HereAfter AI — Questions that inspire stories

Questions that inspire

The HereAfter app has hundreds of prompts to spark memories. Here's a sampling of the possibilities.

Advice

If you’re struggling with something in your life right now, my advice is...
When life is overwhelming, I’ve always found it very useful to remember that...
If you’re feeling stressed out, here’s some general advice...
When things go south, the thing that’s most been helpful for me to remember is that...
If you’re having trouble with someone in your life right now, it’s good to remember that...

Ancestry

Here’s a story about an ancestor of mine that I have always found interesting...
Here’s what I know about my mother’s ancestry...
Here’s what I know about my father’s ancestry...
An interesting ancestor of mine is...
A secret about my family that I would like to share is...
Something that has been passed down for generations in my family is...

Celebrations

One of my favorite holiday memories is...
A holiday that was very important to my family was...
A unique holiday tradition of my family is...
One of the best gifts I ever received was...
One of my most memorable birthdays was...
One of our favorite family traditions is...
The thing I remember the most about my 21st birthday is...
The best party I ever went to was...
My best Halloween costume was...
A memorable New Year’s Eve I had was...
A memorable Fourth of July I had was...

Childhood

Here’s the story about when I where I was born...
Here’s what I know about my birth...
One of my very earliest memories is...
I loved/hated where I grew up because...
A story that my family tells about me when I was little is...
A memory that sticks out from my childhood is...
If you were standing in front of the house where I grew up, you would see...
A time when I was especially happy as a child was...
A time when I was sad as a child was...
A time when I got into trouble as a child was...
A time when I was really proud of myself as a kid was...
One of my best memories from growing up is...
One of my worst memories from growing up is...
A scary thing that happened to me as a kid was...
A thing I really liked to do for fun when I was a kid was...
A toy I loved when I was a kid was...
One of my favorite places to play when I was a child was...
A favorite game I liked to play when I was young was...
Three words that describe my personality as a child are...
A perfect day for me as a child was...
One of the best vacations I went on when I was growing up was...
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a...
A memory that sticks out from elementary school is...
As a child, a secret that I hid from my parents was...
My favorite hiding place when I was a kid was...
My nickname as a child was...
My favorite television or radio program when I was a kid was...
As a child, I was fascinated by...
The thing I miss most about my childhood is...
When I was a kid, I once got lost at...
The biggest difference between my childhood and how kids are raised today is...
My favorite candy as a kid was...
Someone from my childhood who had a profound effect on my life was...

Children

When I first found out I was going to be a parent, I felt...
This is a story about the birth of my [son/daughter]...
When I saw my [son/daughter] for the first time, I felt...
A story that I remember from when my [son/daughter] was little is…
A story that I remember from when my [son/daughter] was a kid is…
A story that I remember from when my [son/daughter] was a teenager is…
A time when my heart was bursting with love for [child name] was...
Three words that describe the personality of [child name] are...
A quality of [child name] that I especially admire is...
A funny thing that [child name] once did was...
A time when [child name] got into trouble was...
When [child name] was little, we really liked to...
One of the most challenging part of raising kids is...
One of the most rewarding parts of raising children is...
I am proud of [child name] today because...
A way that being a parent changed me is...
If this was the very last conversation with my children, I would tell them...
My greatest hopes for my children and grandchildren in the future are...
An important value I have instilled in my children is...
One thing I never told my kids that I want them to know is...
When I’m gone, I want my children to remember me for...
If you’re having trouble with one of your children, the best advice I can give is…

College

I went to [college name] and majored in [subject] because...
Here’s a memorable story about when I was in college…
One of my favorite college classes was [class name]. I liked it because...
Leaving home for college and living on my own for the first time made me feel…
My favorite place I lived during college was [place] because…
A great friend I made in college was…
One of the ways I had fun in college is...
One of my favorite extracurricular activities in college was...
Things were different when I went to college compared to how they are now. For example...
One of the ways college changed me as a person is...
A person I met in college who has significantly influenced my life is...
The part of college that made me happiest was...
The most challenging part of college for me was...
I attended graduate school at [college name]. I studied [field of study] because...

