How to Use StoryWorth to Capture and Preserve Your Family's Stories

StoryWorth is a service that helps families capture and preserve the life stories of people they love. Here is how it works: you sign up and provide the email address of a family member — a parent, grandparent, aunt, or anyone whose stories you want to save. Each week, StoryWorth sends that person an email with a question. Questions might be things like "What is your earliest childhood memory?" or "What was your first job?" or "What advice would you give your younger self?"

The person receiving the questions writes their answer right in the email, like writing a letter. They do not need to download any app or learn new technology. They answer directly from their regular email. Their response is saved automatically. Family members can even add photos to their stories.

After a year, StoryWorth compiles all the answers into a beautifully formatted book that you can order as a printed keepsake. This book becomes a treasured family heirloom — the kind of thing grandchildren will read for generations.

The service costs around $99 per year, which includes one printed book at the end. Additional copies of the book can be ordered at an extra cost. Many families find this to be one of the most meaningful gifts they have ever given, particularly for older relatives whose stories might otherwise be lost.

StoryWorth lets you browse through a library of hundreds of question prompts and choose which ones get sent, or you can write your own questions. You can also view your family member's stories at any time through the StoryWorth website. You do not have to wait for the year to end to read what they have written.