Category Archives: In the Navy

Writing Challenge: day 5

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“All Hands” from March 1959

Continuing my plan to follow the advice in “The Companion Guide to The Family History Writing Challenge” by Lynn Palermo, today’s task was organizing my photos and documents. I was pretty sure this was mostly done but I checked through the folders on my computer and the hard copy materials I have and everything seemed in order. I might find that my organization scheme needs adjusting but it is the best I know how to do now.

I also spent some time searching on the internet for more information on the setting up stages of the Navy’s Underwater Swimmers School. I came across the “All Hands” magazine from March 1959. It has some information on the UWSS. I think it is interesting because it is contemporary to my Dad’s time in the Navy.

Tomorrow I’ll be attempting to organize my sources. I’ll need lots of luck on that one. I’ve allowed myself two days to get that done. I hope it goes quicker than that.

Writing Challenge: day 4

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For today’s writing challenge I went back through “The Companion Guide to The Family History Writing Challenge” by Lynn Palermo, to check Chapter 4 – Creating a Work-Flow because the next things I need to do to prepare to write are part of the work-flow. Two of the three steps seem pretty straight forward but the third one is new ground for me.

First off is gathering my research. I think that I have most of my stuff already gathered and organized in folders on my computer. I’m going to make sure and check through my physical stuff for more items.

Step three is identifying where I’m going write. I had already decided to use Scrivener. I’ve heard about from several sources. A few weeks ago I downloaded the trial version and did the tutorial that comes with it. Lynn also recommends Scrivener. It is designed for writers and I’m excited to try it out.

The second step is bibliography and citations. Lynn recommends using a citation manager. But I just can’t wrap my head around it. So I have to do it by hand. Hopefully I won’t have too many sources outside of my Dad and his personal documents. I may have to change my mind on this in the future but at this point I’m not going to embrace it. Maybe it is just too much for this non-writer, designer brain of mine.

Next step is make sure that all my documents, photos etc. are logically organized and ready to reference during the writing process. I’ll check back in here on Monday at let you know how things are coming.

Writing Challenge: day 3

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Today for my writing challenge, I finished reading “The Companion Guide to The Family History Writing Challenge” by Lynn Palermo. Then I called my Dad to ask questions and make some decisions about his book. We determined that this will be a Legacy type book with pictures and documents along with the third person narrative. It was interesting when I asked my Dad if he wanted it in first person on third person he said that if it was in first person it would sound like he was bragging.

We worked through Lynn’s worksheets on identifying the theme and focus of the book. One comment I didn’t expect and I wonder if it is common in his generation. When I asked him about the emotions he felt when thinking about this book, he assumed I meant negative emotions.

This book focuses on the time that my Dad was an instructor at the Underwater Swimmers School in Key West Florida from 1954 to 1957. He was part of setting the school up and it was the first time that the Navy had a formal school for training in using SCUBA. He hopes to share the many positive things that he gained from the Navy, the new experiences, people he met and the things he learned and taught to others. His experiences in Navy EOD are rather unique and they shaped his life for the better.

We also filled out the Story Arc Worksheet about why he went to Key West, his goals and the possible risks in doing so. I learned more about some of the challenges that they faced in getting ready and teaching the first set of students. I still don’t know how or what I’m actually going to write, but I’m moving forward with the hope that the ideas and words will come if I lay the groundwork and diligently work through the process.

I still have more work to do in organizing and gathering resources but I’m hoping to start the writing process by the first week of June. As long as a put in my time each day, I’ll be pleased with my progress even if it takes longer than that. See you back here tomorrow.

Writing Challenge: day 2

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imaginary readers of Navy history

I’ve made my goal to spend at least an hour working on the writing side of my Dad’s Navy history two days in a row. Yeah! To be perfectly honest not much writing has actually happened. I’m in the preparing to write phase but it is still good. I continued reading “The Companion Guide to The Family History Writing Challenge” by Lynn Palermo. This is my first time through so mostly it is just getting the big picture into my head. I finished Section 1 – The Vision for Your Book and Section 2 – Organizing You and Your Research.

I think I made some real progress in Chapter 3 – Getting to Know Your Reader. I even called my Dad to talk to him about who this book is really for. We had discussed that it was for his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. I visualized that as a 8 to 18-year-old and he agreed. But when I pointed out at that an 8 to 18-year-old probably isn’t interested in the documents that we have he adjusted his thinking. We have also talked about that he wants to take this book to the Underwater Swimmers School Reunion in 2015. So his target reader is actually retired Navy personnel, similar to him. I think the grand kids and great-grand kids come into the picture only through the grandpa. The hope and vision are that this book will create an opportunity for the grandpa to sit down with a child and share his experiences and memories. My dad talked about something like that but I’ll need to clarify that vision with him. But it feels right.

