how to write a autobiography book about yourself

How To Write an Autobiography 2024 (Tips, Templates, & Guide)

Your life story has value, merit, and significance. You want to share it with the world, but maybe you don’t know how .

Here’s how to write an autobiography:

Write an autobiography by creating a list of the most important moments, people, and places in your life. Gather photos, videos, letters, and notes about these experiences. Then, use an outline, templates, sentence starters, and questions to help you write your autobiography .

In this article, you are going to learn the fastest method for writing your autobiography.

We are going to cover everything you need to know with examples and a free, downloadable, done-for-you template.

What Is an Autobiography?

Typewriter, lightbulb, and crumpled paper - How To Write an Autobiography

Table of Contents

Before you can write an autobiography, you must first know the definition.

An autobiography is the story of your life, written by you. It covers the full span of your life (at least, up until now), hitting on the most significant moments, people and events.

When you write your autobiography, you write an intimate account of your life.

What Should I Include In an Autobiography?

If you are scratching your head, baffled about what to include in your autobiography, you are not alone.

After all, a big part of how to write an autobiography is knowing what to put in and what to leave out of your life story. Do you focus on every detail?

Every person? Won’t your autobiography be too long?

A good way to think about how to write an autobiography is to use the Movie Trailer Method.

What do movie trailers include?

High emotional moments
The big events
The most important characters

When you plan, organize, and write your autobiography, keep the Movie Trailer Method in mind. You can even watch a bunch of free movie trailers on YouTube for examples of how to write an autobiography using the Movie Trailer Method.

When wondering what to include in your autobiography, focus on what would make the cut for a movie trailer of your life:

Most important people (like family, friends, mentors, coaches, etc.)
Significant events (like your origin story, vacations, graduations, life turning points, life lessons)
Emotional moments (When you were homeless, when you battled a life-threatening condition, or when you fell in love)
Drama or suspense (Did you make it into Harvard? Did your first surgery go well? Did your baby survive?)

Autobiography Structure Secrets

Like any compelling story, a well-structured autobiography often follows a pattern that creates a logical flow and captures readers’ attention.

Traditionally, autobiographies begin with early memories, detailing the writer’s childhood, family background, and the events or people that shaped their formative years.

From here, the narrative typically progresses chronologically, covering major life events like schooling, friendships, challenges, achievements, career milestones, and personal relationships.

It’s essential to weave these events with introspective insights.

This allows readers to understand not just the what, but also the why behind the author’s choices and experiences.

Towards the end, an effective autobiography often includes reflections on lessons learned, changes in perspective over time, and the wisdom acquired along life’s journey.

Example of the Structure:

Introduction: A gripping event or anecdote that gives readers a hint of what to expect. It could be a pivotal moment or challenge that defines the essence of the story.
Childhood and Early Memories: Recounting family dynamics, birthplace, cultural background, and memorable incidents from early years.
Adolescence and Discovering Identity: Experiences during teenage years, challenges faced, friendships formed, and personal evolutions.
Pursuits and Passions: Describing education, early career choices, or any particular hobby or skill that played a significant role in the author’s life.
Major Life Events and Challenges: Chronicles of marriage, parenthood, career shifts, or any significant setbacks and how they were overcome.
Achievements and Milestones: Celebrating major accomplishments and recounting the journey to achieving them.
Reflections and Wisdom: Sharing life lessons, changes in beliefs or values over time, and offering insights gained from lived experiences.
Conclusion: Summarizing the journey, contemplating on the present state, and sharing hopes or aspirations for the future.

How To Write an Autobiography Quickly: Strategies & Templates

Want the quickest way to organize and write your autobiography in record time? You can literally write your autobiography in 7 days or less with this method.

The secret is to use done-for-you templates.

I have personally designed and collected a series of templates to take you from a blank page to a fully complete Autobiography. I call this the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

And it’s completely free to download right from this article. 🙂

In the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint, you get:

The Autobiography Questions Template
The Autobiography Brainstorm Templates
The Autobiography Outline Template

Here is an image of it so that you know exactly what you get when you download it:

How To Write an Autobiography: Step-by-Step

When you sit down to write an autobiography, it’s helpful to have a step-by-step blueprint to follow.

You already have the done-for-you templates that you can use to organize and write an autobiography faster than ever before. Now here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to maximize your template.

