If you notice that you are actively writing stories, and gathering information and facts about your family - then that's the time to start paying attention to your notes. You should develop consistent and systematic note taking methods, and be sure you are using the right materials.
It is only natural to grab whatever is handy to start taking notes when an occasion arises that you can get some family information.
I did it all wrong - I phoned my mom with every intent of asking her many questions about her mother. I wanted to know what it was like in the day-to-day. I guess I wasn't sure how much information I would get and how many questions I would ask. I didn't even really have a set of questions to ask. I just planned to let the discussion go wherever it was going to go . I didn't even have a notebook or pen handy. Once she started to talk I had to grab a used spiral notebook (bad, bad), and a pen that kept skipping,
Learn from my mistakes - Don't use a spiral notebook, Don't use an old "Big Chief" tablet - they have too much acid and it is good to try to use acid-free or alkaline-based paper. Don't use the back of old envelopes or other scratch paper, stick with good quality 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
Don't use metal clips or rubber bands in with the material you will be keeping for a long time, and don't use transparent tape.
TASK .... Think about note taking and where and how you are going to file your notes:
- only write about one family member on a sheet of paper
- note your source first
- at the top of the page write the name of the family that the notes will pertain to
- if notes need to go in more than one file, photocopy them to make a second page or put a cross-reference note in the second folder
- since you may need to photocopy your notes it is good to use black ink or s soft-lead pencil (blue ink or hard-lead pencil may not photocopy well)
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