In the book Lynn suggests imagining your perfect reader and actually drawing a picture and describing them, even giving them a name. My first drawing was of Wallie. Then after talking to my Dad, I drew Walt. Now I can visualize Walt siting down with this book is his lap with his grandson Wallie beside him. I’d like to someday write my Dad’s Navy history targeted to that 10-year-old but this isn’t that project. Though I think it will be the basis for that future graphic adventure story.

If you have stayed with me this far, thanks. I’ll be back tomorrow with day 3 of my writing challenge.

Story Projects Update

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Volume 7 coverI know that posts have been sparse for the last several months. I’ve tried to focus on histories for my Mom with varying degrees of success. But I’m happy to report the next volume of our family history “Our Two Grandsons” is finished and distributed to family members. It covered September 1997 to December of 2001. This is the 7th volume in the history of my parents since they met and married in 1956. Based mostly on notes in my Mom’s planners with a few letters to her sisters, it isn’t a great read but the photos are fun and it does a good job of documenting my parents lives and important family miles stones. Yeah for getting it done. I gave it to my Mom on Mother’s Day and she was very happy.

Now I’m focusing on a project for my Dad. He spent 20 years in the Navy and really wants to do a history about it. I’ve worked on it here and there over the last few years in fits and starts. It will need to be a multi-volume history to cover everything. I talked with him for a couple of hours last week about what he wants to accomplish and why it is important too him. He shared several stories that I’ve never heard. I’m excited about this history but intimidated by what needs to be done in writing. While my Mom is super happy with just a factual documentation of her life, my Dad needs and wants something more. In order to do this I’m going to have to really learn how to tell his story. I’ve not done this before. We are focusing first on the years he was an instructor at the Navy’s Underwater Swimmers School in Key West, Florida. My Dad is going to a UWSS reunion next May and wants to take a copy with him.

So here is my plan. I signed up for the Armchair Genealogist‘s family history writing challenge in February. But between RootsTech and taking Dune to Oregon, I decided that it wasn’t the right time. Now I’m going to do it on my own. I saved all the emails and I’ve downloaded her “The Companion Guide to The Family History Writing Challenge”. I’m committing to spending at least an hour each weekday to writing the narrative to the Key West volume. There are so many decision yet to be made to how to handle this project but I think that following the steps of Lynn’s challenge will give me a chance at tackling this project.

I think an important part of my commitment to this challenge is to share with you each day the progress I’ve made in first planning and then actually writing. I’m hoping to have the planning and research done by June 1st. Hopefully you won’t get sick of seeing my humble efforts but I think it will help me follow through with this challenge. Today I spent an hour reading “The Companion Guide” and completed the first two chapters and worked on filling out “The Vision Worksheet”.

I’ll check back in tomorrow and tell you how it is going. Wish me luck! I think I’m going to need it.

Key West – Underwater Swimmers School

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Underwater Swimmer School - class photo - Key West, Florida

First Underwater Swimmers School Class 1 November 1954

I’m working on a history for my dad about his 20 years in the navy. This is a huge project but right now I’m focusing on the years he was stationed in Key West as an instructor at the Underwater Swimmers School there. He is going to a reunion in May and he wants to take this chapter of his history with him. I’m struggling with getting this together and time is slipping by on me. I think it is the writing that is my road block. Writing is not one of my strengths but I don’t see away around it. Putting together histories for my mom is easier in many ways. She doesn’t expect much in the way of narrative. She is looking more for a gathering of documents, photos and letters. My dad wants something readable. Which is ultimately what I want to. I just feel very inadequate to write it.

I have lots of photos and documents. I have a few memories from my dad so far. I have a rough outline of how I want to structure the book.

  • Prologue: brief history of diving and scuba in the US Navy
  • Chapter One: organizing of the Underwater Swimmers School
  • Chapter Two: first class
  • Chapter Three: challenges
  • Chapter Four: successes
  • Chapter Five: ongoing improvements
  • Epilogue: maturing of the Underwater Swimmers School

To get moving forward I’ve made the goal to do some sort of rough text for the chapters, one each day, this week. I did some research today on history of scuba and the navy. Tomorrow I will work on chapter one.

What do you do to help you work through mental or emotional blocks? Do you have any strategies to help me move forward?