Start Here: Welcome to Chronicle Makers
What you'll find here to help you turn genealogy facts into family history stories.
Welcome to Chronicle Makers, where we turn genealogy facts into stories our families love.
You’re not just researching your family tree. You’re carrying the stories of generations.
If you’ve ever said…
“I have all this research, but I don’t know how to turn it into a story.”
“I want to leave something meaningful behind, but I’m stuck on where to start.”
“I don’t have time to write a whole book—but I don’t want this history to disappear.”
…you’re in the right place.
Chronicle Makers is a space for family historians who are ready to stop procrastinating and start writing. You’ll find tools, stories, and encouragement to get your ancestors out of your computer and into the hearts of your family—without needing to be a “real writer.”
Whether you’re organizing a shoebox of records, drafting a short narrative, or exploring how to use AI to assist you, everything here is designed to help you tell better stories, faster.
What You’ll Find Here
Every newsletter published is archived here on the website. To search through past issues, use the search function at the top of the screen.
The Free Newsletter
A weekly email each Wednesday with tips, encouragement, and simple writing tools for telling family stories.
The Paid Newsletter
Step-by-step tutorials on using AI to outline, expand, and edit your stories.
Writing prompts designed specifically for family history.
Examples of “before-and-after” story drafts to see how raw facts become rich narratives.
Community Q&A in the Chat on Substack.
To upgrade to paid and choose your newsletter delivery, click the button below:
About Chronicle Makers
Hi, I’m Denyse. I started Chronicle Makers because I didn’t want my family’s stories to die on hard drives, drawers, and fading memories. And I realized I wasn’t alone.
There are thousands of people like us—genealogists, history lovers, and curious minds—who care deeply about the past but feel overwhelmed trying to shape it into something others will actually read.
This isn’t about writing perfectly. It’s about writing honestly. Clearly. Creatively.
Here, we don’t gatekeep. We don’t obsess over credentials. We create, together.
Join in to get writing now
Subscribe for free to get started. Or upgrade to paid for a front-row seat to the full Chronicle Makers experience.
Say ‘hello’ in the comments below. And if there is a topic you’d love to see covered, let me know.
If you read this far, I have a gift for you to download—20 writing prompts to help you with your first (or next) family history story:
Start with the story in front of you. You don’t need more time. You need a place to begin.
This is that place.
—Denyse
P.S. All my previous posts and newsletters are archived here. And you can share this post, or any post, by clicking this link:
At lunchtime, I usually browse the YouTube channel on my streaming TV. (I'm drawn to woodworkers and genealogists). Today I started watching you, and I realized that you were the same fascinating person to I had already subscribed on Sub Stack. I am really grateful for your link to this introduction.
My wife has already written and self-published a 200-page story of our families. My hope is to collect a group of tales that give more insight into the lives which she has documented
Denyse can we still get a pdf of the guide ?