Lewis" <ancestoring@gmail.com> Subject: [TGF] Who's Who To: "TGF Mailing List" <transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <00ea01cddf29$4f86f430$ee94dc90$@gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" My blog is geared toward newbie to intermediate researchers. I want to write a blog post on who's who in genealogy so that they will become familiar with some of the top researchers in the field. I want to limit the list to about 10 or 12. I would like y'all, if you would, email me privately to tell me who all you think I should include. I don't want to accidentally leave someone out. I know that I can't include everyone but if I need to go a little over 10 or 12 I will. I want to write a very short paragraph on each person stating what their area of expertise is. Thanks for your help J Michele Ancestoring@gmail.com

Here are two images of the same census page. Anyone want to venture a guess on the middle initial of Gaz Sims on line 2? FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12434-12000-76?cc=1401638 <https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12434-12000-76?cc=1401638&wc=M MY6-9LV:324283485> &wc=MMY6-9LV:324283485 Ancestry http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View <http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8054&iid=4193235-00366& fn=Gaz+B&ln=Sims&st=r&ssrc=&pid=18579481> &r=an&dbid=8054&iid=4193235-00366&fn=Gaz+B&ln=Sims&st=r&ssrc=&pid=18579481 Michele

Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming email response I have had to my Who's Who question! I am working on it now but I won't be putting it on the blog for probably a week since I am still writing it J J J Michele

Molly -- That's what I would do under those constraints. If I wasn't sure that the client understood the difference between an index and an original record, then in the report I would lean pretty hard on the fact that the relationship is not proved and the original documents may provide additional evidence -- or might blow the whole thing out of the water. -- Harold On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 9:27 PM, M KC <mkcindc@yahoo.com> wrote: > So I know that indexes can be full of errors and that they are merely > guides to the original sources. My question is this - if you have other > sources that partially corroborate the information, and the time allotted > by the client doesn't allow for acquisition of the original (or perhaps > even locating it) what are your thoughts on using it as a source of > information? What kind of caveats would be appropriate for the information > contained in it? > > An example: > I presume the couple was married about xxxx based on the births of their > children, and have an index giving me the actual date as well as the county > in which they were married. I find this information with only about 1 hour > left in total for the final report preparation and research write-up > (having been writing as I went along). > > Would it be acceptable to write something like this: > Abel Brooks and Barbie Cordan were married DD MMM YYYY <index citation>, > which date is supported by the birth of their first child 15 months later > <birth citation>. Because they both lived in Some County only two years > prior when the federal census was taken <census citations>, it seems > reasonable they were also married in Some County, as one source indicates > <index citation>. > > I would include acquisition of the original documentation as part of the > future recommended research. > > Thanks for your thoughts! > > ~Molly KC Reid~ > Deeper Roots > www.finddeeperroots.com > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Harold Henderson midwestroots.net Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.

Dear All, Would anyone interested and able to retrieve copies of full obituaries from the *Philadelphia Jewish Exponent* please contact me off list with an estimated time frame in which to do the work and your rates. I have a list of five or 6 obituaries with issue dates and pages from the index at Jewishgen.org. The fullest runs appear to be at: - *Philadelphia Jewish Archive Center* 125 North 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel.: (215) 925-8090. Has: Bound copies of the Jewish Exponent (1887 to 1999), individual copies of the Jewish Exponent (2000 to present). - *Historical Society of Pennsylvania* Albert M. Greenfield Microform and Media Center, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Tel.: (215) 732-2680. Has: Microfilm of the Jewish Exponent, v. 1, no. 1 (Apr. 15, 1887) – v. 125, no. 47 (June 24, 1955). - *Free Library of Philadelphia – Logan Circle.* 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Tel.: (215) 732-6200. Newspaper & Microfilm Center: Tel.: (215) 686-5432. Has: Microfilm of the Jewish Exponent (1887 to 1950); and six months of current issues. Thanks! Sara Scribner

