Tell us a story about one of your ancestors! Create a story that will become part of your family's genealogy!
Ancestor Short Story Workshops
Share your Ancestor’s story. This IN-PERSON ONLYprogram is FREE to members & non-members.
REGISTER NOW –POSTPONED TO APR 17Using Photos & Graphics FINISH UP THURSDAYS -APR 3, 10, 17, 24 - for members submitting their story for our BGS publication! Questions? Send a message to Editor atdistantvoicesnl@gmail.com
All Workshops are 1PM to 3 PM and are held atWilliamson Hall, behind Jake’s Diner.
Come get help or give support to fellow Genealogy Writers working on their family history narratives!
THE BGS LIBRARY IS OPEN EACH WORKSHOP THURSDAY 11am to 4pm - COME EARLY, BRING A LUNCH, COFFEE ETC...MAKE IT A WRITING DAY!
COMING UP!
USING PHOTOS & GRAPHICS - 27 March 2025 Learn How to Prepare & Use Photos & Graphics in Your Short Story
We'll cover the differences between scanned images, digital photos, and copy-and-paste methods. You'll explore common techniques such as cutting and pasting, inserting digital images, and optimizing and formatting them for the best placement. Additionally, we'll introduce the use of a light tent to enhance your visuals.
FINISH UP THURSDAYS! No registration required! -Thursdays in April! Finalize Your Storyon the 3rd, 10th, 17th, & 24th For Members who are submitting their story for our BGS Publication Come to the Library any Thursday in April. Work on your story and do
some final editing. We can help review your story, suggest some edits
and steps to submit your final product. Bring your laptop.
Our Ancestor Short Story Get Writing Workshops are for anyone who is writing a short story about their ancestors.
BGS Members may choose to submit their story for our BGS Publication or NOT! While the publication is for member submissions only, the Writing Workshops are open for anyone to attend if they are working on a short story about an ancestor.
Kelly McCray & Pat Kliewer will be there along with other participants that bring their own experience & knowledge to share. It’s a workshop so we all can help each other!
Registration is required & you should bring your laptop, journal or digital notebook. We have Wi-Fi & extension outlets for your use. The workshops are free to members and non-members. You can support & share with each other while we work on our stories.
Kelly McCray is the host for the Ancestor Short Story Project Workshops. She is a member of the BGS Leadership Council, host of Coffee & Cousins, and is the editor of our newsletter, Distant Voices.
She has been researching her family history for 35+ years and began writing their stories, several years ago. She has helped numerous people find their ancestors and solve family mysteries with DNA. She looks forward to helping you write your ancestor's story.
Pat Kliewer has always loved teaching, researching and writing about ancestors and local history. She is a well-known researcher in Central Oregon about people, buildings, canals, properties and old cemeteries from her work for the Deschutes County Historic Landmarks Commission. She is an expert at finding records and building accurate trees on Ancestry.com.
2024 / 2025 ANCESTOR SHORT STORY SCHEDULE ALL WORKSHOPS ARE ON THURSDAYS, IN-PERSON AT WILLIAMSON HALL
Sep 26, 2024 – 1 PM to 3 PM
Ancestor Short Story Orientation & Writing Workshop
Introduction to the project with Kelly McCray and Short Story Writing with Pat Kliewer, who will instruct about writing specifically for this project. Optional, bring your laptop.
Oct 24, 2024—Nov 14, 2024—Dec 12, 2024—Jan 23, 2025
1 PM to 3 PM
WRITING WORKSHOPS - Short story writers are welcome to come work on their story & ask for help and advice.
Feb 27, 2025 – 1 PM to 3 PM
Using Source Citations Learn How to Create Source Citations for Your Short Story. Explore the different types of citations commonly used in storytelling and practice crafting your own including the citation for your own short story. Bring your laptop.
Apr 17, 2025 – 1 PM to 3 PM
Using Graphics & Photos
We'll go through a variety of examples and how to steps when working with photos and graphics. Try adding a picture to your own short story. Bring your laptop.
Apr 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2025 – 11 AM to 3 PM
Finishing Your Short Story Workshops
Come to the Library any Thursday in April. Work on your story and do some final editing. We can help review your story, suggest some edits and steps to submit your final product. Bring your laptop.
May 15, 2025
Submission Deadline
BGS Members Only - Email your story to distantvoicesnl@gmail.com to have it included in the BGS Ancestor Story Book.
