For as long as people have been writing, they've been telling true stories of lives, histories, ancestors and families; a quick glance at the shelves in your local bookshop will confirm that we still have more than just a taste for autobiography and memoirs. The truth is often a lot more interesting than fiction and if you trawl through your own family history, you'll find plenty to rival the bestsellers.
Setting it all down on paper seems like a daunting prospect, but there are tools available to help the budding memoir writer, and it can be remarkably rewarding. With the correct research, and a small amount of dedication, you could start immediately.
Where to start...
Don't plunge straight into the task of writing. Decide how far back in your family you want to go - research your family tree for a specified number of generations. Do any really interesting characters stand out? Do you notice similarities between long-gone ancestors and living family members? Have there been any interesting journeys, enterprises, or stories to tell?
Click here to search for your ancestors for free
Ancestry.co.uk is dedicated to helping you find out the bare bones of your family history - births, deaths, marriages, locations and occupations - examine these thoroughly and use this invaluable information as the skeleton for your story. Make it your first port of call.
