Why becoming a storyteller isn’t about skill — it’s about identity
The path from genealogy researcher to storyteller has a missing piece, and we finally found it.
This wasn’t the post I planned to write.
I was going to show you a trick for telling better stories. But something kept coming up this week — in calls, comments, and conversations — and I think it’s worth saying out loud.
A lot of long-time genealogy researchers tell me: “I want to write the stories, but just can’t get started.”
They have the records. The timelines. The citations. And still… no stories.
I used to think the reason was about tools. Or time. Or writing skills.
But that’s not it.
The real reason?
It’s about identity.
From researcher to storyteller
Genealogists are excellent researchers. We track details, verify facts, cite sources, and question everything. But storytelling? That’s a different role and a different idea of self.
To write, we have to take off the researcher hat and put on the storyteller one. And that shift, from one identity to another, is emotional.
It means:
Stepping into choices of voice, tone, and feeling — not just data
Letting go of “getting it right” by genealogy standards and creating something readers want to read
Making something imperfect and sharing it anyway
And identity shifts are a big deal.
Think about it. Each time in our lives when we’ve shifted from one identity to another, we’ve done it with the support of a community around us.
When we graduate from school, we invite our friends and family to the ceremony.
When we get married, we bring people together to witness it.
Same with funerals. Same with baby showers.
Each of these moments marks a change in how we see ourselves. And at every turning point, we do it in community.
This is why I created Chronicle Lab
This week inside Chronicle Lab, I’ve watched people begin to make that shift. Not by reading more tips or watching more videos, but by writing together. By seeing a draft emerge from their outline. By trying a new AI prompt and realizing: “Oh. I can do this.”
We’re not just producing stories.
We’re becoming family storytellers.
And it takes time.
It takes emotion.
And it takes other people around you while it happens.
A writing prompt to try
If you want to feel that shift from researcher to storyteller today, here’s an exercise you can try.
A researcher would write:
“John Miller was born on October 7, 1823 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”
But a storyteller would drop us into the life of John Miller.
Think of one ancestor you’ve researched deeply. Then pull out your journal or open a blank document:
Write the first sentence as a storyteller, not as a researcher.
Use a strong verb.
Capture a mood or setting.
Say something only you would say.
Need a hand to write that opening sentence? Try this prompt in ChatGPT:
Write the first sentence of a family story about [Name] who lived in [Place] and was known for [Unique trait or life event]. Make it vivid, emotional, and specific.You might be surprised at how close you already are.
Chronicle Lab is running now, and you can join the waitlist to get notified when the next one begins.
It’s a reminder that this shift is possible.
Not because you finally found the right words, but because you finally saw yourself as someone who writes.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
—Denyse
P.S. I feel so strongly about this that I made a video about it too.
Really good stuff here. I notice in my own writing two things. I have shifted out of the RESEARCH - WRITE = PROCRASTINATE mode to more of a JUST TELL THE DAMN STORY - WRITE - OK MAYBE FACT CHECK THE DETAILS mode. The other shift is to begin the story with action, dropping the reader into it first and then later filling in the preamble.
Good points, Denyse. This would all be so much easier if only people would write their life stories.