Show, Don`t Tell

Presented by Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A.
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How to create interactive family histories
Using free or low-cost online tools for
adding photos, video, maps and more
Tips to bring your ancestors' stories to life
Family Histories
Should...
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Inform
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Engage
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Enhance
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Entertain(?)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/227-old-books-History-Genealogy-VIRGINIAVA-/170607679443?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b90297d3
Or This…
Or This…
Boxes and Lines
Original image removed due to copyright restrictions
Or This…
“What do I care about those people?
They’re dead. I didn’t know them…”
- John Alzo, 2005
You Have the Power
To Change It!
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Not just names, dates, places
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Or…footnotes
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“Show, don’t tell!”
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Fundamental principle of writing
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Many ways to document family history
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Not just ONE format
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Your family history will continue to evolve
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So will the tools to share it
“Interactive”
Definition:
“Acting or capable of acting on each other.”
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Books or e-Books
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Blogs
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Newsletters
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Family Websites
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Cemetery Sites
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Online Scrapbooks
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Memory or Memorial Pages
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Presentations or slide shows
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Video tours
Three Categories
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Basic (Easy)
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Intermediate
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Advanced
Family Newsletters
Easy Ways to Involve
Your Family
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Social Media
•  Facebook
•  Google+
•  Twitter
•  Pinterest
•  Blogs
Blogs
•  The Accidental Genealogist
http://www.theaccidentalgenealogist.com
•  Long Lost Relatives
http://www.longlostrelatives.net
•  4YourFamilyStory
http://www.4yourfamilystory.com
•  Grace and Glory
http://beckysgraceandglory.blogspot.com
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Family Websites
http://www.myfamily.com
Weebly http://www.weebly.com
HistoryPin
http://www.historypin.com
DearPhotograph
http://www.dearphotograph.com
WhatWasThere
http://www.whatwasthere.com
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Find-a-grave
http://www.findagrave.com
Billion Graves
http://www.billiongraves.com
RestingSpot
http://www.restingspot.com
Custom Books
MyCanvas at Ancestry.com)
http://ancestry.mycanvas.com
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Memorial Pages (Fold3)
http://www.fold3.com
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1000Memories
http://www.1000memories.com
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Voice Quilt
http://www.voicequilt.com
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Interactive books – Apple
•  New publishing platform
Family History Tours (using Google)
- Lisa Louise Cooke (book and DVDs)
Presentations
YouTube Videos
Sample Video
YouTube
Story about John Coakely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0ULJtDyWbg
A street cleaner
“White Wings”
Song; "White Wings," by Oystein Sevag:
http://www.amazon.com/White-Wings/dp/
B000QWM050
Note: The slideshow tribute shown to the audience
at RootsTech is not posted because it is for private use by the
presenter.
Conclusion
Don’t let your ancestors OR their stories
be reduced to just footnotes!
They deserve more than that!
Follow-Up
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Awesome Family Websites: Record Your Living
Family History Friday 9:45 a.m.
Telling Stories: Transforming the Bare Facts of
Genealogy Into the Astonishing Tale of You and
Your Family. Friday 11:00 alm.
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Cool Tools for Publishing Your Family History
ISGS February 14th
http://www.ilgensoc.org/
Digital Writing Tools for Genealogists
March 30th
Legacy Family Tree
http://www.legacyfamilytree.com
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The Big Genealogy Blog Book by Amy Coffin,
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http://wetree.blogspot.com/2011/11/big-genealogy-blog-book.html
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The Genealogist's Google Toolbox by Lisa Louise Cooke
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/gengems
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Three Slovak Women by Lisa A. Alzo, CreateSpace,
http://www.lisaalzo.com
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Writing Your Family History Book (course and book) by Lisa A.
Alzo, Heritage Productions, The National Institute for Genealogical
Studies, http://www.genealogicalstudies.com