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 guide is for writing your own story—the same daily rhythm works when you write your life story with Cortie or on your own in a notebook. For prompts, see our memoir writing prompts. If you are interviewing relatives, see how to record family stories.
Family stories matter. Emory work summarized via EurekAlert quotes psychologist Robyn Fivush: “The power of the family stories and the family history is really remarkable.” Writing yours adds to that archive—even if you start alone.
What is the seven-step method to write your life story?
- Decide who it is for. A grandchild, your siblings, or future you? The audience shapes what you include and what stays private.
- List turning points and “memorably mundane” moments. Weddings and moves belong—but so does the Tuesday kitchen routine NPR Life Kit memoir advice calls worth capturing.
- Start with one vivid scene, not birth. Pick a memory you can still see. NPR’s five memoir tips (July 2023) recommend leading with a juicy story instead of a chronological preamble.
- One story at a time—about twenty minutes. Set a timer. Stop mid-scene if you must; you can pick up tomorrow.
- Talk instead of type if writing stalls. Record a voice memo, or answer a daily question by text. Cortie accepts typed replies, voice messages, or photos in iMessage (WeChat also supported).
- Add photos and the stories behind them. Scan prints, label who/where/when, and write the caption only you know. See how to preserve old photos.
- Arrange by chapter or timeline and get feedback. Draft first; sort into themes later. Share a chapter with someone you trust before you call it done.
Structured life review shows up in research on older adults’ mood—a 2021 review of 15 randomized trials found structured life review moderately reduced depression scores in older adults right after the program, with a smaller effect at follow-up. Those studies looked at guided life-review programs, so treat the finding as encouragement to tell your stories—not as a health claim about any app or journal.
What are your options for writing a memoir?
| Approach | Your effort | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write it yourself (notebook or doc) | High—you supply structure and discipline | Free (your time) | Files or pages you organize and back up |
| Memoir class or writing group | Medium—scheduled feedback | Varies by program | Draft chapters plus peer critique |
| Professional ghostwriter | Low day-to-day; high coordination | Professional fees (varies widely) | Polished manuscript in your voice—after interviews |
| Answer a daily question (Cortie, if you’d rather answer a question a day) | Medium—steady cadence; slows if you go quiet | Free to start; after 3 stories, $9.99 once for the memoir website or $99.90 for the printed hardcover instead (memoir included); extra copies $59 | Private online memoir; optional full-colour hardcover when you ask |
Cortie texts on an iPhone with iMessage (WeChat is also supported), always says it is an AI, and a real person reviews every book before print. Fewer than three stories means nobody pays, and there is no subscription.
What is a 30-day starter plan?
One prompt per day for thirty days gives you a stack of scenes without committing to a full memoir draft. Use memoir writing prompts for more after day thirty.
| Day | Prompt (shortened) | ~Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the first place you remember clearly—not a photo, a place you can still walk through in your mind? | 20 |
| 2 | Who was the first adult outside your family you remember trusting? | 20 |
| 3 | What sound from childhood still makes you feel safe or uneasy? | 20 |
| 4 | What did you do when you were sick as a small child, and who stayed with you? | 20 |
| 5 | What toy or object did you carry everywhere until it fell apart? | 20 |
| 6 | What rule at home felt unfair when you were little but makes sense now? | 20 |
| 7 | What did your parents argue about that you only understood years later? | 20 |
| 8 | What neighbor or cousin shaped your earliest sense of fun? | 20 |
| 9 | What food did you refuse as a kid that you now cook for others? | 20 |
| 10 | What small kindness from a stranger do you still remember? | 20 |
| 11 | Describe your childhood home from the sidewalk—color, porch, steps, what you heard from the street. | 20 |
| 12 | Which room was the heart of the house, and what happened there on an ordinary Tuesday? | 20 |
| 13 | What did the kitchen smell like when someone was cooking something you loved? | 20 |
| 14 | Where did you hide when you wanted to be alone? | 20 |
| 15 | What piece of furniture held stories—scratches, burns, or initials carved? | 20 |
| 16 | What did your bedroom look like at age ten, and what was on the walls? | 20 |
| 17 | What chore did you hate, and what chore did you secretly enjoy? | 20 |
| 18 | Who came to the door unexpectedly, and what did that visit change? | 20 |
| 19 | What broke in the house that your family could not fix right away? | 20 |
| 20 | When you drive past a place like that today, what detail comes back first? | 20 |
| 21 | What did the walk to school look, sound, and smell like? | 20 |
| 22 | Who was your favorite teacher, and what did they say that stuck? | 20 |
| 23 | What lunch did you trade for, or refuse to trade? | 20 |
| 24 | What playground game had rules only your generation understood? | 20 |
| 25 | When did you first feel proud of something you made at school? | 20 |
| 26 | What subject made you feel dumb, and what subject made you feel smart? | 20 |
| 27 | What trouble did you get into that your parents never found out about? | 20 |
| 28 | Who was your best friend then, and what broke the friendship—or kept it? | 20 |
| 29 | What school event—play, game, dance—still makes you laugh or cringe? | 20 |
| 30 | What did graduating mean in your family, and who was in the audience? | 20 |
How do you start writing your life story today?
Pick day-one’s prompt above, set a twenty-minute timer, and write or talk through the scene method in our memoir writing prompts guide. If you want a daily text instead of a list, start your story with Cortie (choose yourself on the gift form). Interviewing a parent? Use questions to ask your parents and how to record family stories.
Frequently asked questions
How do you start writing your life story?
Decide who the story is for, list turning points and memorably mundane moments, then start with one vivid scene—not your birth date. Write or talk through one story at a time (about twenty minutes), add photos with context, arrange chapters later, and ask someone you trust for feedback.
Do you have to write a memoir in chronological order?
No. Draft scenes wherever memory is strongest, then sort by theme or timeline when you have enough material. NPR Life Kit memoir advice similarly favors leading with a specific story rather than starting at the beginning.
What if I hate typing?
Use voice memos or talk to someone you trust while they take light notes. Daily question services like Cortie accept voice replies in iMessage (WeChat is also supported). On the gift form, choose yourself as both giver and storyteller to work on your own story.
How long should each writing session be?
Twenty minutes on one prompt or scene beats marathon days you avoid. A 30-day starter plan with one prompt per day builds a stack of drafts in a month.
Is writing your life story the same as therapy?
No. Structured life review appears in research on older adults’ mood, but this guide is about preserving stories—not medical advice. Cortie is an AI biographer, not a clinician.
What does Books of My Life cost for your own story?
Free to start with no card. After three stories, the payer chooses once: the private memoir website for $9.99 or the printed full-colour hardcover for $99.90 instead (memoir included). No subscription.
Related guides
More on the way. For now, this guide covers the big picture.