Leaving Your (Digital) Legacy: Part 1

If you’ve ever told your grandkids how you walked uphill both ways to school in a blizzard—and watched their eyes glaze over—you know that stories don’t always land like they used to.

But here’s the thing: those stories, the ones that make your family laugh, cry, or shake their heads in disbelief, are pure gold. They’re the threads that tie generations together.

And if we don’t write them down, they might just melt away like that snowstorm you definitely survived.

🕰️🎁 There’s Something Magical About Handing Down Your Memories

It’s like giving future generations a time machine—with a personal tour guide. Your stories aren’t just old tales for rainy days. They’re packed with wisdom, laughs, and hard-earned lessons that no textbook can teach.

And the best part? These days, preserving your legacy is easier than ever. Thanks to modern gadgets, you can save voices, faces, and moments that’ll outlast the batteries.

It’s a way to keep your history alive—so even the great-great-grandkids will feel like they knew you.

✌️A Two-Parter

Once we started digging into this, it quickly became clear—there’s a lot to cover. So we’ve split it into two shorter articles.

In this first article, we’ll show you how to get started, the easiest writing tools to use, and how to create digital scrapbooks and video memories without pulling your hair out.

In Part 2, we’ll dive into organizing old photos and papers, recording audio (yes, your voice matters!), and smart ways to store and share everything with your family.

This guide will help you create something truly special that your family will treasure for years to come.

🎤Getting Started with Interviews: Capturing Stories from Yourself and Loved Ones

Let’s be real—starting your family history project can feel downright daunting. Where do you even begin? What do you ask? And how do you make sure the stories that really matter don’t fall through the cracks?

It’s the kind of thing that’s easy to put off. “I’ll start tomorrow” turns into next week… then next year… then never.

But don’t worry. This section is all about making it easy to take that first step. You’ll get simple, practical tips to help you jump in without feeling overwhelmed.

And I’ll also share a clever little tech tool—something that didn’t even exist a few years ago—that makes the whole process smoother, faster, and a lot more fun. (Can you guess what it is? 😉)

💬How to Conduct an Interview

Let’s start with the heart of it all—the interview. Whether you’re sharing your own story or digging into a relative’s, nothing beats a good old-fashioned conversation. It’s the easiest way to unlock those priceless memories.

And, good news, you’ve got some good options for doing this.

☕ In-Person Interviews

There’s real magic in sitting down face-to-face, a warm cup of coffee between you, and swapping stories about “back in the day.”

Whether you’re the one asking the questions or answering them, these chats tend to spark great stories—and usually a few laughs, too.

You’ll definitely want to record this conversation. Just set your smartphone on the table or use a digital camera.

That way, you don’t just capture the words—you also get the expressions, the voices, and those little moments that make the memories feel alive. (Be sure to check out the sections on video below for tips on recording this conversations.)

💻 Video Calls (Zoom, etc.)

Can’t sit down in person? No big deal. Video calls like Zoom are the next best thing.

You can connect with family across the country—or even across the world—and still get those stories down.

Plus, most video platforms let you record the conversation. Just make sure you actually hit the record button before you dive in (yes, it happens to the best of us).

And no need to dress up—this isn’t a red carpet event. It’s all about the stories, not the outfit.

❓What Questions Should You Ask?

Here’s where things get fun. The key to a great interview is asking the right questions.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a seasoned journalist—just curious! Start with easy, open-ended questions to get the conversation going.

Here are a few to kick things off:

• “What’s one of the happiest memories you have?”
• “Who in the family made the biggest impression on you growing up?”
• “What was a typical day like when you were a child?”

And don’t just focus on the big life events—sometimes the everyday moments bring out the best stories. Ask about favorite family meals, vacations, or even silly traditions.

The more relaxed the conversation, the more the memories will start flowing.

🤖Using ChatGPT to Assist with Interviewing

Now, here’s where the “super cool tech tool” comes in—ChatGPT. This AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is basically when computers get smart—really smart. Imagine if your c... More assistant can be your secret weapon when you’re not sure what to ask or how to get the ball rolling.

💡Generating Question Ideas

Feeling a bit stuck? You can ask ChatGPTChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI, designed to understand and generate human... More to help brainstorm a list of personalized questions for your interviews.

For example, you might type: “Give me some interview questions to ask my dad about his life and childhood.”

In seconds, ChatGPT will provide thoughtful, engaging questions that can help spark great conversations.

