By: Christiane Amanpour

Most children read history books. Tim Clairmont wants them to live history instead.

The author and financial professional is behind the Write Your Own History series, a collection of interactive books that allow young readers to step into the lives of famous historical figures and make decisions that change the story. The idea may sound modern, but for Tim, it has been decades in the making.

A 40 Year Idea Finally Comes to Life

Tim says the idea for the series started when he was just 10 years old. As a child, he loved interactive game books where readers could make choices and jump to different pages based on their decisions.

Those books fascinated him because they showed how different choices could lead to different outcomes. Sometimes good decisions led to bad results. Sometimes bad decisions still worked out. That unpredictability felt a lot like real life, and it stayed with him.

Even as a child, he remembers thinking how much more exciting those books would be if the characters were real people from history instead of fictional characters. He wanted readers to step into the lives of real historical figures and explore how their decisions shaped their futures.

That idea stayed in his mind for about 40 years before he finally turned it into a book series.

Technology Changed Everything

For many years, Tim believed writing these books would take too much time. Each historical figure requires extensive research to make sure the story is accurate and grounded in real events.

Originally, he thought this might be a retirement project where he would write one book every few months. But technology changed the timeline completely.

With modern research tools and access to information, Tim realized he could gather and organize historical research much faster than before. That discovery allowed him to scale the project much more quickly.

Today, he has ideas for around 170 books in the series, with new releases planned regularly.

Business, Finance, and Writing Books

Tim’s background is not originally in writing. His career is in business and financial services, and he built that career intentionally.

He wanted the freedom to write without worrying about money or changing his writing based on what would sell. His plan was to build a successful career first, then write because he enjoyed it, not because he depended on it financially.

His business career ended up influencing the books more than he initially expected.

In his financial planning work, he focuses on four core values: education, choice, transparency, and empathy. That same philosophy appears in the Write Your Own History books.

Instead of telling readers what to think, the books present options and let readers make their own decisions. Each decision leads to different consequences, just like in real life.

Why Choices Are the Heart of the Series

The central idea behind the books is simple. Choices matter.

In the series, readers usually step into the life of a historical figure during their teenage years and early adulthood. That is the period when many life-changing decisions are made.

Tim believes that history is not just made by famous people with special abilities. History is made by ordinary people who faced opportunities and challenges and made decisions that shaped their lives.

He wants young readers to understand that the same idea applies to their own lives. Their choices matter too.

Making History Fun Again

One of Tim’s main goals is actually very simple. He wants kids to have fun reading.

He believes that if learning is not enjoyable, kids will not engage with it. So the books are designed to feel like an adventure rather than a traditional history lesson.

Readers make decisions, see what happens, go back, try different paths, and explore different outcomes. Through that process, they learn history, decision-making, and problem-solving without feeling like they are studying.

Parents often tell him their children read the books quickly and immediately ask when the next one is coming out. For Tim, that reaction is one of the most rewarding parts of the project.

Leadership and Confidence Through Storytelling

Many parents today are looking for ways to build confidence and leadership skills in their children. Tim believes the books naturally help with that, even though that was not the original goal.

When children step into the lives of famous historical figures, they see that leadership does not always come from confidence. Sometimes leadership is forced on people. Sometimes it comes from hardship. Sometimes people grow into leadership slowly.

By making decisions in the books and seeing the results, readers begin to understand how choices shape outcomes. They start to imagine themselves making important decisions and leading their own lives.

This process helps build confidence in a very natural way.

The Bigger Message Behind the Books

At the core of the Write Your Own History series is a simple message that Tim hopes young readers remember.

Everyone’s life is shaped by the choices they make.

The historical figures in the books became important not just because of the opportunities they had, but because of the decisions they made when those opportunities appeared.

Tim hopes children walk away from the books with three main ideas. He wants them to enjoy reading, learn something about history, and understand that their own lives matter and their choices matter.

He often summarizes the entire philosophy with a simple idea that guides the series.

Be your best you.

That message, more than anything else, is what he hopes readers take with them after they finish the books.

If you want to explore more of Tim’s work, visit the Write Your Own History website.