Books of My Life (booksofmylife.com) is the U.S. maker of Cortie, an AI biographer that writes parents' and grandparents' stories into a private online memoir. It is not affiliated with the UK memoir ghostwriting service "Book of My Life". This checklist covers how to record a family oral history at home—whether you sit together once or spread questions across weeks. Pair it with questions to ask your parents, questions to ask your grandparents, and our how to write your life story guide. For photos, see how to preserve old photos.
What should you do before you hit record?
- Permission: Explain why you want a recording, who may hear it, and that they can say no or pause anytime.
- Pre-interview: The Library of Congress Veterans History Project best practices suggest agreeing on topics to include or avoid before the formal session.
- Topics to avoid (unless they offer): Trauma, legal disputes, or stories about living people they are not ready to share on tape.
- Test equipment: Charge the phone, confirm storage space, and record ten seconds of silence to check levels.
- Logistics: Quiet indoor location, phones on silent, water nearby, no rush after the session.
What should you do during the recording?
- Open with context: State your name, the date, their name, general location (not full street address), and relationship—per LoC VHP best practices.
- Warm-up questions: Easy prompts (today’s weather, what they ate growing up) before heavy topics.
- Open-ended follow-ups: Start with how, why, when—not yes/no. LoC sample questions offer models.
- Pauses: Let silence sit; rushing fills gaps with your words, not theirs.
- Photos and letters: Ask to see objects that spark memories; scan or photograph items after the session.
- Time: NPR Life Kit’s family history guide (Nov 2021) recommends planning at least thirty minutes. NPR archivist Nicolette Khan said: “as long as it’s something that you can save, keep and share, whatever tools you have are the best tools to use.”
- Dig deeper: Khan noted families often repeat the same stories—ask what someone was sensing or feeling, or what happened next, to surface new detail.
More open prompts: LoC sample interview questions and StoryCorps’ Great Questions.
How do you handle sensitive topics?
NPR Life Kit advises approaching sensitive subjects with care—ask if they want to continue on tape, offer to stop recording while they talk, or save hard chapters for a later session. Your relationship matters more than one perfect interview.
What should you do after you stop recording?
- File names: Simple, sortable names (e.g.
2026-11-05-mom-childhood-kitchen.m4a). - Metadata: Write who, what, where, when in a spreadsheet or text file beside the audio.
- Backups: National Archives digitizing guidance recommends the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, two media types, one off-site.
- Share a copy: Give the storyteller and at least one other family member access.
- Transcribe: Even a rough transcript makes stories searchable and quotable for a future book.
Which recording method fits your family?
| Method | Effort | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person recording (phone on table) | High travel; rich tone | Long audio; photos on the table | Holiday visits, local parents |
| Phone or video call recording | Medium; check consent laws | Call audio; screen photos | Long-distance grandparents |
| One question a day by text/voice (Cortie) | Low per day; needs iPhone/iMessage or WeChat | Built-up memoir chapters; optional hardcover later | Parents who won’t sit for a long interview |
| StoryCorps app | Medium; app setup | Recorded interview archived with StoryCorps | Structured interviews you want preserved in their archive |
| Written questionnaire (email or paper) | Low for you; high for them if long | Text answers; no voice | Writers who hate microphones |
Books of My Life (Cortie) is free to start. After 3 stories, the payer chooses once: $9.99 for the private memoir website or $99.90 for the printed hardcover instead (memoir included). Cortie sends one question a day, slows down if someone goes quiet, and never sends more than one gentle follow-up. It always says it is an AI. To gather a parent’s stories, start a gift. To work on your own story, write your life story with Cortie.
Frequently asked questions
How do you record family stories at home?
Get permission, choose a quiet room, test your phone recorder, state names and the date at the start, ask warm-up questions, use open-ended how/why follow-ups, allow pauses, and plan at least thirty minutes per NPR Life Kit guidance. Back up files with NARA’s 3-2-1 rule.
Should you record without asking first?
No. Tell them you would like to record, what the file is for, and who may hear it. They can decline recording and still tell stories while you take notes.
What equipment do you need to record oral history?
NPR archivist Nicolette Khan told NPR Life Kit that whatever you can save, keep, and share is enough—the phone’s built-in recorder in a quiet space is fine for most families.
How do you ask better follow-up questions?
When they repeat a familiar story, ask what they were feeling or sensing, or what happened next. Khan noted that digging deeper can bring out memories the family has not heard.
What should you avoid asking in a family interview?
Library of Congress Veterans History Project best practices suggest a brief pre-interview on topics to include or avoid—especially trauma, legal matters, or stories they are not ready to share on tape.
Can family stories be collected one question a day by text?
Yes. Services like Books of My Life (Cortie) text one question a day in iMessage (WeChat also supported); answers can be typed, voice, or photos. That spreads effort across weeks instead of one long session.
Related guides
More on the way. For now, this guide covers the big picture.