🗣️ChatGPT as an Interviewer

If you really want to kick back and let technology do the heavy lifting, you can even ask ChatGPT to act as the interviewer.

Seriously! Just say: “Can you interview me about my early life? Start by asking me about my first job.”

ChatGPT will guide the conversation, asking you questions and following up based on your answers. It’s like having a curious friend helping you organize your thoughts.

📝Recording and Preserving Responses

Once you’ve got those stories flowing, be sure to document them. You can jot down notes, type everything out, or—better yet—record the interview using audio or video.

That way, you’ve captured not just the words but the tone and personality behind them. Trust me, hearing your dad’s laugh or your mom’s voice talking about her childhood will make these memories all the more special when you revisit them.

✍️Writing Tools to Document Your Family History

Now that you’ve gathered those priceless stories (along with a few family secrets you definitely weren’t expecting), it’s time to shape them into something future generations can actually read—and enjoy.

Don’t panic. You don’t need to be Shakespeare. You don’t even need to be your high school English teacher. And if your last experience with “writing” involved a typewriter and a bottle of White-Out, you’re still ahead of the game.

Thanks to today’s tech tools, turning memories into a readable, meaningful keepsake is easier than ever. No fuss, no fancy formatting—just your stories, your way. Let’s dive into how to make it all come together.

🧾Microsoft Word and Google Docs: The Trusty Old Friends

Let’s start simple. You’ve probably tangled with Microsoft Word or GoogleGoogle is a multinational technology company known for its internet-related products and services, i... More Docs at some point. And if you haven’t? Congratulations—you’ve managed to avoid the joys of accidentally deleting a document without saving. 😜

Both tools are great for one thing: getting your family stories out of your head and onto the page. Or at least onto a screen.

Microsoft Word is a solid pick if you like the comfort of keeping everything on your own computer. Word is also great if you want your stories to look polished.

It comes with built-in templates that can make your document feel less like a draft and more like something you’d find on the shelves of a cozy little bookstore. Perfect for those moments when you want to channel your inner memoirist between coffee refills.

Now, if you’re planning to rope in the family for edits, Google Docs is your friend. It’s made for sharing—especially with that cousin who insists they remember every detail exactly right, but still thinks Aunt Jean and Aunt Jane are the same person.

Bonus: Google Docs autosaves your work as you go, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything.

Pro Tip: Whether you’re using Word or Docs, remember: you’re writing for the grandkids, not the Pulitzer committee. Don’t worry about making it perfect—just get the memories down, typos and all. You can always go back and clean it up later. Or not. We won’t judge.

🧠Scrivener: For the Aspiring Family Memoirist (Or Overachiever)

Now, if you’re feeling bold—like “I’m writing the next War and Peace, but with more potato salad recipes”—then Scrivener might be your new best friend.

Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of writing tools. It does everything except brew your coffee (and we’re probably only one update away from that).

Scrivener lets you stash all your notes, photos, family tree sketches, and that scribbled grocery list from 1987—all in one tidy spot. You can break your writing into chapters, sections, or scenes, which means it’s easy to bounce from “Grandpa’s Legendary Fishing Fail” to “That Time Aunt Martha Stole a Cop’s Hat” without losing your place or your mind.

Yes, it’s a little more complicated than Word. There’s a learning curve. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel like you’re running a newsroom, a library, and a time machine—all at once. And if your family’s story includes enough twists to qualify as a soap opera, Scrivener’s your backstage pass.

⚠️Fair warning: it’s a rabbit hole. Give it five minutes and you’ll blink and realize you’ve spent three hours color-coding chapters and debating whether “Thanksgiving 1974” counts as a subplot. (It does.)

So, if you’re going big with your family saga, Scrivener’s got your back. Just maybe set a timer.

🖼️Digital Scrapbooks: For When Words Aren’t Enough

Writing not your thing? No problem! If you’re more of a visual storyteller, why not build a digital scrapbook instead? Think of it like a family picture book—with just enough captions to explain who’s who and why Uncle Larry is dressed like Elvis in three different decades.

🛠️Tools to Try

Canva or even good old PowerPoint (yep, the same one you once used to wow your boss with pie charts) are surprisingly great for this. You can:

• drag in photos
• add text
• throw in some backgrounds, and…

… boom—you’ve got a visual family history that looks like you hired a graphic designer, even if you still call your printer “the fax machine.”

