Creating Timelines

Creating a Timeline. What is a timeline and how do we create it? A timeline is simply a chronological listing of life events: birth, marriage, death . . . and everything in between. There is a saying that "Music is what happens between the notes." Life is like that, life happens between events. A good timeline will capture the music of life.

Beginning with your birth (or that of your subject), make a simple list of events, in chronological order. You can create your timeline using lined notebook paper or legal pad, a word processor (such as Word), or a spreadsheet (such as Excel), listing your events down the page. A horizontal timeline like those we see in books doesn't work so well for encapsulating detailed events -- you simply run out of room on the page.

Depending on how you work, a handwritten timeline may be the most convenient. I like using a spreadsheet because the lines go on forever and it’s easy to insert years and/or events, although I must admit, I typically write it out first. Regardless of how you create it, a good practice is to keep a duplicate copy as a backup. I can’t say enough about backing up anything and everything you do -- more later on creating backups.

In creating a timeline, it may be helpful to sequence your life (or your subject's) in general life categories; for example:

Earliest recollections

Childhood (0-11)

Adolescence (11-18)

Early adulthood (18-25)

Prime adulthood (25-45)

Mid-life (45-65)

Later years (65 +)

That is not to say this chronological order is how you will "present" the story -- there are many interesting ways to begin and tell a story, but grouping events can be helpful in recalling events that might not otherwise come to mind. The timeline and archive can work together in helping you outline your history and identify the gaps. Filling in the gaps is one of our next topics.