Brainstorm Ideas
Order your sections (from medium to high interest)
Order the ideas in each section (from medium to high interest)
Write three questions to answer in each section
Choose a starter sentence
Complete a title template
Write each section of your by completing the starter sentence and answering all three questions

Brainstorm Your Autobiography

The first step in writing your autobiography is to brainstorm.

Give yourself time and space to write down the most significant people, events, lessons, and experiences in your life. The templates in the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint provide sections for you to write down your brainstormed ideas.

This will help you organize your ideas into what will become the major sections of your book.

These will be:

Y our most significant events and experiences.
The people who impacted you the most.
The challenges you have overcome.
Your achievements and successes.
The lessons you have learned.

The “other” sections on the second page of the Brainstorm template is for creating your own sections or to give you more space for the sections I provided in case you run out of space.

As I brainstorm, I find asking myself specific questions really activates my imagination.

So I have compiled a list of compelling questions to help you get ideas down on paper or on your screen.

How to Write an Autobiography: Top 10 Questions

Order Your Sections (From Medium to High Interest)

The next step is to order your main sections.

The main sections are the five (or more) sections from your Brainstorm templates (Significant events, significant people, life lessons, challenges, successes, other, etc). This order will become the outline and chapters for your book.

How do you decide what comes first, second or third?

I recommend placing the sections in order of interest. Ask yourself, “What’s the most fascinating part of my life?”

If it’s a person, then write the name of that section (Significant People) on the last line in the How to Write an Autobiography Outline Template. If it’s an experience, place the name of that section (Significant Events) on the last line.

For example, if you met the Pope, you might want to end with that nugget from your life. If you spent three weeks lost at sea and survived on a desert island by spearfishing, that is your ending point.

Then complete the Outline by placing the remaining sections in order of interest. You can work your way backward from high interest to medium interest.

If you are wondering why I say “medium to high interest” instead of “low to high interest” it is because there should be no “low interest” parts of your autobiography.

But wait, what if you met the Pope AND spent three weeks lost at sea? How do you choose which one comes first or last?

First of all, I want to read this book! Second, when in doubt, default to chronological order. Whatever event happened first, start there.

Here is an example of how it might look:

Order The Ideas in Each Section (From Medium To High Interest)

Now, organize the ideas inside of each section. Again, order the ideas from medium to high interest).

Within your “Significant People” section, decide who you want to talk about first, second, third, etc. You can organize by chronological order (who you met first) but I recommend building to the most interesting or most significant person.

This creates a more compelling read.

Keep in mind that the most significant person might not be the most well-known, most famous, or most popular. The most significant person might be your family member, friend, partner, or child.

It comes down to who shaped your life the most.

So, if your “significant people list” includes your dad, a famous social media influencer, and Mike Tyson, your dad might come last because he had the biggest significance in your life.

Write Three Questions to Answer in Each Section

Ok, you’ve done the heavy lifting already. You have the major sections organized and outlined.

Next on your autobiography to-do list is to choose and write down three questions you are going to answer in each section. You can write your questions down in the provided “boxes” for each section on the template outline (or on another piece of paper.

This is easier than it might seem.

Simply choose one of the sample autobiography questions below or create your own:

Why did I choose this person/event?
What does this person/event mean to me?
How did I meet this person?
Where did it happen?
When did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did it happen?
What is the most interesting part?
How did I feel about this person or event?
How do I feel now?
Why does this person or event matters to me?
How did this person or event change my life?
What is the most challenging part?
How did I fail?
How did I succeed?
What did I learn?

Questions are the perfect way to write quickly and clearly. I LOVE writing to questions. It’s how I write these blog posts and articles.

Choose a Starter Sentence

Sometimes the hardest part of any project is knowing how to start.

Even though we know we can always go back and edit our beginnings, so many of us become paralyzed with indecision at the starting gate.

That’s why I provided sample starter sentences in your How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

Here are the story starters:

I began writing this book when…
Of all the experiences in my life, this one was the most…
I’ve been a…
My name is…
Growing up in…
It wasn’t even a…
It all started when…
I first…
I was born…

Keep in mind that you do not need to begin your book with one of these story starters. I provide them simply to get you going.

The key is to not get bogged down in this, or any, part of writing your autobiography. Get organized and then get writing.

Complete a Title Template

At the top of the How to Write an Autobiography Outline is a place for you to write your book title.

Some authors struggle forever with a title. And that’s ok. What’s not ok is getting stuck. What’s not ok is if coming up with your title prevents you from finishing your book.

