rdeknijf/story

Genealogy Story Creator

Create engaging, source-annotated family history narratives as beautiful PDFs. The output is meant for sharing with family — it should read like a book chapter, not a research report. Every factual claim gets a footnote citing its source.

Process

1. Scope the story

Ask the user:

• Which family line or person to focus on?
• Who is the audience? (parent, sibling, cousin — this affects framing)
• What language? (default: Dutch)
• Any specific themes to emphasize? (military, migration, occupation, mystery)

2. Gather facts

Read the GEDCOM file and research findings. Use scripts/gedcom_query.py if available to trace the line programmatically.

Extract for each person in the line:

• Name, birth/death dates and places, occupation
• Source citations (archive, register, akte number)
• Any colorful details (witnesses, occupations, cause of death, migration)

3. Find images

Search Wikimedia Commons for period-appropriate illustrations:

• City views/maps for locations mentioned (prefer 17th-19th century art)
• Occupational illustrations (paper mills, tailors, soldiers)
• Landscape paintings of the regions
• Church buildings where baptisms/marriages occurred

Download to a story-images/ directory next to the .typ file with descriptive filenames. Use curl -L for Wikimedia URLs. Aim for 5-8 images.

4. Write the Typst document

Structure:

Title page → Narrative chapters → "What we know/don't know" → Genealogy table → Colophon

Complete starter template

// Version history:
//   v1 — 2026-03-27 — First edition
#let story-version = "v1 — 27 maart 2026"

// --- Page and font setup ---
#set page(paper: "a4", margin: (top: 3cm, bottom: 3cm, left: 2.8cm, right: 2.8cm))
#set text(font: "New Computer Modern", size: 11pt, lang: "nl")
#set par(justify: true, leading: 0.7em, first-line-indent: 1em)
#set heading(numbering: none)
#show heading.where(level: 1): it => {
  pagebreak(weak: true)
  v(2cm)
  text(size: 22pt, weight: "bold")[#it.body]
  v(0.8cm)
}
#show heading.where(level: 2): it => {
  v(0.6cm)
  text(size: 14pt, weight: "bold")[#it.body]
  v(0.3cm)
}

// --- Title page ---
#align(center)[
  #v(4cm)
  #text(size: 28pt, weight: "bold")[De Familie Van Voorbeeld]
  #v(0.5cm)
  #text(size: 14pt, fill: rgb("#555"))[_Acht generaties uit de Veluwe_]
  #v(1cm)
  #line(length: 40%, stroke: 0.5pt + rgb("#ccc"))
  #v(1cm)
  #text(size: 12pt)[Een familiegeschiedenis voor Jan]
  #v(3cm)
  #text(size: 8pt, fill: rgb("#bbb"))[#story-version]
]

// --- Chapter example ---
= De oudste sporen

#set par(first-line-indent: 0em)
_Voorst, Gelderland --- begin negentiende eeuw_
#set par(first-line-indent: 1em)

De oudste voorouder die we met zekerheid kennen is Hendrik van Voorbeeld,
geboren op 14 februari 1804 in Voorst.#footnote[BS Geboorte Voorst, 14 feb.
1804. Gelders Archief, inv 0207, reg 5312.02, akte 39.] Hij trouwde op
23 mei 1830 met Johanna Pieters.#footnote[BS Huwelijk Voorst, 23 mei 1830.
Gelders Archief, akte 18. Vader bruidegom: Willem van Voorbeeld, moeder:
Aaltje Jansen.]

// --- Figure example ---
#figure(
  image("story-images/voorst-1850.jpg", width: 100%),
  caption: [_Gezicht op Voorst_ — lithografie, ca. 1850.
    Wikimedia Commons, publiek domein.],
)

// --- What we know / don't know ---
= Wat we weten --- en wat niet

// Use this section to be honest about gaps and uncertainty.
// Readers trust a story more when it admits what it doesn't know.

// --- Genealogy summary table ---
= Overzicht

#table(
  columns: (auto, 1fr, 1fr, auto),
  fill: (_, row) => if row == 0 { rgb("#f0f0f0") } else { none },
  table.header(
    [*Gen.*], [*Naam*], [*Geboren*], [*Overleden*],
  ),
  [1], [Hendrik van Voorbeeld], [14-02-1804, Voorst], [03-11-1879, Voorst],
  [2], [Willem van Voorbeeld], [~1770], [?],
)

// --- Colophon ---
#v(1fr)
#line(length: 100%, stroke: 0.5pt + rgb("#ccc"))
#set text(size: 8pt, fill: rgb("#888"))
Samengesteld met behulp van Claude Code (Anthropic). Alle genealogische
gegevens zijn geverifieerd tegen originele akten in de genoemde archieven.
Historische context is gecontroleerd door onafhankelijke verificatie.

#story-version

Font notes

The template uses "New Computer Modern" which is bundled with Typst — no installation needed. For a warmer look, "Libertinus Serif" works well but must be installed on the system. Change the #set text(font: ...) line.

Versioning

Every story file must have a story-version variable and version history in comments. Display the version on the title page (small, gray). Increment on every content change.

Footnote rules

Every factual claim needs a source. Group related facts into one footnote when they come from the same record. Use these patterns:

| Fact type | Footnote format | |-----------|----------------| | Civil record (BS) | BS Geboorte/Huwelijk/Overlijden [plaats], [datum]. [Archief], inv [X], reg [Y], akte [Z]. | | Church record (DTB) | DTB Dopen/Trouwen/Begraven [kerk], [archief], reg [X], akte [Y]. | | Published genealogy | [Auteur], "[Titel]," _[Publicatie]_ ([Uitgever], [Jaar]). | | Database | [Database naam], record [ID]. URL: [link]. | | Oral history | Familieoverlevering. | | Historical context | Zie [Auteur], _[Boektitel]_ ([Stad], [Jaar]). |

Writing style

• Write in the past tense for historical events, present for analysis
• Address the reader directly when connecting to the audience
• Include sensory/occupational details (what did this work feel like?)
• Be honest about uncertainty — "we don't know" is better than speculation
• Use --- for em-dashes (Typst renders them correctly)
• Historical context paragraphs: temporarily disable first-line-indent

5. Compile

typst compile story-{name}.typ story-{name}.pdf

If typst is not installed:

• macOS: brew install typst
• Linux: cargo install typst-cli or check your distro's package manager
• Windows: winget install typst or cargo install typst-cli

6. Fact-check

After writing, verify all non-genealogical claims (historical context, geographic descriptions, etymological arguments) using independent sources. If you have access to multiple AI tools, send the full narrative with these instructions:

"This is a genealogy narrative. All genealogical data (birth/death dates, marriage records, archive references, family relationships) has been independently verified against civil and church records. Do NOT re-verify those. Instead: (1) identify all historical context claims and verify them — wars, sieges, population numbers, biographical details of non-family historical figures, etymological arguments, geographic descriptions; (2) think for yourself whether anything else in the text needs verification that isn't genealogical data. For each claim you check, state TRUE, FALSE, or UNCERTAIN with a brief explanation."

The key insight: let the reviewer discover what needs checking rather than hand-picking claims for them. This catches things you might miss.

Dependencies

• Typst CLI — see install instructions in step 5
• Font: New Computer Modern (bundled with Typst, no install needed)
• Images: downloaded to story-images/ next to the .typ file
• GEDCOM tools: scripts/gedcom_query.py (optional, for tracing lines)