Creating a family yearbook is one of my favorite ways to document our family’s memories. But let’s be honest—it’s also a big project. Between selecting photos, designing layouts, and writing the journaling, it can feel overwhelming. This year, I found a game-changing trick that saved me so much time on the journaling: ChatGPT.
Here’s how I used ChatGPT to get it done faster. I did all of this with the free ChatGPT plan.
Using ChatGPT to Write Monthly Journaling in my Family Yearbook
One of the most time-consuming parts of putting together a family yearbook (for me) is writing the journaling that goes along with the photos. Now, there’s certainly no requirement to include journaling in your photo book… I believe a book with no journaling is better than no book at all!
I’ve always included journaling in my books, but when I sit down to write, I often get stuck. That’s where ChatGPT came in!
I used this simple but powerful prompt:
“You’re an expert scrapbook coach who has been helping people create scrapbook layouts that document family memories for 20 years. Your task is now to help me write the journaling I will add to the pages, alongside the photo collages I’ve designed. Please ask questions before answering so you can better zone in on what I am seeking. Do you understand? Let’s start with January. Please write 2 paragraphs recapping the month. Here are the three highlights:”
Each month, I listed a varying number of key highlights—things like birthdays, vacations, funny moments, or big milestones. ChatGPT then turned those into written summaries that sounded natural and reflective of our experiences. Initially, it asked clarifying questions to ensure the tone and details were just right and then for future months, it knew exactly what to do without needed more clarification.
After the first month, I gave ChatGPT some valuable feedback: “Make it shorter and cut some of the fluff.” The result was much more in line with my personal writing style. Don’t be afraid to boss Chat around!
Instead of staring at a blank screen trying to find the right words, I was able to generate thoughtful journaling done FOR me and then quickly edit to make sure it sounded like me.
The real reason this saved me time was that I didn’t have to think about writing actual sentences! I listed a few quick bullet points like “Colin band concert, Jill dance recital, Erin came to visit from Montreal” and then Chat did the rest!
Getting More Creative: A Custom Poem for a Special Trip
Beyond just journaling, I discovered that ChatGPT could also help add creative, unique touches to my photo books. When making a small photo book to commemorate a special trip with my son to Super Nintendo World, I wanted to include something extra fun.
So, I asked ChatGPT to write a playful, Nintendo-style poem to set the tone for the book. Here was my prompt:
“Hi Chat. I’m making a photo book for my 12-year-old son about our 3-day trip to Universal Studios in Hollywood. It was a special birthday trip, just with Mom and Colin, and he chose the destination. I’d like to start the book with a cute poem, written in the style of a Nintendo video game, about the experience. Please make it 16 sentences long and ask me additional questions to provide the information you need.”
After answering a few follow-up questions, ChatGPT created a fun, rhyming poem that perfectly captured the excitement and adventure of our trip. It was a special, personalized touch that made the book even more meaningful for my son—and it took just minutes to create!
If you’ve been putting off your family yearbook because it feels overwhelming, I highly recommend taking my Family Yearbooks course which has tons of time-saving tricks and giving ChatGPT a try! It might just be the tool that helps you finally get it done—without the stress!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy this one with more time-saving tips for making a photo book!
