- Ark's Newsletter
- Posts
- Meet the Millennial Making Thousands Writing Life Stories for Total Strangers
Meet the Millennial Making Thousands Writing Life Stories for Total Strangers
Discover the unexpected storytelling side hustle that’s turning everyday memories into meaningful income—and how you could do it too.
Ark
July 31, 2025
Meet the Millennial Making Thousands Writing Life Stories for Total Strangers
In a world where personal stories are often reduced to 280-character tweets or fleeting Instagram posts, one millennial is turning the art of storytelling into a thriving business. Meet Jamie Carter, a 29-year-old writer who’s carved out a unique niche: crafting deeply personal, beautifully written life stories for complete strangers. And she’s making thousands doing it.
It all started three years ago when Jamie, then a struggling freelance writer, received an unusual request from a client on a gig platform. “This woman wanted me to write her grandmother’s life story as a gift,” Jamie recalls, sipping coffee in her cozy home office in Portland, Oregon. “She sent me a few pages of notes—dates, places, some anecdotes—and I turned it into a 20-page narrative. She cried when she read it. That’s when I knew I was onto something.”
A New Kind of Storytelling
Jamie’s business, Life in Words, operates on a simple premise: everyone has a story worth telling, but not everyone has the time, skill, or perspective to write it. Her clients range from retirees wanting to preserve their legacies to young professionals documenting a parent’s journey for their kids. Some hire her to immortalize a loved one’s life; others want their own stories told. “I’ve written about war veterans, single moms, even a guy who survived a shark attack,” she says with a grin. “No two stories are the same.”
Her process is intimate yet professional. Clients fill out a detailed questionnaire or hop on a call to share memories, milestones, and quirks. Jamie digs deep, asking questions like, “What’s the one moment you’d relive if you could?” or “What’s a secret you’ve never told anyone?” She then weaves these fragments into a narrative that feels like a novel, blending vivid descriptions with emotional depth. The final product—delivered as a polished PDF or printed book—ranges from 10 to 100 pages, depending on the client’s budget.
The Price of a Life Story
Jamie’s services don’t come cheap. A short story starts at $1,500, while a full-length memoir can cost up to $10,000. Yet, demand is booming. Last year, she earned over $120,000, a figure that stunned even her. “I didn’t expect this to become my full-time gig,” she admits. “But people are willing to pay for something that feels authentic and lasting.”
What makes her work stand out is her ability to capture a person’s essence. One client, 67-year-old retiree Susan Patel, hired Jamie to write her late husband’s story. “I gave her a box of old letters and some rambling voice memos,” Susan says. “She turned it into this beautiful book that made me feel like he was still here. My kids read it and learned things about their dad they never knew.”
The Millennial Edge
Jamie’s success isn’t just about her writing chops—it’s also her millennial hustle. She markets her services on social media, sharing snippets of her work (with clients’ permission) on Instagram and TikTok. Her posts, often paired with nostalgic filters or lo-fi beats, resonate with younger clients who want to gift their parents or grandparents a legacy piece. “Millennials and Gen Z are my biggest clients,” she says. “They’re obsessed with preserving stories in a world that feels so temporary.”
She’s also tapped into the gig economy’s flexibility, using platforms like Upwork and Fiverr to find clients before building her own website. Word-of-mouth referrals now keep her booked months in advance. “I get emails from people saying, ‘My friend read their mom’s story, and now I want one for my dad,’” she laughs.
Challenges and Rewards
Of course, the work isn’t without its challenges. Some clients overshare, sending Jamie hundreds of pages of unfiltered thoughts. Others are hesitant, unsure how to distill a lifetime into a few key moments. Then there’s the emotional weight of the job. “I’ve cried while writing about someone’s childhood trauma or their battle with cancer,” she says. “You can’t help but get attached.”
But the rewards outweigh the difficulties. Jamie recalls a client who ordered a story for his estranged father, hoping to reconnect. “He told me the book opened up conversations they hadn’t had in years. That’s when I realized this isn’t just writing—it’s creating bridges.”
The Future of Storytelling
Jamie’s success reflects a broader trend: people are craving meaningful, tangible ways to connect in an increasingly digital world. “We’re so used to scrolling past everything,” she muses. “A written story feels like an anchor—a way to say, ‘This life mattered.’”
She’s already expanding her business, hiring two part-time writers to keep up with demand and experimenting with audio versions of her stories, narrated in her warm, engaging voice. “I want to make this accessible to everyone,” she says. “Not just the wealthy, but anyone who wants their story told.”
For now, Jamie’s living her own story—one of a millennial who turned her passion for words into a six-figure career. And as she types away at her next project, surrounded by stacks of client notes and a half-empty coffee mug, she’s proof that the oldest art form—storytelling—still has a place in our modern world.
