Founded in 2013, Storyworth is the original and still most trusted family storytelling service. We make capturing a life story easy by breaking the process down into bite-sized pieces through weekly questions. Storytellers can answer however suits them best, whether that's typing a reply or speaking their story aloud over the phone, so there's no writing required at all. They can also add unlimited photos to their stories, so every answer can be brought to life with images from their lives. What makes your Storyworth Memoirs special are the memories and photos that fill it, and great prompts can help unlock the best stories. That's why we offer so many ways to create a custom question queue for yourself or a loved one.

TLDR

• Storyworth sends one question per week by email or text for a full year, giving storytellers a steady, low-pressure way to build a memoir.
• You can choose from 500+ pre-written prompts in Storyworth's library, covering topics like childhood, travel, work, faith, and more.
• You can write your own questions from scratch or edit any library question to fit a specific person's life.
• Magic Questions creates personalized prompts based on details you share about your storyteller
• This post includes 60 example questions across eight categories to help you get started.

Why family storytelling matters in 2026

Interest in preserving personal and family histories has grown steadily, and 2026 is no different. According to a 2025 AARP survey of adults 50+, 46% are motivated to preserve their legacy by creating something meaningful to pass down, and 45% want to help younger generations learn from their experiences.

Sharing life memories is also a meaningful way to strengthen family bonds across generations and give older relatives a chance to reflect on the experiences that shaped them.

Whether you're gifting a memoir to a parent, grandparent, or spouse, there's no better time to start capturing the stories that matter most. Memory naturally fades with age, so capturing a loved one's stories as soon as possible is well worth it.

How Storyworth's weekly questions work

Storytellers, along with any family or friends added to their account, can add questions to their queue. Family and friends can also reply to stories with their own comments and memories, and those contributions can be included in the final hardcover book. Below are three ways to choose, write, or create questions.

Storyworth’s extensive library of questions

We've filled our prompt library with 500+ questions you can browse to find the ones that will help tell the story of a life. You can search upcoming questions by category, including childhood, education, parenthood, family and home, love and friendship, hobbies and passions, travel and adventure, work life, traditions and celebrations, spirituality and faith, military, and even challenges. Or you can also search by any keyword to find the best questions for you.

Ways storytellers can respond to questions

When a question arrives, storytellers have several options for sharing their answer. In writing, they can reply directly to the weekly email or type their story on the Storyworth website — no login needed for either. Storytellers can also respond by phone with one of three Storyworth Voice options, which work on any phone, including a landline. No app or password required:

• Story Calls: The storyteller requests a call and speaks their story. The recording is transcribed word-for-word, with no AI alteration, so their voice is preserved exactly as spoken. Available on all plans.
• Magic Interviews: Storyworth calls the storyteller and asks follow-up questions to draw out details of their story. When the call ends, the conversation is turned into a polished narrative. Available with Unlimited & Color.
• Family Calls: A friend or family member joins the call to ask questions and share memories together. The conversation is shaped into a story, making storytelling a shared experience. Available with Unlimited.

60 example Storyworth questions

Below is a small sample of the questions you’ll find in Storyworth’s vast prompt library.

Childhood questions

Did you have any nicknames when you were a child? How did you feel about them?

What were your favorite books or stories when you were a child?

What is one of your favorite memories of your mother?

What fascinated you as a child?

Describe one of your most memorable birthdays.

Did you ever move as a child? What was that experience like?

How would you describe the neighborhood where you grew up?

What were memorable vacations from childhood?

Family and home questions

Who are the funniest people in your family?

What is most important to you when choosing a new home?

What are the most important lessons you learned from your parents?

What are some of your favorite family traditions?

What early memories do you have of your sibling(s)?

What’s a funny or embarrassing story your family likes to tell about you?

What keepsakes or family heirlooms do you treasure most?

Do you have any notable ancestors?

Do you have any advice for making a house feel more like a home?

Work life 

What was your first boss like?

What was your best boss like? What did you learn from them?

If you had to go back in time and start a brand new career, what would it be?

What is your best advice about work or career?

What are some of your biggest professional accomplishments?

In your opinion, when is the right time to retire?

