New Course on Writing Family History

There is a new week-long seminar on "Writing Family History Narratives and Other Genealogical Works" coming this summer. It is sponsored by the Boston University Center for Professional Learning and will be held on campus in Boston from July 25 - 29, 2011. This course will be taught by Dr. John Colletta and Dr. Thomas Jones and will cover many aspects of genealogical writing. The fee is $795 for the five day course.

Here is the description of the new course from the website:

Taught by Dr. John Philip Colletta and Dr. Thomas Wright Jones, this course explores a broad range of genealogical writing, including genealogies and family histories, scholarly articles, reports and summaries, and guides and manuals; however, it focuses mainly on the principles and mechanics of writing and publishing narrative family history. Elements of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, forms of documentation, numbering systems, indexing, illustrations and other aesthetic considerations are all discussed and demonstrated with examples. Ways to organize materials, establish historical context and create vivid and engaging real-life stories are addressed. The mechanics of self-, subsidized and commercial publishing are explained, considering the option of publishing on paper or electronically. In-class exercises critiqued by the instructors allow students to apply the concepts taught, while reading assignments culminate in a class discussion of the broad literary possibilities of family history narrative.

Prerequisites

• Students should have completed the BU Genealogical Research Certificate Program or have comparable experience.
• Familiarity with Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills and Professional Genealogy manual
• Prior to the course, students should read the Writing and Compiling and Editing and Publishing sections of Professional Genealogy manual