Dating

As a teenager, my first love was...
Before marriage, one of the best dates I ever went on was…
The story of my first kiss is...
The first person I fell in love with was…
My first serious relationship was with…
The worst breakup I went through was…
Here’s a story about having a crush on someone who didn’t feel the same way about me...
I [do/do not] believe in love at first sight because...
The most awkward date I’ve ever been on was...

Feelings

One of the happiest times in my life was...
One of the hardest times in my life was…
One of the biggest triumphs in my life was...
One of the most rewarding experiences in my life was...
One of the saddest moments in my life was...
One of the scariest moments of my life was…
One of the most funny moments in my life was…
One of my most embarrassing experiences was…
A time when I had to laugh at myself was…
One of the stupidest things I’ve ever done was...
One of the smartest things I’ve ever done was
One of the strangest things that ever happened to me was...
A time when I felt really proud is…

Friends

A great friend of mine from childhood was...
A great friend of mine when I was a teenager was…
A great friend of mine from college was…
A great friend I made as an adult is…
One of my best friends in life is...
One of my longest friendships is with…
In my life, the thing I’ve gotten most from my friends is…
The reason that I was so close with my friend [name] is…
My friend [name] and I drifted apart because…

Grandparents

This is a short overview of what I know about the life of my grandparent [name]...
My grandparent [name] had an interesting life because…
A favorite memory that I have of my grandparent [name] is…
Something I loved about my grandparent [name] was…
A special time that I shared with my grandparent [name] was...
I was very close with my grandparent [name] because…
My favorite thing that my grandparent [name] cooked was…

Historical

A major historical event that affected me personally was…
The first major news event I remember as a child was…
I’ll never forget [historical event] because…
The most upsetting historical event I’ve lived through is…
The most uplifting historical event I’ve lived through is...
The technological change that has had the greatest influence on my own life is…
A historical figure I wish I could have met is…

Illness

A humorous accident I had when I was a child was…
A serious accident I had when I was a child was…
The worst accident or illness I’ve experienced is…
Having to deal with serious illness has taught me…
When my mother or father died, it made me feel…
The thing I have learned from watching family members face serious illness is…
My attitude about death is…

Interests

I really enjoy doing [hobby or activity] because…
I’m really interested in [hobby or subject] because…
I find [hobby or subject] gratifying because…
I’m good at [hobby or activity] because…
I’m not that good at [hobby or activity] but I still enjoy it because…
An especially good time I had doing [hobby or activity] was when…
Something that I enjoy doing that most people don’t is…
One of the simple pleasures in life that I truly enjoy is…
I would describe my perfect lazy day as…
A great concert I attended was…
A memorable sporting event I attended was…

Jokes

Here’s one of my favorite jokes…
Here something that I like to say that makes people laugh…
I am/am not a good joke teller because…
The type of joke that I find the most funny is…
Laughter is important in life because…

Parents

My is [name], and here are a few basic facts about her life…
A memorable story about my [mother/father] and me is…
I was [close/not so close] with my [mother/father] because…
I love my [mother/father] because…
I sometimes struggled to get along with my [mother/father] because…
Something my [mother/father] and I really liked to do together was…
A time in my life when I felt especially close to my [mother/father] was…
The personality of my [mother/father] is…
Personality-wise, I’m more like my [father/mother] because…
My [mother/father] [liked/didn’t like] his work because…
Something that I fought about with my parents was…
A valuable lesson that I learned from my [mother/father] is…
Here’s how I would describe the type of relationship I had with my parents…
Something I always admired about my [mother/father] is…
Something I never really understood about my [mother/father] is…
The parenting style of my parents was…

