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How to Use Times of My Life and Forever Voice

Tutorials and Support

Step-by-Step Tutorials

Times of My Life

Forever Voice

  1. Download the app. Apple App Store | Google Play Store
  2. Load the app and log-in.
  3. Explore story topics, tap View all to browse all the topics. Hint: tap the Search icon located on the top right to search for a topic you have in mind.
  4. Tap a topic to start a story. Note: if none of the topics are a match for the story you have in mind, tap the Freeform “Start from Scratch” option.
  5. Tap Virtual Biographer to be interviewed about the topic. Hint: tap the microphone icon to speak your answers.
  6. Answer as many questions as you can and then tap Next on the top right.
  7. Review and edit your answers if desired. Tap Add more details to include thoughts and memories not covered in the interview. Tap Done to continue.
  8. Tap a tone and writing style, then tap Generate Story. There is no cost to have the Virtual Biographer write the story.
  9. When the story is written, tap any where in the narrative to edit it as desired. You can also instruct the Virtual Biographer to completely rewrite the story. For example, you might say, “rewrite this in the third person with more humor.” Both versions will be saved. Select the version you like best and tap Next to continue. 
  10. On the Enhance Story screen you can insert photos, add narration, and background music.
  11. Tap Preview & Publish to continue.
  12. Be patient while the story is produced. You will receive an email when it is ready. It’s now ready to share, publish, and download in print, audio, and video formats.
  1. Download the app.
  2. Load the app and sign in. 
  3. Tap +Create Persona.

QUICK START

  1. Upload a photo and give your persona a name. Enter the name your loved ones call you by.
  2. Select at least three words that describe your personality. Tap + Add Other to add other words or phrases.
  3. Select the words that describe how you typically give advice, or tap + Add Other to add other words or phrases.
  4. Select the words that represent your core values, or tap + Add Other to add other words or phrases.
  5. Select the words that describe how you want your persona to respond to questions, or tap + Add Other to add your own descriptions.
  6. Add any off-limit topics by tapping + Add Other.

ENRICH VOICE

  • These fields are all optional. Tap Skip to come back to them later.
  • The more context you add in this section, the better your persona will be.
  • Upload stories, memoires or recordings that you have created, or use the Times of My Life app to create narratives about your life and times. 

RECORD YOUR VOICE

  • Tap ‘Record your voice’ and allow the app to use your device’s microphone. 
  • Speak naturally for about 30 seconds, using voice inflections. A good tip is to simply talk about why you are creating a persona for your loved ones, and other people you impacted in life.
  • Tap the Play icon to play back your recorded voice. To do it over, first tap the trash icon to delete it and then record again.

TEST YOUR PERSONA

  • Test your persona by tapping on the chat bubble next to your persona on the home screen.
  • Ask your persona about your life, or for advice on any topic.
  • If the response is not accurate or detailed, or doesn’t sound like you, add more details so it can draw on your life philosophies, values, and experiences.  

SEND INVITES

  • Send invites to loved ones to chat with your persona. 
  • You can set up multiple personas and invite different people to different personas. For example, you might have a persona for your kids and grandkids, and a different one for relatives or friends. 

PRIVACY / SECURITY

  • Your personas are private, as are the chats with those you invite. 
  • The data is encrypted.
  • You can modify or delete your personas at any time.

Times of My Life: Tips & Hints

Forever Voice: Tips and Hints

  • The native app is faster and more secure than the web app, because the native app takes advantages of features built into your phone or tablet.
  • The easiest way to get started is to choose a story topic. If none of the topics are a fit for the story you have in mind, select the Freeform option.
  • Use the microphone icon on your phone or tablet’s keyboard to answer questions, or to add details from memory. It’s faster than typing!
  • Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or sentence structure. Capturing your thoughts and memories are what is important! The Virtual Biographer will suggest edits and corrections after you have entered the details of the story.
  • After the Virtual Biographer has written the narrative based on your inputs, you can add more details or make whatever edits desired.
  • You can instruct the Virtual Biographer to completely rewrite the story in a different style, or to focus on certain aspects of the story. Be as specific as possible to create the narrative you have in mind. 
  • After the story is written and edited to your satisfaction, you will be directed to the Enhance Story Screen. This is where you can add Media (images and video clips), narration, and background music. No need to add narration or music if you only intend to PRINT the story. 
  • Add only narration if you intend to create a PODCAST.
  • Add photos and/or video clips, music, and narration if you intend to create a VIDEO.
  • A super good tip is to use the web app from your PC to insert media into the narrative, after you create the story using your phone or tablet. It is much easier to insert and move images around on a big screen, than on your phone. 
  • Tap Preview and Publish to preview the story. Be patient! It can take time to compile if you added lots of media. 
  • After the story is rendered in Preview mode, you can share a link to it with friends and family to get feedback.
  • Go back to the Enhance Story Screen to make any desired edits.
  • Hint: when the story generates in the Preview window, tap the “Read” icon to see the text. You can copy and paste this text into another program if you don’t want to pay for the high resolution PDF version. 
  • When all looks good, tap PUBLISH to publish and download the high resolution versions – print, audio, and/or video.  

The best tip is to instill your persona with rich, contextual details, about yourself and your life. If your personal profile is weak, its responses will be weak. If your persona is a true, virtual embodiment of your perspective and your lived experiences, it will shine and be an accurate representation of who you are.

 

There is no better source material than certain topics provided in the Times of My Life app. In particular, the following topics are very powerful persona enhancers:

 

Reflections on Life
Core Values & Beliefs
Life Lessons
Principles & Philosophies
Viewpoints
Hopes for the Future
My Life at a Glance

 

Questions?

We do our best to answer questions within a few hours.

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