Have you considered sharing your life story? Perhaps you have been
waiting for the perfect time! I wanted to share some tips for anyone who
wants to write an autobiography for those that may have gotten started but haven’t finished yet!
Writing your autobiography can be a great way to tell your life story and
provide a keepsake for friends and family. And you don’t need to be a
famous person or a professional writer to do it. Read on to find out how to compose an autobiography that’s both informative and interesting…
Some people create a memoir simply because they enjoy writing, while
others want to preserve their life stories for future generations. They may not
intend it to be read by anyone other than their own family. However, most
people don’t realize how fascinating their lies are until they start writing it!
Unfortunately, many of those who want to document their life shy away
from the project, fearing that composing an autobiography is too difficult for
the average person. In reality, anyone can write a memoir. Yes, that means
you too!
If you’re afraid your life hasn’t been “big enough” to merit an autobiography,
don’t worry. Your family will want to know about your personal history and
relationships with others. They’ll also be interested in how you felt about
events you’ve lived through, and the lessons you learned along the way.
Whatever your motivation for writing your autobiography – and whatever
kind you want to write – these tips can help get you started.
1. Get a feel for the work.
One of the best ways to learn how to write your life story is to read some of
the great autobiographies that have been committed to print. For example,
Benjamin Franklin, Katharine Hepburn, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela
and Billy Graham all wrote excellent autobiographies that are still read
today.
You can find examples of how to write an autobiography in the stories of
sports figures, great religious leaders, government officials, doctors,
railroad workers, singers, and actors, along with ordinary people who found
meaning in their lives. Choose a category or person that inspires you, and
read several examples of how great life stories are shared with the public.
Reading different styles of writing can also help you get a better feel for
how to write an autobiography that will best suit your own story.
2. Understand your intended audience.
The next step in the writing process is to determine who your readers will
be. If you’re writing your life story to give to your grandchildren as a
keepsake, your word choices and tone will be drastically different than if
you’re writing for the general public.
Include interesting facts and anecdotes that family members may not
already know and make sure you weave the lessons you learned
throughout the book.
Those outside your group of friends and family will need a more complex
word picture to grasp the settings and characters in your story. Think of
how you would describe these people and events to a stranger: What
would someone need to know in order to understand them?
3. Develop a core concept.
Many great autobiographies have a central idea that unifies the entire life
story throughout the book. Ask yourself: What will readers take away from
my story? Persevering love, faith in the face of hardship, overcoming tough
odds, going from rags to riches, or lessons learned over time are all
inspiring themes. You could also include: accepting change, dealing with
loss, overcoming addiction, surviving abuse, impressions from an era,
valuing friendships, and relationships.
What is important to the story of your life? Determining one main
reoccurring theme will help weave continuity and interest throughout your
autobiography.
4. Jump-start your memories.
Think about all the different periods in your life. You may recall long-
forgotten events and people you haven’t seen in years, or discover new
meaning in your memories as you string them together.
Looking through family photos and talking with parents, grandparents, your
spouse, and old friends can help you remember significant events that are
rich with details and entertaining stories. Diaries, letters, and even emails
can help spur your recall.
Ask each family member to bring one favorite story from your life to the
next family reunion. The person with the best story wins a prize, and all of
the entries can be used as possible material for your autobiography.
Include all five senses in your writing whenever possible. Rich, detailed
writing can bring your story alive for your readers. Think of how you will
answer the following questions: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?
5. Organize your story.
Determine where your journey with the reader will begin. Will you start with
your birth, or skip your childhood and begin with your first true love? Some
writers choose to list their story chronologically from their childhood to the
present-day, while others opt to arrange their book according to themes or
major events.
Create a timeline, followed by an outline! Whichever format you choose—
the written outline will help keep you organized.
Some writers benefit from making notes on index cards and organizing
them in a recipe box. Others prefer compiling notes and ideas on a
computer – they’re easy to search, and quite a few programs and apps are
available to help you keep everything organized.
As with any kind of writing, it’s important to set a firm start date, as well as
a weekly goal to help keep you on track. Set a specified daily word count,
or decide to write one chapter per week. Determine a date when you’d like
to have a first draft completed.
You do not have to live a life of constant excitement to be able to write a
compelling autobiography. There is also no reason for you to add details
that did not have an impact on your life. Leave the unimportant events out
of it. Some people just want a thick book to represent their lives. Rather
write a shorter version including only what truly made an impact.
6. Keep your focus.
Find a quiet time to write every day – a time when you can get lost in your
memories and let your thoughts flow from your fingertips. Some writers
prefer early-morning hours, while others write better late at night. Find a
time that fits your schedule and set a regular appointment to write your
story.
It may be helpful to surround your work area with inspiring items such as
family photos, inspirational quotes, and your favorite music.
Staying focused on why you’re writing your autobiography may be difficult
as time progresses. Write out a mission statement that describes the
inspiration for writing your life story, and refer to it when you feel a drop in
your motivation.
7. Keep it interesting.
After you have written out a particular scene or event, go back and read
what you wrote aloud. Check for any awkward phrasing or sentences that
are bogged down with too many details. Your story should move the reader
smoothly from one scene to the next.
Cutting out unnecessary words and overly long sentences can help your
writing flow without being interrupted.
Your writing should be descriptive. The best way to do this is to “paint a
mental picture” with your words. For example, simply stating that Uncle Joe
smelled bad after being sprayed by a skunk is not as interesting as
describing everyone’s reaction to Uncle Joe when he walked into the room.
8. Use writing tools.
If you find that you’re struggling, autobiography templates can help you get
started. Available in books and online (including on some genealogy
websites), these tools present you with a series of questions about your
life. You simply answer them, and the templates arrange your answers into
story form.
A good dictionary, thesaurus, and word processing program are also
indispensable tools when writing an autobiography. But don’t use big or
complicated words in an attempt to impress your readers – instead, choose
a language that best helps you tell your story.
Bonus Tip
Before you consider the work finished, you may want to set it aside for a
few weeks, then read it with fresh eyes. Does it say everything you want to
say? Is it missing important events, or are there stories you still want to
recount?
At the same time, don’t fall under the spell of perfectionism. Your
autobiography doesn’t have to be the greatest book ever written for your
friends and family to enjoy reading it. They want to know what really
happened in your life!
Writing your autobiography can be an enlightening and enjoyable process.
By following a structured plan and working to keep your focus and
motivation, your life story may soon be a reality that will be treasured by
your loved ones for generations to come.
This is your autobiography — not to be confused with a biography of the
people who were in your life. You may need to ask permission to include
stories about other people. Do not use your book as a platform to insult
anyone else. You might not even mean for it to be embarrassing, but you
still need to ask permission of those you want to include, especially if it is a
touchy subject. Just because it shaped your life, does not mean they want
it mentioned in your autobiography.
If you are simply writing to settle old scores, you will not succeed. Even if
terrible things happened, you need to present this as part of the story and
let readers come to their own conclusions.
Personal grudges are transparent on the page. If you want readers to
empathize with you, you need to show them what happened to you, not
bash or ridicule another person.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they want to write an
autobiography is prolonging it with the misconception that they have to
have accomplished X, Y & Z before they are at a place to share! If you feel
compelled to write a memoir or autobiography, you don’t have to wait until
you feel you have arrived. You never know the lessons others will glean
from what you have experienced thus far.