Personality

One of my best qualities is…
One of my worst qualities is…
A compliment I once received that’s stuck with me is…
A trait that has made me successful in life is…
A trait that has held me back in life is…
One of my most unusual qualities is…
Something people would be surprised to find out about me is…
One of the best compliments that I ever received was…
A funny story my people always tell about me is…
I would describe myself as more of an [introvert/extravert] because…
A sound I love is…
A smell I love is…
If I could be famous, the type of celebrity or notable person I would be is...
My best party trick is…
Between talent, intelligence, education, or persistence, the quality I have most of is…
The one person, living or dead, I wish I could have dinner with is…
I had to choose someone to portray me in a movie, I would pick…
My favorite sport is…

Pets

One of the best pets I have had in my life was [name] because…
Here’s a memorable story about one of our pets…
I love [cats/dogs/other animals] because…
I have never really been a pet owner because…
One of the most amusing things I have ever seen a pet do is...
Here is a [adjective] story about my [dog/cat/other pet] [name]…
The smartest pet I have ever owned is [name] because…
An ugly but lovable pet I once owned was…
Losing [pet name] was especially painful to our family because…

Reflections

One of my proudest achievements is…
One of my greatest regrets is…
One of the turning points in my life was…
Something that I was really conflicted about in my life was…
One of the greatest intellectual challenges I’ve ever experienced was…
One of the ways my life ended up different than I imagined is…
A time in my life when I had to stand up for my principles was…
A brilliant piece of advice I once received was…
Not counting family members, the most important person in my life has been…
The person who has been the kindest to me in my life is…
A time I felt the most alone in my life was…
When I’m gone, I would like to be remembered for…
A key expectation I hold myself to is…
A time when I had to make a difficult decision was…
The happiest decade of my life was my [decade] because…
The hardest decade of my life was my [decade] because…
Something important I’ve changed my mind about over the years is…
One of the greatest physical challenges I’ve ever experienced was…
A moment I wished I would have photographed was…
If today was my last day on earth, I would want to…
The last time I cried was because…
Something I accomplished with my own two hands is…
I am [afraid/not afraid] of death because…
After I die, I believe…

Sayings

Here’s one of my favorite sayings…
Here’s one of my favorite quotes…
Here’s a motto that I like…
Here’s part of a favorite poem of mine…

Siblings

Here’s a quick overview of my siblings, including the birth order and their names…
A good story about my [brother/sister] [name] and me is…
A humorous story about my [brother/sister] [name] and me is…
Something that my [brother/sister] [name] and I have in common is…
A big difference between my [brother/sister] [name] and me is…
Something my [brother/sister] [name] and I really liked to do together was…
When my siblings and I were growing up, we fought about…
I was [close/not close] with my siblings because…
The personality of my [brother/sister] [name] is…
A time when my siblings and I got into trouble was…
A time when my siblings and I made my parents proud was…
As an adult, my relationship with my [brother/sister] [name] is…
My [brother/sister] [name] sometimes drives me crazy because…
I love my [brother/sister] [name] because…

Spouse

Here’s the story about how I first met my [wife/husband]…
I was physically attracted to my [wife/husband] because…
The personality qualities that initially attracted me to my [wife/husband] were…
The personality of my [wife/husband] is…
A unique quality of my [wife/husband] is…
I fell in love with my [wife/husband] because…
An early date with my [wife/husband] that sticks out in my memory is…
A challenge that my [wife/husband] and I had to overcome before we could get married was…
Meeting my spouse’s parents for the first time [went well/didn’t go well] because…
Here’s the story of my marriage proposal…
When [spouse name] accepted my marriage proposal, I felt…
A few memories that stand out from my wedding day are…
A memory that stands out from my honeymoon is…
An activity that my [wife/husband] and I really enjoy doing is...
The topic that my [husband/wife] and I argue about the most is…
My marriage endured because…
My marriage to [name] didn’t last because…
A moment when my [wife/husband] and I felt especially happy was...
One of the most challenging parts of being married is…
One of the most rewarding parts of being married is…
Something I wish I had known about marriage when I was younger is…
My best advice for dealing with difficult situations with your [wife/husband] is…

Songs

I’m no professional, but here’s a song I like to sing…
When my children were young, I used to sing them this song…
Sorry, I can’t sing, but the types of music I like are…
A song that makes me cry is…
A song that makes me want to dance is…
A song that always cheers me up is…

