Everyone Wants to Write a Good Family History- That’s the Mistake

Devon Noel Lee
May 17
3 min read

Updated: May 20

If you've ever stared at a blank screen thinking, "I want to write about my grandma's life, but I don't know how to make it meaningful," you're in good company.

Writing a family history isn't about sounding smart or stuffing a story full of dates and places. It's about shaping a legacy—one sentence at a time.

So today, we're going to bust the myth that only "good writers" can write powerful family histories. Spoiler alert: that myth dies today.

Are You Upset With the First Draft of Your Family History?

There is no such thing as good writing. In fact, the goal of your first draft is to finish it!

That's it. Nothing else.

It will be a mess of factual mistakes and grammatical errors, and let's be honest, it will be boring. But that's okay. Remember this truism

Quote on teal background: "There is no such thing as good writing. There is only good rewriting." - Jeffery R Holland, with paper and pencil icons.

That gem right there is one of my all-time favorite quotes. It reminds me that great writing doesn't appear on the first try.

Only after you write something can you correct and polish it before the story truly shines. I'm picturing the poem "The Touch of the Master's Hand." A master played a battered violin, and it received more value. But there was a battered violin to start with!

✅ So if your first draft sounds clunky or dull—good. That's exactly how it's supposed to start.

You're in good company. And, soon, you'll use your touch of the master's hand to make your story sound amazing!

Writing = Thinking You Can Come Back To

“Writing is thinking made permanent.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

Now, here's where your writing can become even more powerful. When you write a memory, you're not just capturing facts—you're capturing how you think about that moment. And that's family history gold.

Let's say your dad always cried during Christmas Eve carols. Maybe, as a kid, you thought it was silly. But now? You realize he was grieving his mother, who died near the holidays.

Elderly man gazes pensively beside a decorated Christmas tree with red baubles and stockings, set in a warm, festive ambiance.

Writing that story lets you process that shift. It preserves the truth you discovered later, not just the memory you had back then.

💡 That's why writing matters: it lets future generations see how meaning unfolds over time. And it can debunk the myth that 'big boys don't cry.' They do, but it has a powerful reason.

Want to Find Familial Truth? Start Writing.

“There is in the writing process a search for truth.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

Writing family history isn’t just a transfer of information—it’s a journey. Sometimes, you start writing about one ancestor and realize the story is about you.

Maybe you discover you’ve inherited more than just your grandma’s eyes —you’ve inherited her fear of risk (or heights). Or her sass. Or her stoicism. When you write, patterns emerge. Insights click into place. And sometimes, healing happens.

So don’t wait for clarity before you write. Write until you get clarity.

Hands typing on a laptop in a bright room with teal accents. Text reads: "Learn to write your family history. Get started."

Write Your Family History to Discover, Not Just Remember

So let’s recap:

✅No such thing as good writing.

✅Writing = Thinking You Can Come Back To

✅Want to Find Familial Truth? Start Writing.

If you can remember these three tips, you’ll free yourself from the chains that are preventing you from starting, finishing, or sharing your family history.