What to Write in a Personalized Magazine: 40 Questions

The hardest part of making a personal magazine isn't the design. It's the blank page. You know you want it to feel like them, but where do you start?

When I made a magazine for my dad's 60th, I didn't write it alone. I sent a handful of questions to family and friends, and their answers became the best pages in the whole magazine. Stories I'd never heard, photos I'd never seen, and a few inside jokes that made him laugh out loud.

Below are 40 questions to get you started. Pick the ones that fit, send them around, and you'll have more than enough to fill every page.

How to collect the answers

Start early. Give people one or two weeks. The best stories come when someone has time to think.
Keep it short. Send five to eight questions per person, not all forty. Short lists get answered.
Ask for photos too. Old photos, blurry party pictures, screenshots of funny messages. They make the pages come alive.
Use one place. A shared folder or a group chat keeps everything together, so nothing gets lost.

Want a ready-made list to send? Download the free magazine questionnaire with the questions I asked my own family and friends.

Questions about the early years

What's your earliest memory of them?
How did you meet?
What were they like as a child or teenager?
Which song, film or trend will always remind you of them?
What did they want to be when they grew up?
Which old photo of them do you love most, and why?

Questions about who they are

Describe them in three words.
What's their most typical saying or habit?
What are they secretly really good at?
What always makes them laugh?
What's their go-to order at a restaurant or café?
What do they do that nobody else does quite the same way?
What's something most people don't know about them?
What would their perfect Sunday look like?

Questions for the funny pages

What's the funniest thing that ever happened with them?
Which moment do they hope everyone has forgotten?
What's an inside joke only a few people will understand?
Which holiday went completely wrong (but makes a great story now)?
What's the worst advice they ever gave?
If they were a film character, who would they be?

Questions about shared memories

What's your favorite memory together?
Which trip or day out will you never forget?
When did they really show up for you?
What's a tradition you share with them?
Which meal, recipe or dish do you connect with them?
What did they teach you without even trying?
Which moment made you proud of them?

Questions about the future

What do you hope they'll do in the next ten years?
Where should they travel next?
What should they finally start (or stop) doing?
What do you want to do together soon?
What would you predict about them in twenty years?

Questions for the heartfelt ending

What do you admire most about them?
What would you like to thank them for?
What's the best thing they ever said to you?
How did they change your life?
What do you wish they knew about themselves?
What's your wish for them?
If you could give them one piece of advice, what would it be?
Finish this sentence: "You are…"

From answers to magazine

Once the answers are in, the rest is easy. Group them by theme, pick your favorite photos and drop everything into a template. Each Atelier Buba magazine already has pages made for this: interviews, fun facts, photo spreads, quotes and puzzles. You just fill them in, in Canva, on your phone or laptop.

A tip from experience: leave the most emotional answers for the last pages. That's where the happy tears happen.

Frequently asked questions

How many people should I ask?

Anywhere from five to fifteen works well. More voices means more variety, but even a few close friends and family members can fill a whole magazine.

What if people don't reply?

Send a friendly reminder a few days before your deadline, or ask for a voice message instead. Some people find talking easier than writing, and you can type out the best bits.