So I know that indexes can be full of errors and that they are merely guides to the original sources.  My question is this - if you have other sources that partially corroborate the information, and the time allotted by the client doesn't allow for acquisition of the original (or perhaps even locating it) what are your thoughts on using it as a source of information?  What kind of caveats would be appropriate for the information contained in it?  An example: I presume the couple was married about xxxx based on the births of their children, and have an index giving me the actual date as well as the county in which they were married. I find this information with only about 1 hour left in total for the final report preparation and research write-up (having been writing as I went along). Would it be acceptable to write something like this: Abel Brooks and Barbie Cordan were married DD MMM YYYY <index citation>, which date is supported by the birth of their first child 15 months later <birth citation>.  Because they both lived in Some County only two years prior when the federal census was taken <census citations>, it seems reasonable they were also married in Some County, as one source indicates <index citation>. I would include acquisition of the original documentation as part of the future recommended research. Thanks for your thoughts! ~Molly KC Reid~ Deeper Roots www.finddeeperroots.com

If you aren't in a hurry (does that ever happen to genealogists?), Washington State Library provides images of obituaries at no charge: http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/Obituaries.aspx. The last time I checked, the site indicated that it could take about 8 weeks. Charlene M. Pipkin, AG® --- I need an obituary from the Tacoma, Washington library. Please contact me off list if you are able to help. Diane L Giannini, CG Ancestry Sleuths

For my birthday (1 Dec) I asked and received Evidence Explained. I've read it cover to cover, and am now trying to apply it to the citations I am making. Most specifically, to the citations that belong to the biography of Lodewijk Wesselo I am currently writing - which I talked about before on this list. I think I've got the basics down, but I am running into a few problems/questions and I hope the people on the list here can help me understand. I've included actual citations as examples, and would be happy to receive constructive criticism on them. (All citations are in the form of first footnotes) A (simple) citation for a handwritten letter which is in a family archive at an archive: 1. Lodewijk Wesselo (Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) to "Willem en Mien" [Willem Lodewijk Wesselo and his wife Wilhelmina Johanna Kwak], letter, 10 September 1940; portfolio 3, doos 1, familiearchief Wesselo, familiearchieven: Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, fa 00472, Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland. The first question I ran across is when I have to identify a document as a manuscript. If it's unpublished, handwritten, and in an archive, do you automatically identify it as a manuscript? When there's a clear author, like with citation 2, this seems clear to me. But what about citation 3? Do I need to identify it as a manuscript or not? A citation for a handwritten biographical sketch by Lodewijk Wesselo about his own life, with no official title, just 1 page, held in the same family archive as the letter in citation 1: 2. Lodewijk Wesselo, Brief Biographical Sketch, manuscript, 1947; portfolio 3, doos 1, familiearchief Wesselo, familiearchieven: Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, fa 00472, Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland. A citation for a list of house numbers and their owner, described in the catalog of the archive as "register of house numbers (and renumbering) ca. 1895", handwritten, probably by a clerk of the town Voorschoten. I know the estimated date of the archive is wrong, as Lodewijk Wesselo appears in this register and his house was not build until 1899 - so ca. 1900 is more likely: 3. Register van huisnummering (en hernummering) [Register of House Numbers (and Renumbering)], ca. 1895, inventaris 555, toegang II.08.02; Dorps- en gemeentebestuur van Voorschoten, 1811-1925, Regionaal Archief Leiden. The date of ca. 1895 cannot be right, as Lodewijk Wesselo's house was not build until 1899, so ca. 1900 seems more likely. The second question I ran across was how to deal with a record of which I have a copy at home? Do I cite the original record - or as near as original that I could find - or do I cite the copy I have at home? For instance, citation 4 is the original record I looked at; I have not located the magazine. I have a copy of this article at home, do I need to add that to the citation? 4. Carolus Pictor, "Een diamanten tijd in dienst van goud, zilver en diamanten: De Heer L. Wesselo 60 jaar chef bij Begeer, van Kempen & Vos" [A Diamond Time in Service of Gold, Silver and Diamonds: Mister L. Wesselo 60 Years Boss at Begeer, van Kempen & Vos], Edelmetaal, July 1948, p. 107, copy; portfolio 3, doos 1, familiearchief Wesselo, familiearchieven: Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, fa 00472, Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland. And the last citation is one that is incomplete, because I got stuck. It's a civil registration record from Voorschoten, however, the original records (held by the Regionaal Archief Leiden) cannot be looked at, they are not even in the catalog. There's an index on the site of the Regionaal Archief Leiden, with links to digital images. I know how to cite the original record, but can't figure out how to add the fact that I looked at a digital image on the site, found through the index. 5. Voorschoten, Zuid-Holland, "Burgerlijke Stand Geboorteregister" [Civil Registration Birth Register], 1873, no. 57, entry "Elisabeth" daughter of Dirk Lubach and his wife Antje Zilstra; Regionaal Archief Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland. Any help with this last citation would be greatly appreciated. I'm also curious as to when to add the description of "manuscript" to a citation (and when not to). Also, as said before, if there are any errors in these citations, please point them out! Joyce

