Your family’s stories are important to you because they are a part of your community, your identity, and, well, your family. But, why do people publish their family’s stories? Does anyone really read them? Do readers actually care about stories that aren’t their own?
Family stories are important, and they do have their place in published literature.
The telling of family tales has been a practice of humankind for centuries as families sat around dinners, fires, and elders. These stories often contained lessons and deeply-personal cautionary tales, but they were also valued for their entertainment—especially when told by a skilled and exciting storyteller.
There are many reasons we still care about and tell these stories today.
Cultural Preservation
Family stories shape the identity of their family of origin and their surrounding community. Due to their ancestral nature, these stories contain the values, practices, and spirituality of the culture they come from. They provide context to explain why things are the way that they are: kimchi could be stored all year round to provide needed nutrients in the dead of winter, box braids are just one example of how Black women protected their hair from the elements, and potatoes were what kept many people in Northwestern Europe alive for centuries. There is almost always a reason for the way that we operate today, even when our environments begin to change.
These family stories provide a personal and in-depth window into every aspect of family life. From a historical perspective, publishing these stories can be one way to make sure these tales—which are often oral in origin—aren’t lost with time. They can also be a great way for readers to learn, appreciate, and empathize with stories from cultures that aren’t their own. In turn, reading these stories makes for a more inclusive and accessible world for people from all walks of life.
Lessons Learned
Many family stories are passed down as entertainment, but just as many are passed down as lessons for younger generations and other family members. Sometimes family members talk about their mistakes so others don’t repeat them. Likewise, tales of success can provide a sort of how-to for others to follow the same path. This is one way families preserve themselves and their line of successes, but other people benefit from publishing these stories, too.
Many people publish their story because its lessons can help other people, too. Not everyone has a family—or the family experiences—to teach them career advice, how to handle money, and about navigating relationships. Other first-generation college students, women in STEM, and openly LGBT people, for example, relate to these stories and take lessons from them for their own. Books like this can be especially impactful for members of marginalized communities in which systemic disparities narrow the path toward success.
Getting Know Our Family
Most of all, family stories are important because they’re, well, family. Many people love hearing about what life looked like when their grandparents were little simply because they want to know what their grandparents were like on a deeper level—before they were grandparents.
While people certain undergo changes over time, some things stay the same, and stories from our grandparents, parents, cousins, etc. can be a way to get to know each other on a deeper level than possible during holiday small talk.
For this reason, not all family stories are suited for other readers. But, many stories can be crafted into an engaging, entertaining read for a targeted audience. You just need an expert!
Luckily, this is what we do best. We are in this industry to help people tell their stories, publish their stories, and sell their stories. Depending on what you’d like help with, we offer a variety of services including coaching and ghostwriting. You can also always schedule a free Clarity Call to get to know us and our services better.
