Project Fit Conversation
A short, no-obligation conversation about the story, its urgency, and whether the studio is a responsible fit. No private archive upload is needed.
How the work unfolds
A clear path through
a complicated story.
Family history is distributed across people, boxes, devices, and half-remembered accounts. Kin & Chronicle gives those contributions a governed path toward one finished book.
A simple first step. A written plan after fit.
The introductory conversation is not the commission.
Family Project Plan
A private written plan defining the story boundary, likely contributors, permissions, timing assumptions, deliverables, stewardship, exclusions, and proposed fee before a commission begins.
Eight deliberate movements
Unhurried where it matters. Disciplined where it counts.
Start windows are scheduled. A reserved founding place does not mean every project enters its most intensive stage at the same time.
- 01Fit
Project Fit Conversation
A short, no-obligation conversation about whose story needs attention, why now, what may exist, and who may want to contribute. No private archive upload is required.
- 02Scope
Family Project Plan
If the project fits, Douglas prepares a written plan and private proposal defining the story boundary, contributors, permissions, deliverables, timing assumptions, exclusions, and fee.
- 03Consent
Private project setup
After agreement, the family project opens with separately invited contributors, clear roles, permission records, known data locations, and a prioritized intake plan.
- 04Gather
Contribution rounds
Relatives add authorized photographs, documents, genealogy, existing writing, recorded memories, answers, and corrections at their own pace. Each contribution remains attributed.
- 05Deepen
Adaptive question rounds
Technology helps identify what changed, what conflicts, and what remains unexplained. Douglas curates focused cards that may request detail, a yes-or-no confirmation, a source, context for a contradiction, or review of draft wording.
- 06Write
Chronicle development
The growing source collection becomes a structured, readable manuscript. Records, attributed memories, uncertainty, and disagreement remain distinguishable.
- 07Approve
Family review and production
The family reviews meaningful checkpoints and exact draft passages. Approved text and images become a considered book design, proof, and physical Chronicle according to the written scope.
- 08Return
Return and closeout
The family receives the agreed source package and project manifest, confirms receipt, and closes the private workspace under the written retention plan.
What we ask of your family
Useful contributions and honest review.
- Choose one Steward who coordinates decisions and family review.
- Contribute material and answers in manageable rounds.
- Flag sensitivities, living-person concerns, uncertainty, and disagreement.
- Respond at agreed checkpoints so the work can keep moving.
What Kin & Chronicle handles
Structure, craft, and the next good question.
- Private project setup, adaptive intake, and focused follow-up cards.
- Source organization, transcription, provenance, and selected research.
- Chronicle architecture, writing, human review, and correction tracking.
- Book design, production files, archive export, family delivery review, and closeout.
Large family collections become workable when they are gathered in thoughtful rounds. We establish a practical intake plan for each commission instead of asking relatives to solve the whole archive before the project can begin.
Begin with a Project Fit Conversation
Clarity first. Commission only if the fit is right.
Tell Douglas whose story needs attention, why now, and what kinds of material may exist. Please keep private records and sensitive family details out of the initial request.
Request a fit conversation