Keeping it all moving

As 2014 comes to a close, I am looking ahead to 2015 and the many ongoing projects I am a part of. This evaluation process made me realize that I am actively involved in writing for five blogs! That's quite a bit to keep track of, so I took the time to work out a system.

The first of the year is coming! The first of the year is coming! 

As we all start to realize that 2015 is just a few short weeks away, I took a good, hard look at my organizational process for the blogs that I am involved in. There are five, and combined with my other responsibilities, it's easy to lose track and lose time. Planning ahead, and keeping that plan within quick reach, is essential to my success. 

Although I do not normally write a lot of "how to organize" posts, I wanted all of this in writing somewhere, so here we are. A few simple proactive steps to get me set up for success. 

First, I use the Arc system from Staples to keep my paper things together. Yes, I use Evernote and ToDoist in my virtual life, but I still love to have things in front of me, in writing. With blogs, I use calendars. Simple, straight forward calendars. When I am working on a project that includes more people, I prefer to have a shared Google calendar in place, but I always, always, have it laid out on paper, too. There's something to be said about scratching off each post as it is finished... it's just satisfying. The Arc system is a disc style planner (like this one), and I L.O.V.E. my planner. There are other brands available, but I like the options that Staples offers, and at a reasonable price. I actually have two - one for my full time job at Findmypast and one for "everything else." 

One of the best investments I ever made was finding the specialized hole punch for the disc bound planner system (like this one). I grabbed it on clearance a while back, and I love that I can use it to add any old piece of paper I want to my planner; I do not have to purchase anything new or special. With that in mind, I went in search of some printables to help me move into 2015... 

For me, these needed to have two essential elements: clean, simple style, and the ability to customize the same template for each of the blogs I am a part of. Although I found some great examples on Pinterest, none of them quite met my needs (see my Discbound Planner board). I moved to Microsoft Word to see what options I had that might better accommodate what I had in my head, and I found the "Monthly and Weekly Planning Calendar." 

Template found on Word

This template was modified to meet my needs, and it will be an easy one to print and keep moving forward with throughout the year. With consistent use, I'll be on top of my blogging goals for the duration of 2015. The flexibility of the template will allow me to adapt to changing needs and "we've got to post this today" situations. After working to put all this together, I decided it was an hour well spent, and I'm already putting together content ideas for the first few months. 

For those who are interested, you can download my template here. See if it works for you. If not, find something else that does. If you can stick to a blogging calendar, you may just be surprised at your level of productivity on the blog; they are essential tools in keeping your site moving. 

Looking Forward to #FGS2015; an energetic experience

It's been a while. Yes, I know. It was a very long summer pulling me in numerous directions, and while most of it was absolutely incredible, some if it was quite stressful. But now? I'm back, and I'm happy to be blogging for myself again. 


The last six months have been a bit of a whirlwind for me, and one of the reasons for that is the upcoming Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 2015 conference. I was absolutely thrilled - and admittedly, more than a little surprised - to be invited to speak four times at this event. Not only is this an amazing conference to attend, it is also being held in conjunction with RootsTech this year, for a truly "once in a lifetime" event. 

FGS provided us with this nifty graphics to help spread the word! 

The conference itself is going to be quite an experience for all of us who are lucky enough to attend. Between the two events, the educational offerings will be quite extensive. 


The exhibit hall and society showcase should be quite something to see, both in size and scope; and of course, let's not overlook the fact that the whole thing takes place just down the road from the Family History Library. Whew. That's a lot to do in one week. 

I'm planning on arriving a day or two in advance this year. I'll have much to do in preparation for the conference, as a speaker, FGS Ambassador, and as part of the Findmypast team. I also plan on staying on a couple days afterwards, to visit with family and spend some time doing research at the library. 

I think sometimes it is hard to write down what you experience at a conference. If you have never attended an event like this, understand that through the crowds, the rush to see a favorite speaker, the nearly frantic pace to "get as much as I can" into your schedule for a week; the energy consumes you. There is no other feeling like it, the "conference high," when you arrive home and just cannot wait to dig into your research once again. Even those who have been working on a frustrating project for decades can find renewed energy and passion for a mystery still to be solved. 

