Thanks Paul, my favorite beverage while writing is a glass of Kluge's
Albemarle Rose.

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Drake <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent:         Tue, 12 Jul 2005 18:20:17 -0500
Subject: Re: My published books

    I was asked for suggestions concerning commencing to write one's
family history.
Remember what someone said, "Writing is learned and accomplished by the
doing of
it, and not by wishing, thinking, planning, promising or talking about
it."  So,
try it, and don't just talk about it to your family, friends or
internet
friends.  In fact, QUIT spending time discussing it atall.

Select your favorite family, person or line.  Gather before you all the
pictures, mementos, and other writings that have to do with that person
or
family (by doing so, you will not be thrashing around the house looking
for this
or that source or name).  Forget what you already have written, forget
the
title, forget what chapter your first writing will be, forget trying to
speak
profoundly or like Shakespeare or Churchill, forget asking someone else
to read
it NOW, forget trying to revise or edit (except for spelling) till the
whole
chapter is in at least a rough draft, and forget how good, lovely
sounding or
nice you think your thoughts and sentences are (DO NOT fall in love
with ANY of
your sentences; you later will have plenty of time to do that).  Do NOT
quit
after two or three pages; most folks do, simply because it does not
flow like
you think it should.

Then put the cat out, turn on the phone answering gadget, tell
everybody that
you have work to do, get a cup of tea, coffee or Mountain Dew, and
START.  More
after you get that much done.  Paul

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