Did you consider any careers other than the one where you landed?

Travel and adventure 

What is one of the best trips you've ever taken? What made it great?

What is one of the worst trips you've ever taken? What went wrong?

What is the farthest you have ever traveled from home?

What places would you want to visit over and over again?

If you could safely travel to any time and place, where and when would you go?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

What was your first big trip?

What places have you lived, and when?

Parenthood 

How did you decide whether and when to have children?

How did you feel when your first child was born?

What aspects of having children didn't go the way you expected?

What's one thing you wish you'd known before becoming a parent?

What was it like for you when your first child left the nest?

How did you decide how many children to have?

How did adopting a child shape your life experience?

Passions and hobbies 

What sports did you like most when you were young?

What are your favorite dishes—either to cook or to eat?

What was your dream car?

Are you handy? What's something you've built?

What activities have gained new meaning or importance for you as you’ve gotten older?

What hobbies have you taken up or hope to pursue in retirement?

What are your favorite books?

Faith and spirituality 

What is the significance of your faith to you?

How is your faith different from your parents' faith?

How would you describe your faith journey?

How has your community influenced your spiritual journey and practice?

Do you believe in miracles?

What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

What has made your faith stronger?

Thought provokers 

What personal expectations do you hold yourself to?

What things are you proudest of in your life?

What do people get wrong about you?

What do you consider your motto?

How have your political views changed over time?

Are you same person you were as an adolescent, or very different?

What do you hope for your future?

Write or rewrite your own Storyworth questions

If you find a question that's close to what you want to ask, but it could be more relevant to the storyteller, you can change it. You can do this before you add it to your queue, or even while you’re writing the story. For example, you could change, “How did you decide when to change jobs?” to “How did you decide when to leave your job in city government?”

If you want to ask a question that’s specific to your storyteller’s life, you can also write one from scratch and add it to the queue. 

‍Use Storyworth’s Magic Questions

If you want to ask questions that are unique to your storyteller's life but aren't sure how to start writing them, try Magic Questions. This feature is available with Color and Unlimited. You can find this tool by going to Upcoming Questions and clicking the Personalize button. Add a few meaningful details about their life, like where they grew up, any hobbies they have, thier children's ages, or anything else!

With over a decade of experience, more than 63,000 verified Trustpilot reviews — over 50,000 of which are five-star ratings, and over a million books printed, Storyworth is on a mission to connect people through meaningful stories. You can read more Storyworth reviews to see what customers are saying.

Final thoughts

The right question can open a door to a story that might otherwise go untold. Whether you browse Storyworth's library, write your own prompts, or let Magic Questions do the work, every answer your storyteller shares becomes a piece of something lasting. A year of weekly questions adds up to a full memoir that your family can hold, read, and return to for generations. The hardest part is simply getting started, and Storyworth makes that as easy as possible.

Start your Storyworth Memoir now

FAQs

How many questions does Storyworth send?

Storyworth sends one question per week for a full year, totaling 52 questions over the course of your year with Storyworth. You can customize your queue at any time by adding questions from the library, writing your own, or generating personalized prompts with Magic Questions.

Can I choose my own questions on Storyworth?

Yes. You can browse 500+ questions in Storyworth's prompt library, write your own from scratch, or edit any existing question to better fit your storyteller. Family members and friends who have been added to the account can also suggest questions.

What categories of questions does Storyworth offer?

Storyworth's library covers a wide range of life topics, including childhood, education, parenthood, family and home, love and friendship, hobbies and passions, travel and adventure, work life, traditions and celebrations, spirituality and faith, military service, and personal challenges.

What are Magic Questions?

Magic Questions is a Storyworth tool that generates personalized prompts based on details you share about your storyteller, such as where they grew up, their hobbies, or their children's ages. You can find it by going to Upcoming Questions and clicking the Personalize button.

Can storytellers answer questions by phone?

Yes. Every Storyworth plan offers voice recording with automatic transcription, so spoken answers are added directly to the memoir. Color and Unlimited plans also offer collaborative Family Calls, where a loved one joins to help draw out the story and guided phone interviews through Magic Interviews, which ask follow-up questions to elicit more detail.