So, I provided a few title templates to help juice your creativity.

Just like the story starters, you do not need to use these title templates, but you certainly can. All you need to do is fill in the title templates below and then write your favorite one (for now) at the top of your outline. Presto! You have your working title.

You can always go back and change it later.

How to Write an Autobiography Title templates:

[Your Name]: [Phrase or Tag Line]
The [Your Last Name] Files
Born [Activity]: A [Career]’s Life
The Perfect [Noun]: The Remarkable Life of [Your Name]

Examples using the Templates:

Christopher Kokoski: Blog Until You Drop
The Kokoski Files
Born Writing: A Blogger’s Life
The Perfect Freelancer: The Remarkable Life of Christopher Kokoski

Write Your Autobiography

You have your outline. You have your title, templates, and sentence starters. All that is left to do is write your autobiography.

However, you can use tools like Jasper AI and a few other cool tricks to craft the most riveting book possible.

This is the easy way to remarkable writing.

Check out this short video that goes over the basics of how to write an autobiography:

How To Write an Autobiography (All the Best Tips)

Now that you are poised and ready to dash out your first draft, keep the following pro tips in mind:

Be vulnerable. The best autobiographies share flaws, faults, foibles, and faux pas. Let readers in on the real you.
Skip the boring parts. There is no need to detail every meal, car ride, or a gripping trip to the grocery store. Unless you ran into the Russian Mafia near the vegetables or the grocery store is perched on the side of a mountain above the jungles of Brazil.
Keep your autobiography character-driven . This is the story of YOU!
Be kind to others (or don’t). When writing about others in your story, keep in mind that there may be fallout or backlash from your book.
Consider a theme: Many autobiographies are organized by theme. A perfect example is Becoming . Each section of the book includes “becoming” in the title. Themes connect and elevate each part of the autobiography.
Write your story in vignettes (or scenes). Each vignette is a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end. Each vignette builds. Each vignette should be described in rich sensory language that shows the reader the experience instead of telling the reader about the experience. Each vignette is immersive, immediate, and intimate.
Include snippets of dialogue. Use quotation marks just like in fiction. Show the dialogue in brief back-and-forth tennis matches of conversation. Remember to leave the boring parts out!
Choose a consistent tone. Some autobiographies are funny like Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. Others are serious such as Open by Andre Agassi. Your story (like most stories) will likely include a mix of emotions but choose an overall tone and stick with it.
Don’t chronicle, captivate . Always think about how to make each section, each chapter, each page, each paragraph, and each sentence more compelling. You want to tell the truth, but HOW you tell the truth is up to you. Create suspense, conflict, and mystery. Let drama linger until it becomes uncomfortable. Don’t solve problems quickly or take away tension right away.

How Do I Format an Autobiography?

Most autobiographies are written in the first person (using the pronouns I, me, we, and us).

Your autobiography is written about you so write as yourself instead of pretending to be writing about someone else.

Most autobiographies are also written in chronological order, from birth right up to your current age, with all the boring parts left out. That doesn’t mean you can’t play around with the timeline.

Sometimes it’s more interesting to start at a high moment, backtrack to the beginning and show how you got to that high moment.

Whatever format you choose, be intentional, and make the choice based on making the most compelling experience possible for your readers.

How Long Should an Autobiography Be?

There are no rules to how long an autobiography should be but a rough guideline is to aim for between 200 and 400 pages.

This will keep your book in line with what most readers expect for books in general, and will help get your book traditionally published or help with marketing your self-published book.

How To Write a Short Autobiography

You write a short autobiography the same way that you write a long autobiography.

You simply leave more out of the story.

You cut everything down to the bones. Or you choose a slice of your life as you do in a memoir. This often means limiting the people in your book, reducing the events and experiences, and shrinking your story to a few pivotal moments in your life.

How To Start an Autobiography

The truth is that you can start your autobiography in any number of ways.

Here are four common ways to begin an autobiography.

Start at the beginning (of your life, career or relationship, etc.)
Start at a high moment of drama or interest.
Start at the end of the story and work backward
Start with why you wrote the book.

Good Autobiography Titles

If you are still stuck on titling your autobiography, consider going to Amazon to browse published works. You can even just Google “autobiographies.”

When you read the titles of 10, 20, or 50 other autobiographies, you will start to see patterns or get ideas for your own titles. (HINT: the title templates in the Autobiography Blueprint were reverse-engineered from popular published books.

