Create/Relationships & celebrations
Record the family stories nobody has asked about
Build an interview guide that follows meaningful details and respects off-limit subjects.
Here’s what it could look like.
An illustrative example to show the direction. Your details will make it different.
Interview an aunt who ran a neighborhood bakery. Known: opened it with a friend, loved early mornings, later taught relatives to bake. Preserve ordinary working life. Avoid financial disputes.
OPENING Would you be comfortable with me recording this? Who should be able to hear it afterward? We can skip anything. 1. When you opened the door in the morning, what did you do first? Follow-up: What could you hear or smell before customers arrived? 2. Which object from the bakery would you keep if you could keep only one? 3. How did you and your friend divide an ordinary day's work? 4. Tell me about a regular customer you remember fondly. 5. What did you have to learn by doing? 6. When you taught us to bake, what were you most keen for us to understand? ARCHIVE ENTRY Topic: Opening routine. Summary: [after interview]. Exact quote: [verify against recording]. Timestamp: [record]. Sharing permission: [confirm].
A good way to get there.
- 01
Agree on recording and sharing preferences with the interviewee.
- 02
Create a short opening sequence and optional follow-ups that invite scenes, details, and choices.
- 03
During the interview, follow meaningful answers instead of rigidly finishing every question.
- 04
Afterward, transcribe with consent and create an index that distinguishes exact quotations, paraphrases, and uncertain recollections.
The prompt behind this idea
Replace the bracketed details or make it yours using the form.
Create an oral-history interview guide for [Add person]. Known background: [Add known]. Preservation goal: [Add goal]. Avoid these subjects: [Add boundaries]. Begin with comfortable, concrete memories. Use open, neutral questions and optional follow-ups about places, objects, routines, and decisions. Do not imply facts I have not supplied or pressure the person to answer. Include a consent opener and a simple archive template for date, topic, summary, quote, and recording timestamp.
Give it a second look.
- Questions invite stories rather than yes/no answers.
- No disputed background is smuggled into the wording.
- Archive entries preserve uncertainty and permissions.
“These questions feel too formal. Rewrite them as something a curious niece or nephew would naturally ask, keeping the same boundaries.”
Recording, transcription, and sharing should follow the interviewee's consent and preferences.
The capability to look for
An assistant that can work with the supplied text; file upload is helpful for documents.
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