As an FGS Ambassador, I will likely put most of my time into my social media channels, sharing the news, and getting the word out from the conference committee. You can easily find updates by following the hashtag, #FGS2015, or directly from the website. 

The event takes place February 11 - 14, 2015, and I certainly hope to see you there! 

Slowing Down

... giving myself time to breathe. 

What an amazing year 2014 has already proven to be! I have met many of my personal and business goals, and have made some incredible discoveries along the way. I have enjoyed every minute of it, but I have to admit, I am at the point where I need to make some decisions.

I recently accepted a full time position with findmypast as the Outreach Manager, US & Canada. I could not be happier about this role, as it is well suited to my talents and my passions. I love every minute of my work with them. Going back to a 40 hour a week schedule has been a transition process, for our entire family, and requires a bit of "getting used to time."

In addition, I happily signed up for a couple of volunteer roles this year, specifically with the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), and have immersed myself in those projects. They are important to me, and an asset to the genealogy community. There is an ongoing list of other projects and programs I have been involved in over the past couple of years, including this blog. All of this requires time; time I don't necessarily have anymore.

All of this has led me to the decision to simply slow down. I have prioritized my projects and will be pulling out of a handful more adventures over the coming weeks. I feel good about my decisions and feel that I am putting the best of myself into my career, and creating time to devote to my family, friends, and community. While I am not planning to completely stop blogging here, I am planning on slowing down. And I wanted to give my readers a heads up, because that's only fair.

Watch for more content on fraternal societies, because I simply cannot resist! I will also try to post as I attend conferences and events on behalf of findmypast. I'll be traveling again soon to the SCGS Jamboree and the FGS 2014 Conference "Gone to Texas" in San Antonio.

With deep respect for all of my friends here, I'm signing off for a bit.

Regards,

Jen

Me, summer 2013. Photo taken by my then four year old.
All rights reserved. 'Cause she deserves credit. 

The Family History Writing Challenge

Motivates Members to Write Their Stories

For Immediate Release                                                   

Contact : Lynn Palermo

The Armchair Genealogist

lynn@thearmchairgenealogist.com

The Family History Writing Challenge

The Family History Writing Challenge returns for the third year of motivating family historians dedicating daily time for writing their family history stories.

Family historians wishing to take up the torch of writing their stories are encouraged to put down the microfilm and pick up the pen for the month of February, and start writing their family history stories.

Upon signing up for The Family History Writing Challenge, participating members are invited to declare a goal in the form of a word count and to commit to completing that word count during the 28 days in February. In exchange for the commitment, Lynn Palermo (The Armchair Genealogist) host of the month long challenge will send out daily newsletters that include motivational messages, writing lessons, along with instructional guest posts by leading genealogists, published authors and editors. 

Lynn Palermo states, “by committing to a daily word count my hope is for all participants to make substantial headway in their family history writing goals and to create long lasting writing habits that will carry them forward throughout 2013.”

Lynn encourages members to sign up early to take advantage of the January newsletters that will help participants organize themselves to begin writing on February 1^st. A forum for the event is available to participants who want to exchange ideas, struggles and successes in a more intimate atmosphere.

Special guest authors include certified genealogist, author and writing instructor Sharon DeBartolo Carmack from www.NonfictionHelp.com  and author, speaker, genealogist and writing instructor Lisa Alzo from The Accidental Genealogist. Guest posts also include  writer, educator, historian Biff Barnes Editor at Stories to Tell Books, author and writing coach Tami Koeing  from Your Story Coach and Mariann S. Regan, author of the family memoir Into The Briar and Patch and blog. Lynn Palermo suggests participants should watch for future developments in coming weeks, as this list was not complete at press time.

Family historians who wish to participate in the challenge can sign up or learn more about the challenge at The Family History Writing Challenge website. The event will run from February 1^st-February 28^th. 

The Grand Unexpected

Today, I received a great surprise from fellow geneablogger, Jana Last, author of Jana’s Genealogy and Family History Blog. I have learned to appreciate Jana’s blog a great deal, and enjoy reading it on a regular basis.