Also, check out the titles of the full autobiography examples below that I have included right here in this article.

Types of Autobiographies

There are several different kinds of autobiographies.

Each one requires a similar but slightly nuanced approach to write effectively. The lessons in this article will serve as a great starting point.

Autobiography Types:

Autobiography for School
Autobiography Novel
Autobiography for a Job
Short Autobiography
Autobiography for Kids

Therefore, there is actually not just one way to write an autobiography.

Memoir vs. Autobiography: Are They The Same?

It’s common to feel confused about a memoir and an autobiography. I used to think they were the same thing.

But, nope, they’re not.

They are pretty similar, which is the reason for all the confusion. A memoir is the story of one part of your life. An autobiography is the story of your full life (up until now).

What Is the Difference Between an Autobiography and a Biography?

An autobiography is when you write about your own life. A biography, on the other hand, is when you write the story of someone else’s life.

So, if I write a book about the life of the President, that’s a biography.

If the President writes a story about his or her own life, that’s an autobiography.

What Not To Include In an Autobiography

Autobiographies are meant to be a snapshot of our lives that we can share with others, but there are some things that are best left out.

Here are three things you should avoid including in your autobiography:

1) Anything That Readers Will Skip

Your life may not be filled with non-stop excitement, but that doesn’t mean you need to include every mundane detail in your autobiography.

Stick to the highlights and leave out the low points.

2) Character Attacks on Others

It’s okay to discuss conflicts you’ve had with others, but don’t use your autobiography as a platform to attack someone’s character.

Keep it civil and focus on your own experiences and how they’ve affected you.

3) Skipping Highlights

Just because something embarrassing or painful happened to you doesn’t mean you should gloss over it in your autobiography.

These are the moments that shape us and make us who we are today, so don’t skip past them just because they’re uncomfortable.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your autobiography is interesting, honest, and engaging.

How To Write an Autobiography: Autobiography Examples

I have always found examples to be extremely instructive. Especially complete examples of finished products. In this case, books.

Below you will find examples of published autobiographies for adults and for kids. These examples will guide you, motivate you and inspire you to complete your own life story.

They are listed here as examples, not as endorsements, although I think they are all very good.

The point is that you don’t have to agree with anything written in the books to learn from them.

Autobiography Examples for Adults

A Promised Land (Autobiography of Barack Obama)
If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won’t) (Betty White)
It’s a Long Story: My Life (Willie Nelson)
Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography (Rob Lowe)
Becoming (Michelle Obama)

Autobiography Examples for Kids

This Kid Can Fly: It’s About Ability (NOT Disability) (Aaron Philips)
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid (Mikaila Ulmer)

Final Thoughts: How To Write An Autobiography

Thank you for reading my article on How to Write an Autobiography.

Now that you know all of the secrets to write your book, you may want to get it published, market it, and continue to upskill yourself as an author.

In that case, read these posts next:

Can Anyone Write A Book And Get It Published?
The Best Writing Books For Beginners 2022 (My 10 Favorites)
Why Do Writers Hate Adverbs? (The Final Answer)
How To Write a Manifesto: 20 Ultimate Game-Changing Tips

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How to Write a Book About Your Life: 8 Tips with Examples

Krystal N. Craiker

Everyone has a story to tell. But some people have an amazing life story that deserves to be shared with the world.

If you’ve ever thought about writing an autobiography or memoir, but you aren’t sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into how to write a book about your life.

Before we get started, let’s clarify what we mean by autobiography and memoir . An autobiography is a book about your entire life story, chronologically from birth until present. The prefix “auto” means “self,” so it’s a self biography.

On the other hand, a memoir focuses on a specific part of your life story or a theme within your life.

For example, someone might write a memoir about teaching in an inner-city school. The book will only focus on stories related to that topic rather than on the teacher’s childhood.

Now that we understand the difference between autobiographies and memoirs, we can explore why and how to write a book about your life story.

Reasons to Write Your Story

Some examples of autobiographies and memoirs, how to start writing a book about your life, 8 tips on writing a book about your life, conclusion on how to write a book about your life.

Why might you write a book about your life? There are many reasons, and we bet your life has some interesting stories you can tell.

People might choose to write an autobiography if they’ve had an unusual or non-traditional life. Maybe they grew up in a cult or lived with nomads. Perhaps they had famous parents or lived their whole life in a war zone.

