There’s something about an old photo or a letter long forgotten, an
ancient certificate of birth, marriage or death, that evokes emotion
and prompts you to write a story to preserve the provenance
surrounding that object. Here’s some examples to get started: Begin
with a photo and imagine the circumstances around it – a wedding
photo of all the ladies in the garden – who was there and who was not?
Begin with a letter from a soldier to his family and imagine what it was
like at the front. Begin with a marriage certificate and reveal the
history of the couple. Begin with a baptism record and look for clues
on the timing of baptism related to the birth date. Begin with a
newspaper article from the past and tell the story about the event.