Writing a blog allows me to include the stories of the people I research, personally or with the client's permission. I love to write and also write for various publications. One of my best classes working towards my BGS degree in Family History, was the writing class by William G. Hartley, Writing Family Histories. We had to write and edit several times on our chosen story. This same class is offered for free through BYU _http://is.byu.edu/site/courses/free.cfm_ (http://is.byu.edu/site/courses/free.cfm) , as well as a couple of other genealogy classes. Susan, Oregon

My blog is geared toward newbie to intermediate researchers. I want to write a blog post on who's who in genealogy so that they will become familiar with some of the top researchers in the field. I want to limit the list to about 10 or 12. I would like y'all, if you would, email me privately to tell me who all you think I should include. I don't want to accidentally leave someone out. I know that I can't include everyone but if I need to go a little over 10 or 12 I will. I want to write a very short paragraph on each person stating what their area of expertise is. Thanks for your help J Michele Ancestoring@gmail.com

Elizabeth, I am so glad you picked up on this.  I did explain some about the census records and how I used them to track his whereabouts through the decades, also showing his property ownership.  And I will now want to change some of this so as not to lose the non-genealogist cousins.   I have broken his life down into topics, such as religion (he was an intinerant preacher), education, so on and so forth.   I like that you said: "think about those *patterns.* We need to appraise what kind of man he was, what motivated him, what handicapped him. We need to think about what each event in his life meant to him and his family--whether he participated actively or passively."  That is what I truly want to bring out.  I want my relatives to know the kind of man he was.   So I guess what I need to really pay attention to is to not get (as you so eloquently put it) "bogged down in minutiae that is not relevant to his story."  And to "not adhere to that timeline."   I appreciate your advice.  Thank you and have a Merry Christmas!   Cheryl Proctor ________________________________ From: eshown <eshown@comcast.net> To: cmproctor1@frontier.com; 'Harold Henderson' <librarytraveler@gmail.com>; 'Debra Hoffman' <dalhoffman@gmail.com> Cc: 'TGF Mailing List' <transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 8:49 PM Subject: RE: [TGF] Applying Harold Henderson's "Why We Don't Write, and How We Can" Cheryl wrote: >I've been working on a biography of my 3rd gr grandfather who served in the Civil War who was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga and sent to Libby prison. >What I did was construct a very detailed time line of his experiences in the Civil War using county clerk records, his military file, his pension file, a regimental history of his unit and his diary of his experiences while a prisoner in Libby prison.  I also took notes of the Libby prison system itself, studied histories, etc., etc. > I want to share this with my peers, posterity and other relatives.  I want to make it flow, keep it enjoyable to read and have certain details in it.  My problem is I can't seem to stop the project. Cheryl, the most important element in our effort to "make it flow and keep it enjoyable to read" is this: Don't adhere to that timeline! A chronology of everything we know about a person is essential in the research phase. Assembling all our research notes in chronological order is the way we see gaps in our research, the way we see overlap in associations, and many other important patterns. But following that chronology at the writing stage creates the kind of droning account that suffers from what writing teachers call "the notecard syndrome."  When we start to write we need to think about those *patterns.* We need to appraise what kind of man he was, what motivated him, what handicapped him. We need to think about what each event in his life meant to him and his family--whether he participated actively or passively. We consider how each event affected them, and how he responded to each.  The themes we define for him from these patterns of his life should determine how we structure the narrative and how we put what we know about him into a meaningful context. >I have about 17 pages written on his biography so far.  What I am wondering is "how much is enough or how much is too much?"  This is a tough question that prompts an easy answer: Just write whatever it takes to tell his story!  When you do a biography, you're not doing a journal article or entering a contest in which you have arbitrary page-count limits. If you feel more is needed to do justice to his story, add it. Just don't get bogged down in minutiae that is not relevant to his story. (And DON'T let yourself fall into the old rut of saying: "On the 1830 census, he had x-number of people in his household in the age bracket A-B, and y people aged C-D, and z-people aged E-F; and on the 1840 census, he had q-people aged L-M . . . . " The moment we do that, our narrative loses ALL our non-genealogist cousins!)  Elizabeth --------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG http://www.historicpathways.com/ http://www.evidenceexplained.com/ & for daily tips on records, record usage, and historical writing: www.Facebook.com/EvidenceExplained.com

