So, you want to write or publish your family’s story? Cassie Mercer is not only the brains behind portraitdetective.com.au in partnership with the State Library of NSW, but ALSO the former editor of Inside History magazine. Read Cassie’s top tips for turning your family history into an article that everyone will want to read. Click here to watch Cassie dive into this in-demand topic in more detail.
The Hook.
Why are you writing what you’re writing? Your hook could be anything – a photograph of a family member with a particular story behind it, an event that happened in your ancestors’ lives, or perhaps some records you have stumbled across in your research. And what is your angle behind the hook? An angle can be described as something similar to a theme in a book. Is it a love story behind the photograph you have found? Is it a rebellion or acceptance within the family? Or, is it an announcement about the information you discovered in those newfound records?
Know your audience.
Who are you writing your story for, and where will your story end up? This will dictate the language and terms that certain groups are familiar with (e.g. family history societies vs. children). Also consider where your story is going to live. Will it be published in a private, or public domain? This will dictate what information you want to include.
Shaping your story.
Begin with the most interesting anecdote to hook people in. An example of this could be a quote from a particular ancestor. A quote is a great way to put the reader in the mind of the person that you’re writing about and make it personal. Or, if you don’t have a quote – start with the present. What is the catalyst for you writing this story? Why is it personal to YOU? Save the more mundane information e.g. dates, names, places in the middle of the article. Close your story with your second-most interesting piece of information – you want to leave your readers wanting more.
Hooks within the story.
Hooks within the story keep the reader engaged throughout. Make your story a paragraph-turner, and not a page-turner. What are the key moments of the story you need to include?
The sell.
The sell is the very first paragraph underneath a headline in a newspaper or magazine article. Consider it your ‘elevator pitch’. The purpose of this is to get the reader wanting to dive into the story. Sometimes it is easier to begin with writing the sell than writing the headline.
What if you have little to no information on the ancestor?
Say you only have the name of the ancestor, and the ship they arrived on…This is more common than not. Think about the broader social history of the time that you are writing about. What time of year did they emigrate? What was life like at the time of when they emigrated vs. when they arrived to their destination? What was the condition of the ship like? Finally, consider the ‘why’. Were they escaping something or leaving something behind? Or were they chasing a personal or career goal?
Get writing….
- Don’t get attached to specific parts of your article if it’s not relevant, and not interesting.
- Write, and re-write. Show it to family and friends to ask for their feedback.
- Keep the reader on your shoulder whilst you are writing – consider them at all times.
- Practice, practice, practice – how will you incorporate time to write more?
- Practice getting your work out there – is it a local newspaper? A family history society?
Get published….
Firstly, ask the publication for guidelines and ask what topics they have recently published to make sure there is no overlap with the story you are providing. If your motivation is to get your story published, don’t write the full article or story upfront. Write a bit about the sell, and the main hook to grasp the publisher and then pitch it to them. This allows for constructive feedback and direction.
Do you have a story you want to tell? Well, we want to hear from you, especially if it’s about a family portrait and the story behind it! Send your elevator pitch to Cassie via porraitdetective.com.au
Cassie Mercer is the founder of portraitdetective.com.au and previously the editor of the award-winning magazine Inside History. The history bug struck her when she discovered the story of her 5x great grandparents – in the late 1700s in Ireland, one was a highwayman and the other was the madam of a brothel, of the Lower Sort.