The Why
Narrative captivates humanity. From the beginning, our ancestors used stories to remember loved ones, commemorate successes, and share experiences. Author Will Storr, in his book The Science of Storytelling, explains how narrative impacts humans neurologically. Storr, along with other researchers, discovered that when an individual tells a story, the same parts of the listener’s brain are engaged as the teller’s. This hints at the unification possible through telling and listening to each other’s stories. Imagine the impact on world conflicts if leaders and combatants from Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Sudan, and other violent areas had a structured place to listen to one another’s stories.
The stories we tell ourselves, especially about our identity, origin, and purpose, largely drive what we think and do. In my own life, I have seen the particular strength that generational stories have on one’s identity and purpose. When one knows who they come from and what the people before them overcame,it creates an awareness of the emotional and biological ties which create a symbolic link that provides enduring strength to overcome the difficulties in their lives. Knowing the details about one’s ancestors provides comfort that you are not the only one to have faced fear, felt abandoned, or lost hope. It helps you see your place in the human family. Our experiences are not new. Humans have dealt with desperation and elation for our entire existence. Discovering and immersing ourselves in our ancestors’ stories can create a well of strength deep enough to draw upon during our bleakest moments.
The Project
Driven by my belief in the importance of knowing your family stories, I have compiled three accurate narratives of past individuals’ lives. One is my own ancestor, another is my husband’s ancestor, and a third is a friend’s ancestor, all from different cultures and time periods. For each narrative, I drew on first-hand accounts, vital records such as birth and marriage dates, and outside research like census data. Using the records from the individual’s lives and outside research, I wrote vivid narratives that tell their life stories. Where details are lacking, I used research about the time period and location to understand what daily life would be like. I chose the three individuals because I felt working on their stories would provide me with a range of research and writing experiences. This project incorporates all of the skills I have learned in my communication degree and specifically my news journalism emphasis because it employed my ability to sift through information and decide what to include and in what order, the ability to tell a compelling narrative people actually want to read, and information gathering skills to have content to write about.
The Business
I am about to graduate, and I want to use my writing and research skills to offer a meaningful and profitable product to society. I decided to start a business writing commissioned family history narratives. Controlling my schedule allows me to be a stay-at-home mom while also assisting my husband in supporting our family. I wrote the narratives for portfolio pieces for my business to allow customers three example packages to choose from. I designed a website and titled my business Personal Family Histories. Potential customers call me for a free consultation where we discuss their project and find the package that best fits their needs. I give them a quote, and they give me the necessary information. I write the narrative, and that is the finished product.
Here is the link to my website. https://sites.google.com/view/personal-family-histories/home
Under the Portfolio tab, you can find the three example pieces I wrote as the focus of my project.