Cheryl wrote: >I've been working on a biography of my 3rd gr grandfather who served in the Civil War who was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga and sent to Libby prison. >What I did was construct a very detailed time line of his experiences in the Civil War using county clerk records, his military file, his pension file, a regimental history of his unit and his diary of his experiences while a prisoner in Libby prison. I also took notes of the Libby prison system itself, studied histories, etc., etc. > I want to share this with my peers, posterity and other relatives. I want to make it flow, keep it enjoyable to read and have certain details in it. My problem is I can't seem to stop the project. Cheryl, the most important element in our effort to "make it flow and keep it enjoyable to read" is this: Don't adhere to that timeline! A chronology of everything we know about a person is essential in the research phase. Assembling all our research notes in chronological order is the way we see gaps in our research, the way we see overlap in associations, and many other important patterns. But following that chronology at the writing stage creates the kind of droning account that suffers from what writing teachers call "the notecard syndrome." When we start to write we need to think about those *patterns.* We need to appraise what kind of man he was, what motivated him, what handicapped him. We need to think about what each event in his life meant to him and his family--whether he participated actively or passively. We consider how each event affected them, and how he responded to each. The themes we define for him from these patterns of his life should determine how we structure the narrative and how we put what we know about him into a meaningful context. >I have about 17 pages written on his biography so far. What I am wondering is "how much is enough or how much is too much?" This is a tough question that prompts an easy answer: Just write whatever it takes to tell his story! When you do a biography, you're not doing a journal article or entering a contest in which you have arbitrary page-count limits. If you feel more is needed to do justice to his story, add it. Just don't get bogged down in minutiae that is not relevant to his story. (And DON'T let yourself fall into the old rut of saying: "On the 1830 census, he had x-number of people in his household in the age bracket A-B, and y people aged C-D, and z-people aged E-F; and on the 1840 census, he had q-people aged L-M . . . . " The moment we do that, our narrative loses ALL our non-genealogist cousins!) Elizabeth --------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG www.HistoricPathways.com www.EvidenceExplained.com & for daily tips on records, record usage, and historical writing: www.Facebook.com/EvidenceExplained.com

