Tips for making an AH timeline

[sumwhereinCA]

Well i figured that people (like me) need help writing a good AH (or FH)timeline so how about make a thread where people can find tips on how to make a good TL. So people plz contribute. Thanks

[sumwhereinCA]

well here is my tip
-actually research. poor research leads to a Stars and Stripes Foever scenerio, poor AH

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Get a good editor. S/he'll help you make sure the story is grammatically correct and readable, and if s/he's willing to fact check as well, so much the better.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by sumwhereinCA

Well i figured that people (like me) need help writing a good AH (or FH)timeline so how about make a thread where people can find tips on how to make a good TL. So people plz contribute. Thanks

Research. Meaning read a lot of relevant sources. Don't rely on any one source, and, especially, don't rely on Wikipedia. It can be useful to find out basic stuff, but it's error-prone even on issues where people don't have biases.

As for writing a TL, there's a piece of advice which is good for writing in general. There are two mistakes to avoid. First, don't think "I know everything." Second, don't think "I know nothing." Be flexible, but don't assume that someone disagrees with what you've depicted, that they're automatically right. Or automatically wrong.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by Amerigo Vespucci

Get a good editor. S/he'll help you make sure the story is grammatically correct and readable, and if s/he's willing to fact check as well, so much the better.

Learning correct grammar (and, indeed spelling), and communication skills in general, is a skill which is useful far beyond simply writing timelines. It's an important, almost essential skill for success in life. Words are tools of communication. Being able to express yourself effectively is invaluable in almost any context. So yes, it helps for writing timelines, but it helps with a lot else besides.