On 9 January 2013, she posted an article entitled, “Three Blog Awards, Kindly Given,” in which she stated that she had been nominated for three different awards at the close of 2012, and my only thought was that this was so well deserved.

As I continued to read, I was humbled and honored to see that she had chosen my blog, Ancestral Breezes, as one of her nominations for the “Blog of the Year 2012” Award.





It may seem like a simple gesture, but truly, I consider it great praise when another blogger and genealogist compliments my work. As a “transitioning” genealogist professional, I have spent countless hours in the past twelve months trying to find ways in which to turn my passion into a career path; I am truly astounded at the pride such an action invokes.

Part of this process is selecting my own nominations for ‘Blog of the Year 2012’. Thankfully, I am not limited in any way, so here are a couple of my favorites. These are people from whom I have learned, who have had an influence or impact on my professional world, or simply those that have conveyed true emotion and the spirit of collaboration in their blogs.

• Dan Curtis, “Professional Personal Historian”
• Lynn Palermo, “The Armchair Genealogist”
• The In-Depth Genealogist Blog (full disclosure, I am a contributor to this blog. The other authors, and the editors, have taught me a great deal, so this nomination goes to the collaboration effort as a whole.)
• Stephanie Pitcher Fishman “Corn & Cotton Genealogy Blog”
• Mariann Regan "Into the Briar Patch"

My thanks go out to all geneabloggers. What an incredible year it has been! I have learned much, laughed a great deal, and even cried some at the stories you tell, the personalities you bring forth in your writing. 

Raise a glass, friends, 2013 is going to be amazing. We will make it that way together.

Here’s the skinny on this Award:
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
3 Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5 You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Create Your Own Genealogy Blog Stock Images

Read just about any article on "how to blog", and one of the first suggestions is always related to having images in each article. It's good advice, and it's a proven method of generating - and keeping - readers. In our technology laden society, we are being inundated with more and more information, you need something flashy and attractive to keep those that are interested in your stories coming back.

If you Google "stock photos", you can literally find millions of results. Some of them are free, some are not. Some are very high quality, some are not.

There is an easier way, however, and if you have a decent digital camera or a smartphone, it becomes relatively simple. Here is the warning: once you start taking pictures on your own for your genealogy or family history related blog, you may not stop. You've been told.

Inspiration comes easily, just look at the myriad of other bloggers out there, focusing of course on similar topics to yours. If your blog discusses a memory of your grandmother, take a photo of your heirloom tea cup that was passed down to you. Is the objective of the post a book review or include mention of a article or magazine? Use the cover of the text, a notepad and pen to create an image of studying or reading. Have a new research idea, that you want to write about? Fantastic! Even a stack of unidentified books in front of a computer screen makes a compelling image.

I've been doing this, consistently, now for a couple of months, and truly love it. The ideas that come to mind are really endless, and your imagination is all you really need!

Here's a few of mine:

My husband's toy wooden truck, placed on top of a map
from the general area where we grew up.

My own childhood toy! Mounted on a track and using
the same map. I used the macro setting on all of these
images to get the blurred corners.

My grandmother's tea cup and saucer, one of
a small collection. Placed on top of a family tree chart,
next to her name. 

Same tea cup and saucer, with a larger view of the chart.

To display continuing education...
classic texts with a genealogy conference
website in the background. Combining classic
"education" with new formats.

Use your community. Talk a walk around your neighborhood and look for interesting architectural details on local homes, flora and fauna that catches your eye, cloud formations above buildings that create an interesting scene. Use your creativity and have some fun with it! If your ancestors were farmers, get up close and personal with a grain of wheat or a leaf, if there are in a location with limited access to farms. Take pictures of gears, bike spokes, lunch boxes... anything that you can use to tell the story, behind the story.

The Rotary Snow Plow Park in Breckenridge, CO.
They have a fantastic engine, but the box car is
photographed very rarely.

Rotary Snow Plow Park, Breckenridge, CO.
A unique perspective on rail history, perhaps. 

My back deck, with the addition of my daughter's art work.
A good color / neutral tone combo.