Cheryl -- Great question, and it sounds like a great story and great preparation. Been there, couldn't stop that! Am I right in thinking that you're finding your story is getting drowned in the detail? To some extent that depends on exactly who you're writing for. Different details will want to be highlighted if you're mainly addressing family, or fellow genealogists, or historians. (And "posterity" is a tough target to hit. Many of my ancestors, very pious people, evidently thought that their posterity would most want to hear about their religious experiences and beliefs in great detail, when in fact I at least would much prefer a detailed account of everything they did on just one ordinary day.) Think of the totality of your research as a rich ore. You're probably never going to use all that ore in any one article or book. Sometimes too much information just slows the story down too much. (I was told I had that problem in my BCG portfolio but fortunately it wasn't a disqualifying fault.) So my suggestion would be to consider telling the story in pieces, maybe article-sized pieces. That way those who want the more technical stuff can find it, and those who want the story can find that. Another way is to alternate chapters -- those who are interested in the story may skip the part about how Libby Prison was constructed, etc. Another approach if you're set on doing a book, or planning on-line publication, would be to put some of that background material in an appendix, or linked to the text in various places. I think this is a great use of digital publishing but I don't know much about how it's actually been done, or how well. Fundamentally there will always be a tension between telling a story (on one hand) and explaining the pieces of the story (on the other). Really great writers manage to do the explaining so fluently that we the readers don't feel it as an interruption, so they can put in a lot and get away with it; good writers eventually figure out how to provide just enough. (Hint: if you can take your hero up to the edge of a cliff and leave him there, you can get away with a fair amount of geology etc. about said cliff!) This is too close to the frontier of my own knowledge and ability to explain very well. Reading good historians may help give you a feel for it, because they deal with this tension all the time. Maybe that will make a good blog post after I've thought about it, but other may be able to supply some titles right now too. Any help? Harold On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 6:08 PM, cmproctor1@frontier.com < cmproctor1@frontier.com> wrote: > Harold, > I enjoyed reading "Why We Don't Write, and How We Can." > > I've been working on a biography of my 3rd gr grandfather who served in > the Civil War who was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga and sent to > Libby prison. > > What I did was construct a very detailed time line of his experiences in > the Civil War using county clerk records, his military file, his pension > file, a regimental history of his unit and his diary of his experiences > while a prisoner in Libby prison. I also took notes of the Libby prison > system itself, studied histories, etc., etc. > > I want to share this with my peers, posterity and other relatives. I want > to make it flow, keep it enjoyable to read and have certain details in it. > My problem is I can't seem to stop the project. > > I have about 17 pages written on his biography so far. What I am > wondering is "how much is enough or how much is too much?" I have taken a > writing course, but always feel I could take more. Time constraints and > finances won't let me now. > > What do you suggest? > > Cheryl Proctor > in very windy Southern Indiana > > *From:* Harold Henderson <librarytraveler@gmail.com> > *To:* Debra Hoffman <dalhoffman@gmail.com> > *Cc:* TGF Mailing List <transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com> > *Sent:* Thursday, December 20, 2012 5:39 PM > *Subject:* Re: [TGF] Harold Henderson's column "Why We Don't Write, and > How We Can" > > Thanks, guys, and Happy New Year! > > > On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 4:28 PM, Debra Hoffman <dalhoffman@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > Excellent article Harold! It certainly touched a cord with me. I have > good > > intentions, but life intervenes and soon the backlog grows! > > > > A New Year is coming and time for a new habit! > > > > --Debra A. Hoffman > > New Windsor, MD > > > > On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 1:16 PM, Janis L Gilmore < > janis.gilmore@gmail.com > > >wrote: > > > > > Dear List, > > > > > > Most of you have probably already seen this column by our own Harold > > > Henderson--but just in case, I am posting here. It is an excellent > piece > > > reminding us that we haven't really done anything until we have written > > it > > > up! > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.archives.com/experts/henderson-harold/genealogy-writing-tips.html > > > > > > Janis Walker Gilmore > > > Pawleys Island, SC > > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > > > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition > > to > > > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this > list. > > > ------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > > > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > > message > > > > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition > to > > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > message > > > > > > -- > Harold Henderson midwestroots.net > Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana > Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center > > Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 > Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks > of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the > Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation > and used under license by the Board’s associates. > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word ' > unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- Harold Henderson midwestroots.net Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.

