Tips for recording stories & more
Jun 18, 2021 11:39 pm
Happy Father's Day to all the men in our lives! There are some great ways to remember the men who've influenced us through the years. My favorite is recording their stories.
“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.” – African proverb
Below are some tips for getting stories recorded.
If you're able to meet in person with a father figure this weekend, be sure to ask if you can pull out your phone/camera and record a few stories. And if Father's day isn't your thing, grab someone else you care about and record their story. Recording stories is best with proper equipment, but don't let the desire for perfection cause you to miss an opportunity to record someone's story. If you have a tripod (look up DIY tripod on the internet) and mic for your phone that will help, but ANYTHING is better than NOTHING. The stories might be lost if you don't take advantage of the present.
Some tips for getting someone talking:
Tip 1 - Prepare a timeline of their life with as much detail as you know
Tip 2 - Consider what topics you'd most like recorded for posterity
Tip 3 - Grab any visual or sensory aids to prompt memories (old yearbooks, period music, photos, letters, recipe cards, food items, old games or tools, postcards, clothes, toys, memorabilia, etc.)
Tip 4 - Ask the storyteller if there's anything they really want to talk about (I often have my own priorities and the storyteller wants to go a completely different direction, so we go with what the storyteller wants to discuss.)
Tip 5 - Make sure the storyteller is in a comfortable chair, has water and is hydrated, and can take bathroom breaks. I could listen for hours but often a storyteller only wants to talk for 15 minutes. Rarely will a storyteller talk for more than an hour in one sitting.
Tip 6 - Ask open-ended questions (ones that can't be easily answered with a yes or no or a nod of the head).
Tip 7 - Don't use the word "remember" to prompt a memory. Instead say something like, "You told me you worked for a car dealership..." and get them started with a few details they can build on.
Tip 8 - Don't talk or make any sounds while the storyteller is talking. Nod your head or lean forward to show you're engaged or in agreement but not even an "Uh huh" or "yeah." It's okay to have periods of silence for the storyteller to add details or organize thoughts.
Tip 9 - Don't correct the storyteller. Their "truth" might not jive with the facts but interrupting can ruin their concentration and might cause them to stop entirely.
Tip 10 - Thank them for their time!!! Not everyone enjoys being the center of attention and if someone is generous enough to let us interview them, we need to let them know how much we appreciate them and their willingness to share their experiences.
There are also DNA sales going on at Ancestry, MyHeritage, FTDNA (including Y-DNA testing), LivingDNA, and 23andMe, just to name the biggest testers used in genealogy. And memory book sites like Mixbook, etc have sales going on.
New and Updated Listings
In coming weeks I'll keep updating and consolidating our listings for all types of directories throughout the United States. We love city directories and have about 500 in our basement. They're so helpful for researching a locale, finding friends and family through reverse-lookups, and other details like a person's profession, etc. If you haven't researched your ancestor using city directories, take a few minutes and see what new details you can glean about their life.
Best with your family history research!
