Writing It Up (For People Who Don't Want To Write It Up)

That's the title of a two page article in the December issue of Genealogists' Magazine written by the magazine's editor Michael Gandy. Here's a summary.

Because the chances of anyone who inherits your family history research being nearly as interested in it as you are he recommends brevity. Write it before you go gaga.
He recommends five elements.

1. A large one-page chart of direct ancestors arranged clearly up to 256 ancestors, preferably designed yourself so you can hide things you don't want to highlight.
2. A collection of family trees showing siblings, and possibly more distant if they show a link to an interesting person. Important people highlighted. Make sure they're accurate as errors may lead them to trash the whole collection.
3. Limit the evidence to only that that's critical and can't be found by readily available online sources.
4. Copies of unique heirloom documents, nothing run of the mill.
5. Family history: a) a 4 - 8 page summary, b) your personal reminiscences - less is more.

That's it.