Hi, that might be it, thank you. I tried to find the thread but I can't find it now,lol. I will look at the book you suggested, that is probably it. Thanks again, Suzanne On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 5:40 PM, Megan M Isely <misely@charter.net> wrote: > Suzanne: > > Are you thinking of "International Vital Records Handbook" by Thomas Jay > Kemp, 5th edition, published 2009 by GPC (Genealogical Publishing > Company), ISBN 978-0-8063-1793-9? He also gives web sites and if I were > to order something I think I'd check the web site for current fees and > rules in case any agency had placed restrictions on access since the > book was published. > > Hope this helps. > > Megan Isely > > On 12/20/2012 4:10 PM, Suzanne Stewart wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > From: Suzanne Stewart <sjs867@gmail.com> > > Date: Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM > > Subject: Book help > > To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com > > > > > > Hi, I have a question about something recently mentioned on this forum. I > > thought that a book had been mentioned that contains an example of > document > > order forms in it that you can copy and use.I tried to find the thread > > again but now I can't find it. Do any of you remember the book in > question? > > Thank you, Suzanne > > > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM, Suzanne Stewart <sjs867@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > >> Hi, I have a question about something recently mentioned on this forum. > I > >> thought that a book had been mentioned that contains an example of > document > >> order forms in it that you can copy and use.I tried to find the thread > >> again but now I can't find it. Do any of you remember the book in > question? > >> Thank you, Suzanne > >> > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Harold, Thank you for your suggestions.  I do have his biography broken down into chapters.  But maybe the article thing might be better.   I especially like that you said, "if you can take your hero up to the edge of a cliff and leave him there, you can get away with a fair amount of geology etc. about said cliff!"  And that is what I have tried to do and make it flow.   I've collected pictures from the Internet and will want to use those in the public domain to illustrate his story.  I thought with those pictures I could put a little of the "geology of the cliff" in the captions.   I will continue to work on this and will refer to your response and your blog as I continue.   Thank you so much Harold.   Cheryl Proctor       ________________________________ From: Harold Henderson <librarytraveler@gmail.com> To: "cmproctor1@frontier.com" <cmproctor1@frontier.com> Cc: Debra Hoffman <dalhoffman@gmail.com>; TGF Mailing List <transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 7:48 PM Subject: Re: Applying Harold Henderson's "Why We Don't Write, and How We Can" Cheryl -- Great question, and it sounds like a great story and great preparation. Been there, couldn't stop that! Am I right in thinking that you're finding your story is getting drowned in the detail? To some extent that depends on exactly who you're writing for. Different details will want to be highlighted if you're mainly addressing family, or fellow genealogists, or historians. (And "posterity" is a tough target to hit. Many of my ancestors, very pious people, evidently thought that their posterity would most want to hear about their religious experiences and beliefs in great detail, when in fact I at least would much prefer a detailed account of everything they did on just one ordinary day.) Think of the totality of your research as a rich ore. You're probably never going to use all that ore in any one article or book. Sometimes too much information just slows the story down too much. (I was told I had that problem in my BCG portfolio but fortunately it wasn't a disqualifying fault.) So my suggestion would be to consider telling the story in pieces, maybe article-sized pieces. That way those who want the more technical stuff can find it, and those who want the story can find that. Another way is to alternate chapters -- those who are interested in the story may skip the part about how Libby Prison was constructed, etc. Another approach if you're set on doing a book, or planning on-line publication, would be to put some of that background material in an appendix, or linked to the text in various places. I think this is a great use of digital publishing but I don't know much about how it's actually been done, or how well. Fundamentally there will always be a tension between telling a story (on one hand) and explaining the pieces of the story (on the other). Really great writers manage to do the explaining so fluently that we the readers don't feel it as an interruption, so they can put in a lot and get away with it; good writers eventually figure out how to provide just enough. (Hint: if you can take your hero up to the edge of a cliff and leave him there, you can get away with a fair amount of geology etc. about said cliff!) This is too close to the frontier of my own knowledge and ability to explain very well. Reading good historians may help give you a feel for it, because they deal with this tension all the time. Maybe that will make a good blog post after I've thought about it, but other may be able to supply some titles right now too. Any help? Harold On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 6:08 PM, cmproctor1@frontier.com <cmproctor1@frontier.com> wrote: Harold, >I enjoyed reading "Why We Don't Write, and How We Can." >  >I've been working on a biography of my 3rd gr grandfather who served in the Civil War who was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga and sent to Libby prison. >  >What I did was construct a very detailed time line of his experiences in the Civil War using county clerk records, his military file, his pension file, a regimental history of his unit and his diary of his experiences while a prisoner in Libby prison.  I also took notes of the Libby prison system itself, studied histories, etc., etc. >  >I want to share this with my peers, posterity and other relatives.  I want to make it flow, keep it enjoyable to read and have certain details in it.  My problem is I can't seem to stop the project. >  >I have about 17 pages written on his biography so far.  What I am wondering is "how much is enough or how much is too much?"  I have taken a writing course, but always feel I could take more.  Time constraints and finances won't let me now. >  >What do you suggest? >  >Cheryl Proctor >in very windy Southern Indiana > > >From: Harold Henderson <librarytraveler@gmail.com> >To: Debra Hoffman <dalhoffman@gmail.com> >Cc: TGF Mailing List <transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 5:39 PM >Subject: Re: [TGF] Harold Henderson's column "Why We Don't Write, and How We Can" > >Thanks, guys, and Happy New Year! > > >On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 4:28 PM, Debra Hoffman <dalhoffman@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Excellent article Harold! It certainly touched a cord with me. I have good >> intentions, but life intervenes and soon the backlog grows! >> >> A New Year is coming and time for a new habit! >> >> --Debra A. Hoffman >> New Windsor, MD >> >> On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 1:16 PM, Janis L Gilmore <janis.gilmore@gmail.com >> >wrote: >> >> > Dear List, >> > >> > Most of you have probably already seen this column by our own Harold >> > Henderson--but just in case, I am posting here. It is an excellent piece >> > reminding us that we haven't really done anything until we have written >> it >> > up! >> > >> > >> > >> http://www.archives.com/experts/henderson-harold/genealogy-writing-tips.html >> > >> > Janis Walker Gilmore >> > Pawleys Island, SC >> > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive >> > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition >> to >> > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. >> > ------------------------------- >> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the >> message >> > >> The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive >> environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to >> professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > >-- >Harold Henderson            midwestroots.net >Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana >Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center > >Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 >Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks >of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the >Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation >and used under license by the Board’s associates. >The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- Harold Henderson            midwestroots.net Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competencyevaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.

