The Illinois State Genealogical Society is so excited to have Rachel Popma as one of our speakers at the 2017 Fall Conference! Rachel is the editor of the Indiana Genealogical Society’s quarterly journal, Indiana Genealogist, and a professional editor specializing in family and local history, biography, and memoir. She holds an MA in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a genealogical research certificate from Boston University. We asked Rachel a few questions about the conference, genealogy, and writing.
Illinois State Genealogical Society: Tell us a little about the lectures you'll be presenting at the ISGS conference.
Rachel Popma: Many of us aspire to write about our family history, but we sometimes don't know where to start because we're paralyzed by all the information we have, or because we feel intimidated by writing. Often, though, all we have to do is get started, and the stories will come. My session on kick-starting your writing will take a look at ways to do that: exercises, inspirations, ways to brainstorm. (And it turns out these can be good methods to drive additional research, too.) My second session on thinking like an editor will be a bit more technical---how do we shift our thinking to evaluate and shape our writing so that our message is successfully transmitted? What strategies can we deploy to achieve that?
My third session will look at government and professional association reports not only as sources of information about people, but about places and times. Sometimes we are lucky, and we locate an individual ancestor in such a source. More often, we can find contextual information to flesh out someone's story. It's one thing to say great-grandma grew up in an orphanage; it's another to be able to say what that place looked like, how it was furnished, and what the menu was.
ISGS: How did you become interested in genealogy? How long have you been researching?
RP: I got into genealogy through history. I have always been fascinated with history and have always been a serious reader. Basically, I was the kid who wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. One year in elementary school we were studying American history, and when my grandmother learned about it, she mailed me a package of papers. Among them was a family tree tracing her mother's family back to the Mayflower. Suddenly those people we were learning about in school weren't just names on a page; they were real. I had to find out more about their stories. I was hooked, and some thirty years later, I still am.
ISGS: What has been a defining moment in your career as a genealogist?
RP: In 2010 I completed the Boston University certificate in genealogical research program. Beyond strengthening my existing skills, it reassured me that I had a good foundation and the right research instincts. It also was a great way to build a professional network and learn more about other educational opportunities in genealogy.
ISGS: What are you most looking forward at the ISGS annual fall conference?
RP: I am especially looking forward to talking with people about their family history and their writing ideas.
ISGS: What should conference attendees look forward to at your lectures?
RP: I hope they come away inspired, with some new ideas for the writing and research. I also hope they feel more confident in their writing!
ISGS: In what ways are you expanding your knowledge in the field of genealogy?
RP: I read genealogy journals and magazines and take advantage of educational opportunities such as conferences and webinars. Currently I'm trying to learn more about DNA and its use in genealogical research, since it's becoming such an important part of the field.
ISGS: Why do you research your ancestors?
RP: I love a good mystery and a good story. Researching my ancestors often involves both.
ISGS: One of your lectures at the ISGS Fall Conference is on editing. Tell us about your background in writing and editing.
RP: I am a freelance editor and writer specializing in family and local history, biography, and memoir. Most of my work is in nonfiction, though I've been fortunate to also edit some historical fiction for children and young adults. I've worked as an editor for more than fifteen years, first in educational publishing and then with small presses on academic and trade publishing projects, and I've taught college writing and literature courses for nearly twenty years. I've been the editor of the Indiana Genealogical Society's quarterly journal, Indiana Genealogist, since 2011.
ISGS: What is your writing process like?
RP: With most writing tasks, I do a lot of thinking and a lot of talking out loud before I ever get to the point of drafting something. I don't usually do formal outlines, but planning in my head helps me get organized, so that when I do write, I have an idea of where I'm going. With long or complicated pieces of writing, I also approach the task in chunks. I might know what pieces I'll need, and where I need to end up with the argument or message, but I don't sit down and write the thing from start to finish. Instead I'll do a section here, some paragraphs over there, and so on. If I get stuck on something, I'll move on to working on some other piece. Eventually, I get a complete draft. Hopefully, I'll still have time to walk away from the whole thing for a while, so that I'll have fresh eyes for the work when I come back to edit and revise for the final draft. I always do go through some stage of revision and a final proofreading.
ISGS: When writing family histories, do you get writer's block? How do you overcome that? How do you keep your family history writing creative and fresh?
RP: When I get stuck, I change it up. I might change the environment---go outside, go into another room, go for a walk, etc. If I've been trying to work at the computer, I'll pick up paper and pen instead. Talking through a problem or topic, as if I'm teaching or explaining it to someone else, can be helpful. I've also found that doing some other physical task, such as washing the dishes or exercising, somehow distracts or resets my brain enough that it will wander its way past that writer's block.
