As part of the Write By the Rails Endless Possibilities Blogtour, I’m happy to welcome Jan Rayl to my blog with tips on how to get your memoir done.
They say everyone has a book in them, and I believe it. I want to encourage some of you that have been toying with the idea of writing a book to consider a memoir. There are many stories about families lost to the passage of time. Generations of family history are lost. With the advent of self-publishing it is easier than ever to publish a book for a smaller audience like your relatives.
My father, Al Rayl, did just what I am talking about. He wrote a book, “Beyond my Wildest Dreams,†about his life for our family. I learned that I am related to Silas Vance, once Secretary of State for the United States. If that is not enough claim to fame I also learned I am related to Don Knotts aka Barney Fife. He was on, The Andy Griffith Show, a popular television show when I was growing up. These and many other family memories might have been lost had it not been for the book my father wrote.
Where to start? Start at the beginning, where you were born, and grew up. What memories do you have of specifics from “back in the day.†Were there family traditions for holidays? What can you tell about parents, grandparents, great-grand parents? Include those family legends and tales that you have been told as part of your family tradition. Interview your parents and grandparents and other relatives with open ended questions; “tell me about growing up in..,†or “what is the most unusual thing you know about our family,†or “do you know anything or anyone famous in our family?†Make a list of ten questions to ask and more will come to you as you start the process.
Start asking those relatives older than you their story, before their stories die with them. Some you may know as fact and can be stated as such and some are legend. For example, my Grandmother tells me she believes we are part Choctaw Indian because she recalls her Grandmother told her this. At this point it is still family legend; however she recently gave me a name to work with. So now I am in the process of verifying this information. This is one example I wish I had known when I was paying for college had I been able to confirm it back then it could have helped financially with my education. You never know what gems your relatives may tell you if you interview them for your family history book.
Chances are your family book will probably never win you a Pulitzer or make you a millionaire but it does leave the legacy of your family story for generations to come. You might find some hidden gems out there that can be shared for generations to come.
Once you have all your information garnered write it down. Each chapter can tell about a different aspect or time period of your family. You can do this in Microsoft word or Apple pages or any other word processing program. Once you have the story down on paper edit, edit, edit. I cannot say this enough. Have someone read and proof your story. Someone in the family that has good command of grammar and spelling can proof for you. Give them a free copy of your book and a thank-you in the acknowledgments. Spell check will not catch all the mistakes. Nothing is worse than trying to read a poorly written book with mistakes on every page.
Once the book is done you are ready to get it printed. You can use a vast number of publishers. For something like this for the family I strongly urge you to use a publisher that only charges for your book. You do not need to pay them to publish your book. You do not need to pay for marketing services. This is a family heirloom it is not a New York Times best seller. One such publisher I recommend is Lulu. You can search on line for other independent (indie) publishers that publish on demand. By looking for “on demand printing†you can get small press runs of a few books and do not have to get more copies made than you 
actually want.
If you are in the Prince William County are feel free to come to a Write by the Rails meeting and be encouraged in your quest to write your family treasure. If you live in another are find your local writers group they are a great source of encouragement and inspiration. For more information on Write by the Rails
Jan is a travel and book review blogger. Jan is also a multi-media artist. Other fascinating travel facts, recommendations, adventures and reviews of the ever important vacation book can be found on Jan’s Blog or on Facebook drop by and leave her a comment. Jan is a member of her local writing group Write by the RailsÂ