4 inspiring quotes about delving into your family history

I hope these quotes from my commonplace book remind you why family history and stories of our ancestors matter—and why now is always the best time to delve in.

family historyDawn M. RoodeDecember 1, 2025inspiration for family historians, inspiring quotes about family history, why family history is importantComment

Life Story Links: November 18, 2025

This week’s curated roundup has great recent reads of interest to family historians, memoirists, and memory-keepers, plus a bunch of social media shorts.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeNovember 18, 2025curated list of stories for family historians, family history in the news, personal history in the newsComment

Life Story Links: November 4, 2025

This week’s curated roundup for family historians, memoirists, and memory-keepers is brimming with ideas, wisdom, and the latest recommendations.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeNovember 4, 2025curated list of stories for family historians, family history in the news, personal history in the newsComment

Introduce yourself: a writing prompt, a life prompt

Go beyond labels with this powerful memoir prompt: introduce yourself without name, job, or age. Includes writing tips and a free downloadable worksheet.

memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeOctober 27, 2025memoir writing prompts, writing prompts for personal stories, autobiographical writing promptsComment

Life Story Links: October 21, 2025

Personal historian Dawn Roode’s curated roundup for the week of Oct. 21, 2025, includes great recent reads about memoir, family history, and memory-keeping.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeOctober 21, 2025curated list of stories for family historians, family history in the news, personal history in the newsComment

How can I write about my life when I am still living it?

The three most common excuses I hear for not writing about your life “yet,” and how—and why—to overcome them. It’s not too soon for your memoir, I promise.

memoir & writing, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeOctober 13, 2025am i too young to write my memoir, inspiring memoir examples for new writers, when is the best time to write about my life in a memoir Comments

Life Story Links: October 7, 2025

An incredibly rich roundup of stories for the week of October 7, 2025—with lots about AI, memoir, and memory; the craft of life story preservation; and more.

curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeOctober 7, 2025curated list of stories for family historians, family history in the news, personal history in the newsComment

Learn basic writing rules, then break some of them

Discover how (and why) bending certain grammar rules in memoir and life story writing can enhance voice, rhythm, and authenticity in your storytelling.

memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeSeptember 29, 2025help proofreading my memoir, how to maintain my voice in my life story writing, the elements of style and memoir writingComment