Some people ask, “What’s an ancestry writer?” It’s a person like me who enjoys ancestry stories and the search for legacy, heritage and roots.
Ancestry writers either research and chronicle history themselves, or help others do so. An author might hire me to research genealogical lines to include in a book.
For instance, an author might hire me to edit a book on the exploration of family roots as I did for Chief Meteorologist Frank Billingsley of Channel 2 News . His book Swabbed and Found, took readers on a journey through the science of DNA and solved his closed adoption case.
Other authors might hire me to write their autobiographies which includes their ancestry, oral history, details from diaries and journals, and even old newspaper clippings.
Ancestry Writer of Historic Fiction
Some might need my assistance in writing a historic fiction novel based on fact, but embellished with fictional characters, settings and plot. To see examples, Check out Amazon’s listings of historic fiction here.
I admit I’m a bit obsessed with ancestry.com and have traced thousands of my forebears to the 1500s. I have the more expensive subscription because I research for authors too. I help pinpoint timeline events, births, marriages and voyages across the sea — and wouldn’t you know it? I have made some discoveries that absolutely shocked my clients!
My trek into these online clues was inspired by the photo (above) of my daughter, mother and me — a trio with roots in Switzerland. But how Swiss are we? Only a three-year-long search answered that question, and I’m happy to announce we are very, very Swiss. I made my way back to the 1500s and the town of Glattfelden, named after my ancient family. More surprising was the seventeen patriot great-great-great-plus-grandfathers I found during the American Revolution.
As a developmental editing expert, I share the blog posts below with delve further in to the type of writing and editing I do. I hope it inspires you to capture your own ancestral journey and share it with family, friends, fans and the world.