WAGS 44th Annual Seminar
Saturday, January 30, 2027
9:00 AM to 1:30 PM (PST)
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Pedigree Chart: Writing Your Family's Stories
Our 2027 Seminar is a virtual program featuring three speakers, each of whom will speak about a different aspect of writing your family stories.
Our featured presenters are Anne Burke Lyttle, Laura Hedgecock, and Shelley Bishop, and they will be showing us how to start writing, providing tips on how to make our stories more engaging, and teaching us how to publish our work to preserve it for future generations.
Each seminar session will be recorded and will be made available for viewing by all registered participants for a limited time following the seminar.
The cost for the Seminar is still only $30 (US). We accepted online payments, checks, and cash.
(Cash is only accepted at our in-person monthly meetings - exact change only, please.)
Click here to view or download our seminar flyer
Click here to register online for the seminar
Click here to view or print our mail-in registration form
SCHEDULE
| TIME * | SPEAKER | ACTIVITY/TOPIC |
| 08:30 AM | "Doors" Open / Social Time | |
| 09:10 AM | Kristina Newcomer | Welcome and Introduction |
| 09:15 AM | Annette Burke Lyttle | Turn Family History into Stories You Can Share |
| 10:15 AM | Break | Social Time |
| 10:45 AM | Laura Hedgecock | Not Just Historical Events: Weaving Different Types of Context into Family Stories |
| 11:45 AM | Break | Lunch and Social Time |
| 12:15 PM | Shelley Bishop | Publishing to Preserve Family History |
| 01:15 PM | Kristina Newcomer | Door Prize Drawing |
| 01:30 PM | Kristina Newcomer | Closing |
| * All times are Pacific Standard Time |
2027 SEMINAR SPEAKERS & TOPICS
Annette Burke Lyttle - Turn Family History into Stories You Can Share
You've uncovered lots of wonderful facts about your ancestors and want to share them with your family, but pedigree charts put them to sleep. You need to turn those facts into stories. Does the idea of trying to tell the stories of your ancestors seem like too big a job? Two simple principles can get you started writing your family stories: look at what the facts imply and "take small bites." This presentation will introduce a four-step process for putting those principles into action, allowing you to share your family stories with ease.
Laura Hedgecock - Not Just Historical Events: Weaving Different Types of Context into Family Stories
Are you looking to make your stories more compelling? Also known as Better Writing through Research, this talk delves into finding rich context that makes both personal and genealogical stories more intellectually and emotionally impactful, while leaving a more accurate understanding of history, as well as of "characters" of the past.
Shelley Bishop - Publishing to Preserve Family History
Publishing and sharing your family history is the greatest legacy you can leave the future. Since large collections of documents and photos can be overwhelming to non-genealogists, compiling and publishing your work is crucial to perserving it. This quick overview of publishing options offers ideas for various types of articles and books you might consider producing. This presentation will discuss:
- Six things writing and publishing accomplishes
- Considerations for prospective authors
- Writing and submitting articles to genealogical society journals
- Creating various types of family history books, such as:
- Photo books
- Blog books
- Tree-linked genealogy books
- Print-on-demand books
- Self-publshed books
- Specialty and small press publishers
- Other options, including handwritten memoir books