I am fascinated with the unseen world of what we call Heaven—the realm where my ancestors reside. Many times I have wondered how that world affects mine. My ancestors may hover over my shoulder and read what I am writing about them. I would like to think they somehow give me ideas of what to write.

You’ve probably heard authors of fiction say something like, “My characters become real people to me.” In writing historical fiction based on the lives of ancestors, they are real people. They are people we are a part of and perhaps, depending on your beliefs, may someday meet. My greatest fear is to disappoint them.

When creating fiction, a good writer will flesh out her characters. To make a realistic character richer and fuller, he or she will need to have flaws. I find it hard to portray my ancestors in a bad light, yet I can’t have a flat character—one who does everything perfectly. They need to have defects. A good story will show how they evolve. I can’t protect them all the time, even if my first instinct is to do so. I can’t just show their positive side and expect the story to work. I need to put them in situations and see where they go.

I can learn from my ancestors. Some of them have left behind small clues to who they were. For instance, I have a family Bible which once belonged to my third great-grandfather. On the first page, written in his hand, it reads “This book is never to leave my family.” I can glean from those eight words; family was important to him, he was a man of the Bible, he was authoritarian. Writing about family means researching every clue you can find to figure out what kind of life they led, who they loved, how they loved, and what they did with their life.

When I am writing fiction about real people, I have to balance the facts I have with my imagination. I try to keep the facts intact. I research and find all the evidence I possibly can. Old census records are a good start. I have also tracked down many descendants of my ancestor’s siblings. In fact, it’s a great way to find photos of ancestors because people usually didn’t keep their own photographic portraits, but gave them away to family members. Speaking of photos, a face is worth a thousand words—let your imagination go wild.

It’s amazing what can be found in a courthouse. I once found a record of my sixth great grandfather being sued for beating up a gentleman. That gentleman became someone famous, which made it all the more interesting to me. Courthouses hold records of births, marriages, deaths and so much more. Orphans Records can be very enlightening. Bastardly Bonds intriguing. It might be surprising to learn how much land an ancestor owned, and where it was or what it was used for.

Researching and writing about my ancestors has deepened my love for them. I have come to respect them for who they were and the paths they chose. The best thing that has come from writing about my ancestors is the bond that has formed between them and me. Learning of their lives has helped me understand better who I am.

Ora Smith is the author of CHOICES, a historical novel based on her third great-grandparents. She has been a genealogist for 32 years, spending 12 of those years researching for her book.