Most people don’t even think about writing their own autobiography because it seems pointless to write something that more than likely won’t be published. However, writing an autobiography can be a great experience for self-reflection and a walk through the past. Taking the time to write about your life can actually give your current life a little bit of vigor and purpose. In any case, it’s always good to have a history of your life in writing because more people will want to read it than you would think. Here are some tips for writing an autobiography.
1. Pick a good format to write with and stick with it.
A writer can work on their memoirs in so many different ways. For most people, a chronological time line is the most obvious path to choose, but an autobiography can be broken into themes or other categories. It doesn’t matter which way you choose to write. You should, however, choose a style and stick with it throughout the book to avoid confusing yourself or potential readers.
2. Create an outline long before you start to write.
Autobiographies must be written with extreme care and organization or they end up falling flat for most readers. With that in mind, you should start outlining your autobiography or at least your life before you make the decision to start writing. Planning such a memoir can actually take years in some cases. This isn’t the kind of project that you start right away and finished just as quickly.
3. If you start writing early, then work slowly over the years.
For the most part, it’s a really bad idea to start writing an autobiography before you turn 30 or even 40. It might seem smart to recollect thoughts that are fresh in your mind, but an autobiography is supposed to be an all-encompassing view of your life. Obviously, you don’t have much to go on if you start writing at the age of 18 and your thought process or goals might change completely between then and twenty years later. Your autobiography might change drastically, but you can at least write bits and pieces over the years.
4. Hit the key points of your life – avoid boring stories.
Some memoirs fall into the trap of getting to repetitive or boring, which is a turn off to readers and even the actual person writing the book. On that note, you have to work on bringing the most exciting or important aspects of your lifetime onto the pages. You may not have had the most exciting life ever, but that doesn’t mean you should stack the book full of boring and dull moments that you don’t even care about. Others will be able to feel your emotions if you can write effectively and choose the more important moments of your life.
5. Be genuine in your retelling of events!
Obviously, writers of autobiographies have a lot of leeway when they want to retell events that took place during their lifetime. That doesn’t mean that you should lie about anything though. Glamorizing your own life in print will do nothing to make the actual facts any different. Plus, your friends and family members will all know the truth about events, so you don’t want to seem deceptive while you write. Stick to the facts, and the autobiography will end up that much better.
Writing an autobiography?
Autobiographies are tough to start and even harder to complete, but that doesn’t mean they are impossible. There are plenty of rewards for writing about your life even if you never end up publishing the memoirs for anyone to read. In this case, the self-rewards are great enough on their own. You don’t need any outside recognition for retelling your life. With that in mind, you should consider getting started on your autobiography!
For more information, visit Writing Your Autobiography.