It’s a fun way to show off your stories without writing a novel. Plus, it’s easier on the eyes—and way more entertaining than a pile of typed pages. Just don’t be surprised when the grandkids ask you to turn it into a slideshow for the next reunion.

💻 Canva is Your Best Friend Here

It’s super user-friendly, offers tons of templates, and lets you drag and drop old family photos, text, and memorabilia into beautiful layouts. Even if your design skills peaked with macaroni art, Canva will make it look like you know what you’re doing.

🎞️ PowerPoint for Slideshow-Style Memories

PowerPoint is great if you want to present your family history as a slideshow, which is perfect for family reunions (or forcing your grandkids to sit through your stories in a slightly more creative format). Add in some transitions and voila! You’ve just created a high-tech family photo album. Plus, everyone loves a good old-fashioned slideshow. Right?

Pro Tip: Don’t feel like you have to make it perfect. Family memories are messy, and that’s okay. Whether it’s a simple Word document or a full-on digital scrapbook, your family will appreciate the effort you put in to preserve these stories.

📹Using Video to Capture Stories

There’s just something magical about capturing the full package: the voices, the eye rolls, the belly laughs, and that inevitable moment when someone interrupts with, “Hang on, that’s not how it happened!”

The best part? You don’t need a Hollywood budget or Spielberg’s glasses to pull it off. All you really need is a smartphone, a halfway steady hand, and a little patience—especially when Grandpa launches into his third version of The Great Fishing Trip Where the Fish Was Definitely This Big.

Start Simple

Start simple. Record short interviews. Ask about childhood memories, favorite meals, family traditions. Get the stories behind the photos. And don’t worry if someone forgets a date or goes off on a tangent about their high school sweetheart—that’s half the charm.

Throw in some photos or old video clips, maybe even a bit of background music if you’re feeling ambitious, and voilà: you’ve got yourself a family documentary that’s more personal (and frankly more entertaining) than anything on TV.

Plus, years from now, when someone asks what Great-Aunt Ruth’s laugh sounded like or how Grandpa told that story, you’ll have it all—faces, voices, and those priceless little moments you just can’t put into words.

🎥What You Can Use to Record Video

You don’t need a film crew, a director’s chair, or one of those clapboard things to capture great family videos. No need to turn your living room into a Hollywood soundstage.

Our best advice here is to use the video recording option you’re most comfortable using. That said, let’s look at your recording options:

📱Smartphone:
You’ve got one. Use it. Today’s smartphones are little video powerhouses—they can film everything from birthday cake blowouts to Uncle Joe’s deeply unfortunate dance moves at the family barbecue.

Just prop it up on a stack of books or hand it off to a grandkid with steady hands and a short attention span. Hit record and boom—you’re in business.

📷Digital Camera:
Feeling a bit fancy? If you’ve got a digital camera lying around—the one you bought back when everyone thought phones couldn’t possibly take a decent picture—now’s its time to shine.

These cameras can give you slightly better video quality, but be honest: are you really in the mood to fiddle with the focus, lighting, and ten different menu settings? Didn’t think so. Still, if it’s charged and ready, go for it.

📼Video Camera:
Ah yes, the classic camcorder. Yours may still be hiding in a closet next to your VHS tapes and that one suitcase that only travels to Florida. It still works!

Sure, it might take a minute (or twelve) to figure out which button does what, but it’ll give you that old-school, grainy-home-video charm. Perfect for nostalgia. Plus, pressing “rewind” on a real tape? Now that’s a throwback.

So whether you’re filming with a smartphone or channeling your inner documentarian with a dusty camcorder, the point is this: don’t overthink it. Just hit record and let the memories roll.

Pro Tip: No matter what you use, make sure your device is fully charged before you start. You don’t want to capture the first five minutes of your dad’s epic life story only to have the battery die just as he gets to the good part.

🎯Tips for Getting Good Results with Video

Alright, so you’ve got your camera—or your phone—all ready to go. Now, how do you make sure your video looks like a treasured family keepsake and not a blurry clip from a Bigfoot documentary?

💡Lighting:
This is a big one. You don’t need a spotlight or one of those giant silver reflector things—just make sure your storyteller isn’t sitting in the dark like they’re about to share a spooky campfire tale.

Natural light is your best friend. Sit near a window facing the light, not with your back to it, unless you’re aiming for that mysterious “witness in the shadows” vibe. A couple of nearby lamps can work just fine too. Basically, if you can see their face clearly, you’re good.

