Inspiration Hub

Fun Story Tricks for a Personalized Book

Little extras that make a book feel like it could only be yours. Some go in the story prompt, and some are picture edits, and every one comes with the words to use. For what to write in the prompt itself, start with Story Ideas.

Tricks for the Story Prompt

Add one sentence to your story prompt and the AI writes the rest. You read every page before anything is drawn.

A book cover titled According to Pepper, as told by Pepper the beagle, grinning with a dog biscuit while the family’s campsite falls apart in the background

The Pet Tells the Story

The family dog narrates the whole adventure, and the dog’s opinions are the funniest part.

In your prompt: Told by Pepper, our beagle, who thinks every problem can be solved with a snack.

Grandpa in overalls shouting “Well, butter my biscuits!” as a biscuit flies, a chicken flaps by in a crown, and the dog drives off on his tractor

A Running Joke

One silly line that comes back on every page and gets funnier each time.

In your prompt: Grandpa says “Well, butter my biscuits!” on every page.

An open book on its last page, ending on the family motto “We stick together, even when it’s sticky,” beside a family walking home at sunset

The Family Motto

Your family’s saying, word for word, as the last line of the book.

In your prompt: End the book with our family motto, in these exact words: “We stick together, even when it’s sticky.”

An open book with Grandma’s oatmeal cookie recipe on one page and a girl baking with her grandma on the other, on a kitchen table covered in oats and raisins

Grandma’s Recipe

The adventure ends in her kitchen, baking her real cookies, ingredients and all.

In your prompt: The story ends with Ava and Grandma baking Grandma’s oatmeal cookies: oats, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and a handful of raisins.

A girl in a party hat pushes a giant rewind button as clocks spin backward and the birthday cake flies through the air

Start at the End

Open at the big moment, then rewind to how it all went wrong.

In your prompt: Start at the birthday party with frosting everywhere, then go back to that morning and tell how it got that way.

Mom as a ship captain, big sister Mia as a pirate, and Dad as a grumpy lighthouse keeper

Grown-Ups in Costume

Everyone in the cast gets a part to play.

In your prompt: Mom is the captain of the ship, Dad is the grumpy lighthouse keeper, and big sister Mia is the pirate who turns good at the end.

A boy’s birthday party with a blue cake covered in dinosaurs

The Cake They Asked For

Describe the birthday cake they’ve been dreaming about, colors and decorations and all, and that’s the cake in the book.

In your prompt: Leo’s birthday cake is blue with dinosaurs on it.

Tricks With Edit Image

These are made with an edit on each picture they should show up in. Each one below shows a page before and after that edit.

A story page as first drawn
Before
The same page with a tiny green frog peeking out from the flowers by the waterfall
After

A Hidden Frog

A tiny green frog tucked somewhere in every picture, for your kid to find on each page.

In Edit image: Add a tiny green frog peeking out from the flowers by the waterfall.

Describe the same frog each time and hide it somewhere new on each page.

A cover with the new baby drawn
Before
The same cover with the baby as a silhouette and a question mark
After

The Mystery Guest

The new baby or a surprise visitor is a dark silhouette with a question mark on the cover. Made for a “you’re going to be a big sister” book.

In Edit image: Draw the baby as a dark silhouette with a white question mark on it.

A street scene as first drawn
Before
The same scene with a Maple Lane street sign on the lamp post
After

Your Real Street

Your street name on a sign, your house number on the door, the school’s name over the gate.

In Edit image: Add a street sign on the lamp post that says Maple Lane.

A kitchen scene as first drawn
Before
The same scene with an orange cat knocking a cup off the windowsill
After

The Pet Photobomb

The cat somewhere in the background of every picture, up to something different each time.

In Edit image: Add Mango, our orange cat, on the windowsill knocking over a cup.

A family Christmas morning scene as first drawn
Before
The same scene with the family in matching red plaid pajamas
After

Matching Pajamas

The whole family in the same holiday pajamas for a Christmas book.

In Edit image: Put everyone in matching red plaid pajamas.

How to Do Them

  • In the story prompt. On the story step, choose Write my own and add a sentence for the trick. The AI writes it into the story, and you read every page before anything is drawn.
  • With Edit image. Tap the circular arrows on a picture, choose Edit image, and describe the change. The AI redraws that picture with it. A picture trick takes an edit on each picture it should show up in, so a frog on every page means an edit on every page.
  • How many edits you have. You can edit the cover and the first two pages before you order, and every picture after. Each edit uses one regeneration, and every order comes with 30 (40 with the Keepsake Bundle).
  • Or ask us. Rather not make every edit yourself, or running low? Tap Help at the top of the page and send us a message. We’ll help.

Questions about story tricks

What they cost, when you can try them, and what to do when an edit misses.

Got a trick in mind? Start their book

Upload a photo, write a few sentences with your trick in them, and see the cover and first pages before you pay.

Start their book

Takes about 15 minutes · Preview before you pay