Two suggestions, however. Find a way to have and label your images with copyright text, unless of course, you do not mind if anybody and everybody uses your ideas. Secondly, use your "macro" setting on your camera (it's up to you to research that, if you don't know what it is, there are far too many options to be discussed here), or Instagram on your smart phone to create unique, visually stimulating images.

A few moments of self-teaching on your equipment will go a long way, here. Take advantage of the tools you have at home to create unique, creative images for your blog. Your readers will appreciate it, and your stories will become more personal.

Finding Your Power in Writing

Protected by Copyright.

We hear many pieces of advice every day, and the information is coming to us faster than ever. Writer's and "writing experts" talk about "finding your voice", and using impressive post titles to intrigue, and then capture, an audience. One article recently read indicated using "power words" to engage your readers. I have heard these bullet points listed for months, as recently as within this last week from comments left on my post, "SEO: Why It's Important For Your Blog", so I finally decided to put down my thoughts on the topic.


Personally, I believe that only time and practice will evolve you into the kind of writer you want to be. It is the only way to "find your voice". For me, this meant I needed to practice on eliminating the extra, filler words. The unnecessary. After reading through several of my posts over the past month's, (almost a year!), I can see the changes in my style, I can 'hear' my more direct nature coming across. In life, I am not a "beat around the bush" type of gal, and I see that reflected in my writing here.

The "power words": I had to delve into that a bit, as its been a while since my last Creative Writing class, and it was easy to find. Strong, emotional words that create an immediate connection with your audience. Use those in your title, use them in your Twitter and Facebook posts to direct traffic, use them every which way you can. Because when we read, we want to connect. We are looking to find something in what the writer is expressing the induces... anything. Whether its dread, sadness, anticipation, adrenaline, fear, anger or overwhelming awe.

And those are the words. Sensational. Lavish. Sly. (When was the last time you used 'sly' in a genealogy blog post?)

There are more than a few websites on the topic, so I will challenge you: find a great one, and share it here. I found "57 Power Words For Writing Brilliant Headlines" by Tiffany Monhollon, posted 1 Jul 2010 on Personal PR. I also found a series by Tonia Kendrick from Tonia's Roots, entitled "31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog", which I will absolutely be following from now on. She's already completed several posts, so I have some catching up to do. (How did I miss this?)

Let's be savvy bloggers, shall we? Find a great resource and let me know. Or not. I suppose you could keep it to yourself. But where's the fun in that?

The Debate in My Head

I'm currently arguing with myself over a topic that I think (hope) many of you will have an opinion on. Should I have one blog or two?

Here's what it would look like:

One Blog: this one. It combines my personal research goals, finds, artifacts and general journey with that of my professional life; mostly methodology, western U.S. research and a focus on Summit County, Colorado.

Two Blogs: this one, changing to just a personal research blog and a new one, launched from my website for Ancestral Journeys, focusing on the methodology, western U.S. research and Summit County, Colorado.

Here's the thing. I have several writing commitments already in place: this blog, Examiner.com, In-Depth Genealogist and two counties with the Trails to the Past free genealogy organization, Summit and Colfax County, Nebraska. I also have my ongoing research, client work and the tasks related to running a small business: marketing, speaking engagements, social media, networking... etc. I get approximately three hours each day to do all of this, with a "bonus day" once a week that provides an extra three hours.

This is me. Stretched.

I also work with the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and volunteer at one of the local churches at least twice a month.

Oh, and I'm a stay at home Mom of a three year old.

All of this seems to be reasonable for me at this time, albeit I'm stretched.


Really stretched. 



So my concern is this: will I have the time, energy, and motivation to provide quality content on two blogs, versus just one?

In the past month, I have developed some new organizational methods for myself, and that seems to be working well. I've been reading - a lot - about blog content, tips and tricks to write better, faster, more often.

Bottom line, here, folks, is that I'm simply not confident enough in myself to think that I can pull this off right now. I do think, ultimately, its a good idea. I believe the smart decision would be to separate my business writing from that of my personal. But, I want to do it right.


Indecision 2012. That's where I'm at. 


I cannot tell you when this decision will be made, but rest assured, you'll hear it here first. I'm leaning towards going for it, simply because I believe you have to work at your dreams. No one hands them to you. It does help to write it all down, though.