My one AI prompt that will finally get you writing
The surprising reason your decades of research haven’t turned into a single written story—yet.
Welcome back to Chronicle Makers, where we celebrate beginning storytellers and leave the nitpickers and naysayers to do their own thing.
If this is your first time here, you’re in the right place. I help people write their first family history stories—quickly, imperfectly, and with heart.
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You want to write your family history, but you avoid it
You’re scared you won’t do your ancestors justice—or your family won’t care.
You’ve told yourself it’s too late, or too hard.
Take a deep breath. You are not alone in these feelings.
I surveyed over 350 family historians about their struggles in writing at RootsTech in 2025 and here are their top five reasons:
“What’s stopping you from writing your family history?”
Here were the most common responses:
“I need to organize my research first.”
“I’m not a good writer.”
“I don’t have enough details.”
“I don’t know how to start.”
“No one will care about this.”
I’ve felt every single one of those. For years, I told myself I couldn’t write anything until I had every fact double-checked, every file perfectly labeled, and some kind of magical clarity about what story to tell.
But the truth was, I was just scared.
Scared of being judged, of getting it wrong, of putting something out there that didn’t match the picture I had in my head. Perfectionism kept me stuck in planning mode, and the stories I wanted to tell stayed locked away on my hard drive.
A Gentle Way to Move Forward
If you’ve ever said “I want to write, but…” you’re not alone. Those reasons—whatever they are—aren’t flaws. They’re signposts. Often, they point to old beliefs that feel true, even if they aren’t.
This first ChatGPT prompt is simply a way to check in with yourself. It gently asks: What’s really going on here? And the best part is, once you see the chain of thoughts holding you back, you can finally start writing.
If you’ve never used ChatGPT before, don’t worry. This isn’t about tech skills. It’s about asking better questions—and being open to a helpful nudge.
Try this prompt in ChatGPT:
I call this prompt “Get Motivation to Write”, but it’s really about more than motivation. It’s designed to uncover the hidden blockers that may be keeping you from starting. You'll also get some clarity and confidence to move forward.
Simply copy and paste the text below into ChatGPT. When it says to fill in your reasons, just speak honestly. No need to word things perfectly—imagine you’re talking to a good friend over coffee.
Play the role of a coach for beginning family history writers. I’m a beginner writer and I want to write my family history, but I haven’t started yet because [fill in all your reasons here]. To help me get clarity on why I have not started writing, ask me 3 questions about what I told you based on a cognitive behavioral model. After I answer, give me specific coaching so I can start writing today.
Once you hit enter, ChatGPT will respond with three thoughtful questions based on what you wrote. You’ll likely find yourself thinking, "Huh. I hadn’t thought of it that way." That mindset shift can open the door to writing.
Here’s what happened when I tried it myself:
I realized I was chasing an idealized version of success. I thought there was only one “right” way to write family history—but I couldn’t even define what that looked like.
Talk about a mental loop. I had no idea how tangled my thinking had become when it came to writing about my ancestors.
So I wrote a messy little story that same day. It wasn’t polished. But it was mine.
And more importantly—it existed. Once the story was out of my head and onto the page, it stopped weighing on me.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Here’s your permission slip, in case you need one:
✅ You don’t need to write a book right now.
✅ You don’t need to organize everything first.
✅ You don’t need to “be a good writer.”
You just need to start with one story.
One ancestor. One moment in time. One image or memory or fact.
That’s what got me out of my head and into action.
And honestly? It feels really, really good.
Your family stories don’t belong in your head.
They belong in the world.
Let me know in the comments if you try the coaching prompt.
Or hit reply and tell me the biggest mental block you’ve faced—I might feature it in a future post.
Happy writing,
—Denyse
P.S. Every month I like to recommend family history writers who are having fun publishing their stories to help inspire you. Nancy at Legacy Carvers tells stories with humor and wit, and Kirsi at Stories from the Tree does deep dives and fiction based off her research. I hope you subscribe and enjoy their work!
P.P.S. This ChatGPT prompt in this post is part of the new Chronicle Makers Guide: “Write Your First Family History Story in Under 30 Minutes.”
You can get the full guide (plus templates, writing prompts, and bite-sized encouragement) when you subscribe as a free or paid member.