We Tried StoryWorth And It Was Worth Every Second

Storyworth makes capturing precious moments in your life manageable and approachable. I was able to use the app to create a list of questions that were automatically emailed to my mother once a week designed to fill in the holes of my family story. It worked like a charm.

When it was all done, we printed out those answers and photo attachments and made a hardcover book that I know will get passed down from generation to generation.

This was such an incredible gift. StoryWorth and it is just simply amazing.

What is Storyworth?

StoryWorth is a personal, meaningful, unique gift. It’s the gift of family and connection and helps you to preserve your family’s stories and memories in a way our ancestors simply didn’t have.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving: you get your family’s stories not once but throughout the year, culminating in a keepsake book.

The Storyworth process

My mother has been working on our book for a few weeks now and she loves it! Here is how it works:

First, you decide who will be telling your family story. My girlfriend signed up for Storyworth the same exact time as I did and she actually purchased one session for her mother and one for her mother-in-law. She wanted to get BOTH sides of history for her kids. Something to think about.

Then, you go on the Storyworth website and you decide what type of questions will get sent out each week via email.

If the member of your family is no on email, there is a transcribing service available where someone will write down everything your family member says. They can actually call in their answers. So, yes – there is always a way.

Family members are also allowed to add in photos from the past which makes this so FUN! My mother had a blast looking for old black and whites!

After your designated time is up (mine was a year of weekly emails), you will see a sample of your Storyworth book and be able to proofread it before it goes to print. Once you are satisfied, you tell the company that you are ready for your family story to get shipped.

Sample Storyworth questions

If you can’t think of any custom questions, you don’t have to because the website offers you endless options to choose from as a template on day one! Here are just a few examples:

How did you decide to get married?
What makes you happy?
What is the most awkward date you’ve been on?
Were you well-behaved or badly-behaved as a child?
Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
What have been some of your favorite restaurants through the years? How about now?
What things are you proudest of in your life?
What’s your morning ritual?

How much does StoryWorth cost?

There is a base Storyworth cost of $99. If you act right now, they are having a $15 off sale but that is only for a limited time.

The $99 gives you a set amount of pages and for one book. The pricing for an additional book is $39.

What if I have a long story?

Here’s the deal. Each story can be as long as you’d like. It can be ten pages! But you just have to know that the book cannot be longer than 480 pages.

Is my life story worth writing?

I normally would tell you that this is a personal question, but I am just going to answer it for you. Yes, your life story is worth writing.

You can choose to write this book for your children or just for yourself to look back on when you get older. OR you can ask your grandmother to do it and really get a glimpse at where you came from.

I think every story has worth and worth isn’t defined by how many likes it gets on Instagram.

How long does it take for orders to be delivered?

Storyworth doesn’t take very long to send through to a recipient making it a fantastic last-minute gift. However, it will take some time to get through all the questions that you create. So, know who you are sending this to!

My mother absolutely loved the process – she completely enjoyed retelling old stories and looking for photos of favorite uncles and long-lost holiday affairs. Make sure whoever you choose will feel the same way. Otherwise, this could feel like a chore.

I’m Done! Now What?

After your year of storytelling is complete, the buyer of the program will have to log in and create the cover of the book, whether or not they want the item to be in color ($39 vs $79) and check for spelling/grammar issues.

I have a full-blown confession. I skimped on this part and I really wish I hadn’t. I just sort of leafed through and trusted my mother and if I really thought about it… I should have spent a few weeks reading everything she wrote before printing it.

This is a new heirloom! I should have done my part to make sure our family story was clean. But I was so eager to get the book in my hand and read it FRESH that I didn’t want to RUIN anything by checking for commas.

In hindsight, this was WRONG. As the purchaser, spend an extra week combing through the entire book and doing what you can to button up the story. It’s their words, but perhaps a few things need to be cleaned up? Just my take.

Best case scenario – the next 6 generations will be reading this book to learn about where everyone came from. What is it you want them to read?

Give Storyworth as a gift

Check out this video recap of Storyworth and see why this is THE gift of the season for anyone you love in your life.

Is capturing your unique family story important to you? Would love to hear! For more information about StoryWorth, click here.