The Family Historian’s AI Brief: August 2026
AI model news, Research Quality Check framework, and the AI Prompt of the Month
Chronicle Makers
Chronicle Makers provides tools and frameworks for writing your family history, transforming scattered research on ancestors into treasured stories.
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Latest posts
The four ways people write about their ancestors (and the one that John used)
Three of them are traps. The fourth is the one your family actually reads.
You’ve had the story of your ancestor all along
Years of research ready to go, but here is what was actually in the way of getting a story done.
The one ancestor you keep circling back to
America just turned 250. Year 251 is yours, and it starts with one ancestor.
When the Fireworks End, Your Family's Story Begins
The 250th belongs to the founders. The 251st belongs to your people.
The Story You Haven't Told Yet
You did the research (years of it). So why isn't the story written? Because no one ever taught you the second half of the job.
Writing Alone vs. Writing Together (Inside the Rev War Writing Sprint)
This week 21 people have gathered with me to write about their Revolutionary War ancestor. Here's what we are doing together.
Your Chronicle Is Finished. Now What?
Your family history chronicle is done. Now publish it. Amazon KDP, printed copies, PDF, Substack — every option explained, plus why sharing beats perfecting.
Finished Beats Perfect: The First Draft Is Done
Nine weeks of research. One ancestor. A draft that's rough, real, and ready for revision, and why that's exactly where it should be.
Citations That Don’t Kill the Story You Want to Tell
Family-First Citations: how to cite sources your family will actually read without losing the rigor researchers need.