But other people have a specific theme or period in their life that makes a great memoir. They might have done something extraordinary or overcome a specific hardship.

Maybe they have a scandalous true story in their past that readers would find fascinating, or perhaps they have learned some inspirational truths from a unique challenge they want to share.

There is no shortage of reasons why someone might choose to share their life’s story with the world. Topics of memoirs and autobiographies are endless.

If you have a story where you’ve learned something worth sharing, or you have a particularly fascinating life, then you have a great reason to write a book about your life.

Are you still not convinced you should write a book?

Let’s check out some great examples of autobiographical writing to inspire you.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave , by Frederick Douglass

One of the most famous examples of an autobiography comes from abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Douglass was born into slavery in 1818. He recounts his childhood and early life in slavery, his escape to freedom, and his activism.

It’s a passionate, often graphic, story of his courage and dedication to achieving a better life for himself and other Black people in 19th century America.

An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

As one of the most influential mystery writers of all time, Agatha Christie led her own fascinating and mysterious life. She was a deeply private person—and even disappeared for a time.

She wrote her autobiography before her death, but it was released posthumously. It still doesn’t talk about what happened during her disappearance, though: she kept some things a mystery.

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

Tennis legend Andre Agassi has led a fascinating and sometimes tragic life.

In this book, he recounts his early tennis training and troubled childhood, his rise to fame in the tennis world, his fraught relationships with Barbara Streisand and Brooke Shields, and his comeback at the 1999 French Open. It’s a vulnerable account of his life as an iconic athlete.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Writer and comedian Tina Fey’s memoir topped the bestseller charts upon its release. Fey shares tidbits from her life, including childhood memories and parts of her early career.

She focuses on themes of societal expectations for women and girls and using humor to navigate the toughest parts of life. It’s a witty and poignant read that resonates with many of her female fans.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is one of the most popular memoirists. His most famous book, Me Talk Pretty One Day , is a collection of humorous but honest essays that recount his life growing up as a queer man and later moving to France with his partner and not speaking the language.

It’s a laugh-out-loud read of self-deprecating humor about a man learning to navigate life.

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

Not all memoirs are comedic. Ashley C. Ford narrates her life through her impoverished and tumultuous childhood and dark adolescence.

The entire story is told through the lens of wanting to know her imprisoned father while not knowing why he is incarcerated. She searches for familial love and her identity as a Black woman in this gritty, emotional, no-filter memoir.

The first step in learning how to write a book about your life is to find your starting point. But where do you begin? You have a whole life full of interesting stories.

The first step is to start with a basic chronology. Make a timeline of your life. If you’ve already selected a topic or theme, focus on elements in your life that support that topic. These might be the lead-up to an event, the event itself, or the aftermath.

You might also talk about events that shaped your character or taught you a lesson you needed for this theme.

If you haven’t picked an overall theme, or you want to write an autobiography instead of a memoir, make a timeline of your entire life thus far. Start with the biggest events that stand out to you. Make it as detailed as possible.

Then look for underlying themes and messages. You are still writing a book, after all, and all books need themes.

Maybe the theme is healing from childhood trauma or showing the value of hard work and dedication. It might be focused on how relationships changed you or what you've learned from repeated poor decisions.

As you study your life, you’ll notice patterns. These patterns will help shape the overall narrative of your life story.

When it comes to how to write a book about your life, there’s no one correct way to do it. But there are tips you can use to guide you as you start writing.

You will write about hard, often dark, things in a book about your life. Writing your life story can be healing, but if revisiting past trauma is too overwhelming, please reach out to a professional or someone you trust for help. Your book can wait.

Once you are ready to start writing your life story, here are eight tips to help you along the way.

1. Pre-Write

The process of writing notes or brainstorming before writing a book is called pre-writing. Pre-writing is a great way to get started with autobiographical writing. You’ve lived a rich life full of many events. It can be hard to organize your thoughts.

Spend some time free writing about your life. Free writing is a way to sit down and let the words flow. There’s no structure or prompt. Avoid the urge to edit your pre-writing.

Once you start writing, you’ll find that you have a lot more material to write about than you previously thought.

When you free write, you’re following the path that your mind takes, and you might be surprised about some of the connections your subconscious makes between events and people.

Pre-writing is a learning opportunity for yourself, and it’s also a method that lets your brain begin to organize its life story in a way that makes sense to you.

