Snoozing yet? Unfortunately, a lot of family histories start this way with similarly tranquilizing effects. Now try this: “One scorching summer day in 1887, Norman Nimbleknocker looked up from his plow to see a billowing black cloud extend a skinny finger toward the Iowa prairie. He turned toward the cabin …” You're dying to know, aren't you — what happened to Norman?

Writing your family's story is the ultimate way to weave together all your genealogy findings and put flesh on the bones of your ancestors, telling the saga of their lives in historical context. Similarly, putting your own life story on paper creates a lasting legacy for your descendants. But your words won't mean much if no one wants to read them. Sure, your immediate family will probably politely flip through your tome, no matter how tedious it is. But wouldn't you rather they can't put it down, avidly turning the pages into the wee hours as though you'd penned the Da Vinci Code? Written with verve, your story might even find an audience beyond your kin; for example, researchers who have similar ancestry or are interested in the era.