🎯Framing:
Keep that camera steady and eye-level. We love Grandma, but no one needs an extreme close-up of her nostrils for posterity.

If you’ve got a tripod, great—use it.

If not, stack a few books or a shoebox until your camera sits at the right height. Just make sure it’s stable. You don’t want a mid-sentence crash that turns your interview into a blooper reel.

🔈Audio:
Crystal-clear audio is just as important as the picture. You can’t enjoy a good story if it sounds like it was told from the bottom of a well. If you’ve got an external mic, fantastic.

If not, no worries—just make sure the room is quiet. Turn off the TV, put your phone on silent (including the one you’re recording with), and gently inform the family dog that this is not his time to shine.

The fewer barks, buzzes, and background noises, the better.

With a little prep, you’ll end up with a video that’s sharp, clear, and easy to watch—something future generations will thank you for.

Pro Tip: If you’re recording outside, be mindful of the wind. There’s nothing like trying to hear about Grandma’s secret recipe over the sound of a hurricane.

🛋️More Tips for Making the Video

Remember, the magic of a great video isn’t in slick editing or fancy effects—it’s in the conversation. You’re not grilling anyone under a spotlight (unless you’re still chasing the truth about who broke that lamp in ’82… in which case, proceed with caution). This is about stories, not confessions.

Make Them Comfortable:
Relaxed people tell the best stories. So skip the formal setup and keep it cozy. If they’re camera shy, don’t dive into deep questions right away.

Start with something light—maybe a funny memory or a family inside joke. And if the conversation wanders? Let it. That’s usually where the gold is. Some of the best stories show up when no one’s trying too hard.

Let Them Shine:
Give your relatives space to talk about whatever lights them up—childhood pranks, war stories, kitchen disasters, or that one time they joined a parade completely by accident.

You’re not just collecting facts; you’re capturing voices, expressions, and the little quirks that make your family your family.

Bottom line: keep it casual, keep it fun, and let them talk like no one’s watching—even though, one day, someone will be. And they’ll be glad you hit record.

✂️Basic Video Editing Tips

Once you’ve captured your cinematic family masterpiece—complete with laughs, memories, and maybe one surprise cameo from the dog—it’s time to do a little editing.

Don’t panic! You don’t need a director’s chair or a film degree. Just a few quick tweaks can turn your raw footage into something you’ll actually want to show off.

Simple Editing Software:
If you’re a MacA Mac, short for Macintosh, is a line of personal computers developed by Apple Inc. Renowned for the... More user, iMovie is your new best friend. On a PC? WindowsWindows is a widely used operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation, designed to provide a ... More Movie Maker (or the Photos appAn app (short for application) is a program that helps you do specific tasks on your smartphone, tab... More with video tools) works just fine.

These programs are beginner-friendly and do all the basics—trim the footage, brighten it up, and add some smooth transitions so it doesn’t jump around like a squirrel on espresso. You don’t need special effects or dramatic music (unless, of course, you want dramatic music).

Trimming and Tidying:
Cut out the little oops moments—like when the camera shook because someone bumped the table, or when the dog wandered in and tried to eat the mic.

Keep the good stuff: the laughter, the pauses, the look on Aunt Ruth’s face when she remembers that one summer in 1964.

Don’t stress about making it perfect. A little wobble here and there just adds character.

Pro Tip:
Resist the urge to spend three days editing a five-minute clip. This isn’t the Cannes Film Festival. The goal is to capture the heart of the story, not create a cinematic masterpiece.

Besides, your grandkids won’t care if the lighting is off—they’ll just be thrilled to hear Grandpa’s voice and see him roll his eyes when telling that story again.

So go ahead, do a little cleanup, add a title if you’re feeling fancy, and hit save. You’ve just preserved a piece of your family’s history. Oscar or not, that’s a pretty big deal.

That’s a Wrap for Part 1!

You’ve just taken the first big step toward preserving your family’s legacy. Whether you’re capturing heartfelt interviews, jotting down memories, or creating slideshow masterpieces, you’re already building something your family will treasure forever.

But we’re just getting started. In Part 2, we’ll dive into organizing all those old photos and papers, recording audio (because yes, your voice does matter), and the smartest ways to store and share everything without losing your mind—or your files.

👉 Click here to check out Part 2 and keep the memory magic going!