Don’t judge your pre-writing. Instead, sit with the messages and lessons you discover in the process.

2. Follow a Narrative Structure

A person’s life doesn’t really follow a perfect story arc. However, when you’re writing a memoir or autobiography, you do need to follow basic story structure.

Let’s review what a basic story structure is. A story always includes an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and a resolution. Stories also need characters, settings, and conflicts.

While your life is much messier than a simple story structure, the elements of a story are there. Look for natural transitions in your life: beginnings, high and low points, and endings. You can turn these into a narrative structure for your book.

Characters are also important but much easier to find. You are the protagonist of your life story.

You may not have a clear antagonist depending on your personal story, but you will have supporting characters in the people who are close to you or you’ve interacted with. Paint them as multi-dimensional characters, not just props in your story.

In every story or personal event you include in your book, highlight the conflict and how you overcame it.

This applies to both serious and funny events. Think of each of the important moments as a scene. There should be a problem and a conflict within each.

3. Research Your Own Life

Research is an important part of every type of writing, and autobiographical writing is no different. Just because you lived it doesn’t mean you get to skip this step.

You can write things as you remember them, but you’ll probably find yourself fuzzy on the details. So, you can approach your own life like a journalist.

Find old pictures and diaries. Interview people you know for their recollections of the events you’re writing about.

You might also need to look at newspapers or other primary sources for backstory and setting details.

For example, if you participated in a sporting event in college, but you don’t remember when it happened or who the opposing team was, you can look through school newspapers.

Research will probably also remind you of things you’ve forgotten that will fit well in your book. It may provide you with a fresh perspective you didn’t have when the events occurred.

When you’re telling any sort of true story, the details matter. To be as factual as possible, research is key.

4. Be Truthful

People read memoirs and autobiographies for truth. When you set out to write a true story, you have an ethical responsibility to actually tell the truth.

Do not lie about what happened. Do not embellish to make things more interesting. Someone will discover you lied, and this will hurt your credibility as an author.

If you choose to include a story and you’re fuzzy on the facts, be honest about that. Say that in your recollection, this is how it happened.

If you find you want to lie to make your story interesting, start the process over. Ask yourself if this is really the spin on your life you should take. Find a story in your life that doesn’t make you want to lie.

5. Fill in Realistic Details

For most people, our memories are not video recordings. But how do you fill in details without embellishing?

When you write a story about your own life, you get some creative license in the details. You want to fill in details in a way that “could have been true.”

For example, you probably don’t remember what your brother was wearing on a random day 20 years ago. But if you remember how your brother dressed at that time, you can describe a likely wardrobe choice.

What would have been playing on the TV or radio in the background? What was a dinner your mother served regularly? Use pictures from your research and get input from others.

Writing accurate dialogue also uses this method of probable facts. You don’t have to recall word for word what was said. But think about how each person spoke. Did they have phrases they used often? Did they have interesting mannerisms during conversations?

Details are what bring your story to life. Use the five senses when describing events.

It doesn’t matter if you were eating McDonald’s or Burger King at the moment that changed your life. But you can describe the greasy burger you probably ate and the sound of screaming children at the next table.

ProWritingAid’s Sensory Report can help you find where you’ve included strong sensory detail and where you need more. Use this report to highlight your sensory language. Take notice if you’ve overused one sense, so you can include others when you edit.

6. Show Your Shortcomings

Writing a book about your life requires a high degree of vulnerability. Of course, we want people to think well of us when they finish the book. But painting yourself as an infallible protagonist isn’t honest.

People are messy. We fail; we make mistakes; we say things we shouldn’t have. Sometimes we’re the bad guy.

People read memoirs and autobiographies for connection to other humans. Your readers want the gritty, unpolished human experiences in your life. They’ll trust you as an author much more if you’re honest about your shortcomings.

It’s how you overcame your setbacks and mistakes that makes you an interesting person. Readers want to see your failures so they can root for you to succeed. They will find inspiration in your disappointments and missteps.

7. Get Permission

The last thing you want after you’ve published your book is a lawsuit. Because you’re writing a true story, there are some legal issues you need to consider.

Get permission to use the real names of people in your life. Be respectful and understanding if they don’t want to be in your book, even if that means editing out a particular memory.

You might also consider changing the names of places or businesses. If you paint a past job in a bad light, for example, you could get slapped with a defamation lawsuit.

