Technologies Used
Problem Statement & Business Logic
Pen and I Publishing is a UK-based platform designed to help individuals capture their life stories and memories through guided writing. The site focuses on making memoir writing accessible to everyone—not for publication, but for personal reflection, growth, and sharing with family.
The project is being developed in phases, with the first phase MVP now complete. This document outlines the current structure and planned development roadmap.
Target Audience
Adults with an interest in writing, journal writing prompts and memoir writing
Technical Stack
Backend: Django 5.1
Database: MySQL
Frontend: HTML, CSS (Tailwind CSS), JavaScript
Deployment: Cpanel
API: Django REST Framework
Development Process
Current Features (Phase 1, Part 1 - Complete)
1. Writing Prompt Generator
Random prompt generation based on filters
Category, difficulty, and prompt type filtering
Immediate display of prompts without page reload
Mobile-responsive design
2. Blog Section
Article categorization
Publishing workflow with draft/published states
Related posts and navigation between posts
YouTube video embedding support
SEO metadata fields for each post
3. Core Functionality
Responsive navigation
About page explaining the site's purpose
Amazon integration for notebook purchases
Basic analytics tracking
Upcoming Development (Phase 1, Part 2 - In Progress)
User Authentication and Personalization
User registration and login functionality
Secure authentication system
User profile pages
Ability to save and favorite prompts
Personal prompt collection management
Implementation Details
Extend User model with profile information
Create Favorites model to link users with prompts
Implement session management
Design profile dashboard interface
Add appropriate permission checks to views
Future Improvements
Future Development Roadmap
Phase 2 (Planned for April 2025)
AI-Powered Question Expander
Allow users to enter basic memory prompts
Generate thoughtful follow-up questions using AI
Help users explore memories more deeply
Implementation using Django and OpenAI API
Phase 3 (Planned for May/June 2025)
Memoir Writing Progress Tracker
Set personal writing goals
Track progress towards writing milestones
Gamification elements (badges, achievements)
Writing streak tracking
Optional sharing of milestones
Conclusion
There are a number of updates being added to this site to ensure it is interactive and provides value. As of 26 March 2025 authentication is now complete and working and resources have been added for registered members.
