research and writing

Putting together the research is more difficult than it seems like it would be. Organizing the writing is what gives me trouble and trying to figure out what is the best way to present the material I have collected. As I have been writing this draft, I am finding when I go back through research notes, that I have inadvertently left facts or something out that I wanted to put in the story. So even after a draft has been written, it is a good idea to recheck notes to make sure all has been included from the notes that a person wants into the project.

I have found most of my stories from family members line up with each other. There has been a couple of recalled memories of individuals that have varied some. I attribute that to the perspective of each person that I have interviewed. My uncle didn't remember some things my mother remembered and he remembered some things differently or from a different angle. Of course, being at different ages when events happened, being a different gender, and being in a different position within the family all contributes to the varying factors.

I have found too that I have too much material in graphics and other documentation that won't fit into the project. So I need to weed out what really isn't necessary. I'm not sure how to handle the documentation and citing or if I do need to cite. I will probably use footnotes on some things in the project. Because this is a story more than straight genealogy, I don't want to lose the audience in too much citing of sources or even footnotes.
Accuracy seems to be a problem in genealogical research. I have found names can have several spellings and many people are named the same in same time periods. I have also found dates can be off and that can throw off finding information too. I have one great-aunt that appears to have died when she was three, but I have an interview that states without a doubt that aunt was alive and well until she was an old lady. So somehow, the dates or the name is wrong.

I wish I had more time. One thing I have noticed about research is that it is never done. As I have interviewed more people or found more information, something else will come up that needs a follow up. I receive tidbits when I interview of leads to pursue for either possible pictures or more information, but it all takes time to track people down and to track events. I'm not sure how complete this project should be before I print copies and distribute to my audience. I'm thinking that whatever I have done at the deadline will be good enough to make it be final just so I can get it printed and out to people. Otherwise, I think something like this is never really finished because something else will always surface. There has to be a cut off place at some point in order to even have a finished product.

This is really fun though despite my complaints about the research. It is like a jigsaw puzzle and each piece gives another part that was missing before. Maybe it won't be possible to complete the whole picture with each piece, but even having a mostly complete puzzle is exciting. I have found so much information that I didn't know before and found this in just 8 weeks. That is pretty amazing.