Excellent article Harold! It certainly touched a cord with me. I have good intentions, but life intervenes and soon the backlog grows! A New Year is coming and time for a new habit! --Debra A. Hoffman New Windsor, MD On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 1:16 PM, Janis L Gilmore <janis.gilmore@gmail.com>wrote: > Dear List, > > Most of you have probably already seen this column by our own Harold > Henderson--but just in case, I am posting here. It is an excellent piece > reminding us that we haven't really done anything until we have written it > up! > > > http://www.archives.com/experts/henderson-harold/genealogy-writing-tips.html > > Janis Walker Gilmore > Pawleys Island, SC > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Suzanne Stewart <sjs867@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM Subject: Book help To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com Hi, I have a question about something recently mentioned on this forum. I thought that a book had been mentioned that contains an example of document order forms in it that you can copy and use.I tried to find the thread again but now I can't find it. Do any of you remember the book in question? Thank you, Suzanne On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM, Suzanne Stewart <sjs867@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi, I have a question about something recently mentioned on this forum. I > thought that a book had been mentioned that contains an example of document > order forms in it that you can copy and use.I tried to find the thread > again but now I can't find it. Do any of you remember the book in question? > Thank you, Suzanne >

Suzanne: Are you thinking of "International Vital Records Handbook" by Thomas Jay Kemp, 5th edition, published 2009 by GPC (Genealogical Publishing Company), ISBN 978-0-8063-1793-9? He also gives web sites and if I were to order something I think I'd check the web site for current fees and rules in case any agency had placed restrictions on access since the book was published. Hope this helps. Megan Isely On 12/20/2012 4:10 PM, Suzanne Stewart wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Suzanne Stewart <sjs867@gmail.com> > Date: Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM > Subject: Book help > To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com > > > Hi, I have a question about something recently mentioned on this forum. I > thought that a book had been mentioned that contains an example of document > order forms in it that you can copy and use.I tried to find the thread > again but now I can't find it. Do any of you remember the book in question? > Thank you, Suzanne > > > > On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM, Suzanne Stewart <sjs867@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi, I have a question about something recently mentioned on this forum. I >> thought that a book had been mentioned that contains an example of document >> order forms in it that you can copy and use.I tried to find the thread >> again but now I can't find it. Do any of you remember the book in question? >> Thank you, Suzanne >> > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks, guys, and Happy New Year! On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 4:28 PM, Debra Hoffman <dalhoffman@gmail.com> wrote: > Excellent article Harold! It certainly touched a cord with me. I have good > intentions, but life intervenes and soon the backlog grows! > > A New Year is coming and time for a new habit! > > --Debra A. Hoffman > New Windsor, MD > > On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 1:16 PM, Janis L Gilmore <janis.gilmore@gmail.com > >wrote: > > > Dear List, > > > > Most of you have probably already seen this column by our own Harold > > Henderson--but just in case, I am posting here. It is an excellent piece > > reminding us that we haven't really done anything until we have written > it > > up! > > > > > > > http://www.archives.com/experts/henderson-harold/genealogy-writing-tips.html > > > > Janis Walker Gilmore > > Pawleys Island, SC > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition > to > > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > message > > > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Harold Henderson midwestroots.net Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.