Rachel Popma: Many of us aspire to write about our family history, but we sometimes don't know where to start because we're paralyzed by all the information we have, or because we feel intimidated by writing. Often, though, all we have to do is get started, and the stories will come. My session on kick-starting your writing will take a look at ways to do that: exercises, inspirations, ways to brainstorm. (And it turns out these can be good methods to drive additional research, too.) My second session on thinking like an editor will be a bit more technical---how do we shift our thinking to evaluate and shape our writing so that our message is successfully transmitted? What strategies can we deploy to achieve that?
My third session will look at government and professional association reports not only as sources of information about people, but about places and times. Sometimes we are lucky, and we locate an individual ancestor in such a source. More often, we can find contextual information to flesh out someone's story. It's one thing to say great-grandma grew up in an orphanage; it's another to be able to say what that place looked like, how it was furnished, and what the menu was.
ISGS: How did you become interested in genealogy? How long have you been researching?
RP: I got into genealogy through history. I have always been fascinated with history and have always been a serious reader. Basically, I was the kid who wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. One year in elementary school we were studying American history, and when my grandmother learned about it, she mailed me a package of papers. Among them was a family tree tracing her mother's family back to the Mayflower. Suddenly those people we were learning about in school weren't just names on a page; they were real. I had to find out more about their stories. I was hooked, and some thirty years later, I still am.
ISGS: What has been a defining moment in your career as a genealogist?
RP: In 2010 I completed the Boston University certificate in genealogical research program. Beyond strengthening my existing skills, it reassured me that I had a good foundation and the right research instincts. It also was a great way to build a professional network and learn more about other educational opportunities in genealogy.
ISGS: What are you most looking forward at the ISGS annual fall conference?
RP: I am especially looking forward to talking with people about their family history and their writing ideas.
ISGS: What should conference attendees look forward to at your lectures?
RP: I hope they come away inspired, with some new ideas for the writing and research. I also hope they feel more confident in their writing!
ISGS: In what ways are you expanding your knowledge in the field of genealogy?
RP: I read genealogy journals and magazines and take advantage of educational opportunities such as conferences and webinars. Currently I'm trying to learn more about DNA and its use in genealogical research, since it's becoming such an important part of the field.
ISGS: Why do you research your ancestors?
RP: I love a good mystery and a good story. Researching my ancestors often involves both.
ISGS: One of your lectures at the ISGS Fall Conference is on editing. Tell us about your background in writing and editing.
RP: I am a freelance editor and writer specializing in family and local history, biography, and memoir. Most of my work is in nonfiction, though I've been fortunate to also edit some historical fiction for children and young adults. I've worked as an editor for more than fifteen years, first in educational publishing and then with small presses on academic and trade publishing projects, and I've taught college writing and literature courses for nearly twenty years. I've been the editor of the Indiana Genealogical Society's quarterly journal, Indiana Genealogist, since 2011.
ISGS: What is your writing process like?
RP: With most writing tasks, I do a lot of thinking and a lot of talking out loud before I ever get to the point of drafting something. I don't usually do formal outlines, but planning in my head helps me get organized, so that when I do write, I have an idea of where I'm going. With long or complicated pieces of writing, I also approach the task in chunks. I might know what pieces I'll need, and where I need to end up with the argument or message, but I don't sit down and write the thing from start to finish. Instead I'll do a section here, some paragraphs over there, and so on. If I get stuck on something, I'll move on to working on some other piece. Eventually, I get a complete draft. Hopefully, I'll still have time to walk away from the whole thing for a while, so that I'll have fresh eyes for the work when I come back to edit and revise for the final draft. I always do go through some stage of revision and a final proofreading.
ISGS: When writing family histories, do you get writer's block? How do you overcome that? How do you keep your family history writing creative and fresh?
RP: When I get stuck, I change it up. I might change the environment---go outside, go into another room, go for a walk, etc. If I've been trying to work at the computer, I'll pick up paper and pen instead. Talking through a problem or topic, as if I'm teaching or explaining it to someone else, can be helpful. I've also found that doing some other physical task, such as washing the dishes or exercising, somehow distracts or resets my brain enough that it will wander its way past that writer's block.
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The Illinois State Genealogical Society’s 2017 Fall Conference is in Moline, Illinois on October 27 and 28. Discover more about ISGS and the Fall Conference by visiting ISGS’s website.
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