Spirituality

Spirituality and religion [are/are not] important to me because…
The role that spirituality plays in my life is…
An experience that tested my religious faith was…
An experience that made my religious faith grow stronger was…
A time when I relied on my faith for strength was…
My faith [is/is not] similar to my parents because…
A miracle I have witnessed is…

Teens (from junior high through high school)

Here’s a story about when I was a teenager…
An experience that made me really happy as a teenager was…
An experience that was really difficult for me as a teenager was…
Something exciting that happened to me when I was a teenager was…
Something funny that happened to me when I was a teenager was…
Something embarrassing that happened to me when I was teenager was…
Something that I did as a teenager that I am still proud of is…
Something that I am ashamed to have done as a teenager is…
As a teenager, my personality was…
Here’s how I would describe my high school…
In high school, I was [popular/unpopular] and hung around with…
Some of the clothes and styles I liked to wear in high school were…
My best subject in high school was…
My favorite teacher in high school was…
The worst haircut I got as a teen was…
I [did/did not] like how I looked in my teens because…
I [did/did not] have high self-esteem as a teenager because…
When learning to drive, I felt…
As a teenager, I really liked to listen to [music type]…
A fad I embraced as a teenager was…
One of my best friends in high school was…
My first big crush was…
Here’s a story about my first real date as a teenager…
Here’s how dating was different when I was growing up compared with today…
My parents rules about my dating were…
As a teenager, I went to prom with [name]. The experience was…
Something that my parents and I argued about when I was a teenager was…
A song that always makes me nostalgic for my teenage years is…
One of my favorite moments playing sports was…
The thing I wish I could go back in time to tell my teenage self is…
The best thing about being a teenager was…
The worst thing about being a teenager was…

Travel

A moment from my travels that really stands out is…
A memorable vacation I took was…
A city that I loved exploring was…
One of the best hikes I ever took was…
One of the best views I ever saw was…
A great day I spent at the beach was…
The best road trip I ever took was…
One of the biggest adventures I’ve had was…
A culture that I encountered while traveling that really fascinated me was…
One of the best meals that I ever had on the trip was…
A travel mishap that makes me laugh is…
When growing up, my favorite vacation I went on was…
The type of place that I most like to visit on a trip is…
My favorite way to travel is…
The best picture I ever took on a trip was…

Wild Cards

A time I got into big trouble was…
A time I won big was…
A time I lost big was…
A time I had to say goodbye was…
An experience that changed my way of thinking was…
A time I got away with something was…
My proudest accomplishment is…
A tough decision I had to make was…
A night I looked my best was…
A person who inspired me was…
A moment when I had an epiphany was…
A time when I really helped someone was…
Here’s how I discovered that I was good at…
A time when I was on stage was…
A time I surprised myself was…
The biggest rivalry I had in my life was with…
One of the things that I’m proudest of in my life is…
A perfect day for me is…
A true story from my life that’s hard to believe is…
A smell that triggers a happy memory for me is…
A time when I had to put someone else’s interests first is…
My first car was…
A time I watched a sunset with someone was…
A terrible storm I experienced was…
A time I was starstruck was…
A way I express creativity is…

Work

Here’s a story about my work…
I was good at being a [job name] because…
The best job I ever had was…
The worst job I ever had was…
The weirdest job I ever had was…
I chose to be a [profession name] because…
The type of work that I am best at is…
A type of work that really doesn’t suit me is…
My job as a [job name] made me happy because…
I never really found a job or profession that made me happy because…
A professional achievement that I’m proud of is…
A type of challenge that I enjoy solving in my work life is…
One of the biggest challenges I faced in my career was…
A lesson I learned at work was…
A time when I struggled with what to do professionally was…
A memorable summer job I had was…
If I could do my career all over again, I would choose to be a
The worst boss I ever had was…
When I was growing up, I used to dream about becoming…
The first time I quit a job, I felt…
Here’s a story about a time in my career when I decided to try something new…
My best advice if you’re having a difficult situation at work is…
A turning point in my career was when…