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The Surprising Place You Should Start a Family History Story
- Devon Noel Lee
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Have you ever sat down to write a family story and realized that the most exciting part happens right in the middle?
Maybe it’s a battlefield moment your ancestor barely survived. Maybe it’s the scandal that sent shockwaves through the family tree. Or maybe it’s the moment she boarded a steamship alone and never looked back.
So now what?
Do you save that moment for the middle, just because it happened in the middle of their life? Or—can you start your story there? This is the dilemma many of us face when writing a family history.
That’s exactly what one viewer, C. Boggs, asked when she said: “If the most interesting part of someone’s life is in the middle, how do you keep the story in chronological order?”
Let’s dig into a better way to tell that story—one that still respects the timeline, and keeps your readers hooked from the very first line.
Start With a Draft—Not a Drama
When you’re writing a family history, the first thing to do is not worry about being entertaining.
Instead, just write the draft chronologically. Start with the person’s birth or earliest known facts, and work your way forward. Don’t skip ahead, even if you’re dying to get to the big moment.
Why?
Because writing in order helps you understand how their life unfolded, you’ll see cause and effect more clearly, connect small moments to big ones, and build a solid timeline—one that’s true to their experience.
That draft is your scaffolding, your blueprint. You don’t have to show it to anyone, but you will use it later to build your story.
Rearrange for Impact
Now comes the fun part: editing for readers.
If the most compelling moment is in the middle, you don’t have to wait for it. Lead with it.
Think of it like a movie trailer. What’s going to make someone sit up and say, “Whoa—I want to know more”?
Start with a vivid scene that stirs curiosity or emotion. Then, ease the reader back to the beginning.
You can write something like:
“But to understand how she got here, we have to go back to where it all began…”
That structure keeps your audience engaged without changing any of the facts. You’re not distorting the story—you’re simply choosing when to reveal each part.
Rebuild the Timeline—Now With Heart
Once you’ve written that powerful opening and drawn readers in, you return to the beginning of the ancestor’s life. This time, your readers are emotionally invested. They already know the stakes.
You’ll tell the early years more meaningfully because now the reader understands where it’s all headed. By the time they hit that dramatic middle again, they’ll feel the full weight of what it meant.
And what if the story ends on a quiet note? That’s okay, too.
You can close the story with reflection or resolution—something that gives the reader a sense of completion, even without fireworks.
A Quick Family History Example
Let’s say you’re writing about your great-grandfather, who survived a mining explosion in Colorado.
You could start your final story like this:
“The explosion lasted just twenty-two seconds.
When the dust settled, only three men were alive. He was one of them.”
Then you pull back:
“But before all that, he was just a boy working beside his father in the Pennsylvania coal fields.”
Did you notice what happened as you read? You are grabbing attention with purpose, not forced drama. Thus, your research shines without becoming fiction.
The Big Takeaway
If you’re writing a family history story and you’re not sure where to start, here’s your plan:
✅ Write your draft in order.
✅ Edit for emotional impact.
✅ Lead with the moment that matters most—even if it’s not the beginning.
That way, you stay true to your ancestors' lives and write stories that people actually want to read.
And if you’ve got a juicy moment in your family story—the kind that belongs at the beginning—I’d love to hear about it! Share it in the comments, and I might feature it in a future video. Let's build a community of engaging family storytellers!