Likewise, don’t use your book as a smear campaign. Every person’s story has two sides, even the people you don’t like. But libel and slander are real offenses with hefty consequences.

8. End on a High Note

Not every story has a happy ending, so we’re not suggesting you embellish a fairy tale ending. But people read memoirs and autobiographies for inspiration. They want true stories of people overcoming obstacles or defeating the odds.

Ending on a high note doesn’t mean happily ever after. It means ending with a reflection and a message for your readers.

In autobiographical writing, you want to end with the lessons you have learned from your own story. You’ve learned something about yourself or some universal truth through your life’s events. The end is when you share these tidbits.

What led you to write a book about your life? There’s a reason you sat down to share your story. In the conclusion, tie this together. Think about what you want readers to take away from your memories.

The process of writing a book about your life is intense. It requires deep introspection and often sitting with some uncomfortable memories.

But it’s also a powerful process. You’ll learn that you have valuable knowledge and insights to share with the world.

As you begin writing, focus on the themes, messages, and universal truths. These make memoirs and autobiographies valuable and enjoyable to readers.

And always remember, you have a story worth telling.

how to write a autobiography book about yourself

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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Home » Blog » How to Write an Autobiography in 31 Steps

How to Write an Autobiography in 31 Steps

If you’re thinking about writing an autobiography, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will be telling you all about how to write an autobiography – breaking it down and helping you along with the process.

1. What is an Autobiography?

So you want to know how to write an autobiography? First off, let’s start with what an autobiography is. Put simply, a biography is a book written about someone’s life. It includes all elements of their life, particularly featuring any significant events that took place.

The word ‘autobiography’ is made up of the two Greek words ‘autos’ and ‘bios’, meaning self and life. Put them together and you get a book that is a mix of who you are, and the life you have lived.

2. Memoir vs. Autobiography

Before you start any kind of writing process, it is important to know what kind of a book it is you are wanting to write. There is no way to know how to write an autobiography if you can’t distinguish the two. Memoir and autobiography are often plumped into the same genre, because they are both about someone’s life.

But they are two genres of their own. So here’s the difference:

It’s pretty simple – if the book is about the person’s entire life – it’s an autobiography; if it’s about one or two events, themes or memories within their life, it’s a memoir .

Knowing the difference will save you time and energy. It will also help you to shape and plan your book (if that’s your style).

You can always change your mind and switch genres, but at least you will know what you are doing and how both of them work. Whichever you choose will change a lot about your book – particularly the content you choose to include and the structure of the entire piece.

Memoir is the perfect platform to share your personal life experience, and you don’t have to share every other significant moment of your life. (A wise decision if only one really interesting thing has happened to you during your lifetime.)

Writing an autobiography is much different. While they are both to do with the author’s life, biography is more to do with what happened throughout your life.

That means all significant events from birth ’till now.

If you set out to write a biography and it turns into a memoir, this is not a problem. The problem is when you don’t know what you’re doing at all. This leads to confusion in the writing process. And a lack of professionalism outside of it.

A great way to learn how to write an autobiography is to read. A lot. Reading other autobiographies will give you an idea of which direction to go in and how this genre is structured. It can also help you to develop your style and tone of voice, and to pinpoint which writing techniques you find most effective. All good tools to have in your writing toolbox.

Here are a few examples of autobiographies you might want to read:

My Autobiography, Charlie Chaplin (1964)
The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin
Long walk to freedom, Nelson Mandela
The story of my experiments with truth, Mahatma Gandhi
The story of my life, Helen Keller
The autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley, Malcolm X
An Autobiography, Agatha Christie (1965))
The confessions of St. Augustine, Augustine of Hippo
Scar tissue, Anthony Kiedis, Larry Sloman
Open: An Autobiography, Andre Agassi
Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
Autobiography of a yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda

4. When to Write an Autobiography

Cellini (1500-1571) wrote one of the finest autobiographies of the renaissance. He stated:

“No matter what sort he is, everyone who has to his credit what are or really seem great achievements, if he cares for truth and goodness, ought to write the story of his own life in his own hand; but no one should venture on such a splendid undertaking before he is over forty.” Cellini

Knowing how to write an autobiography can have a lot to do with your life experiences. This fact brings into question the age of the reader.

Many biographies are written later on in life, when experience has been gathered and there are many exciting moments to draw from. But this isn’t always the case.

If you are a younger writer and feel that your life has been sufficiently fantastic, or you feel a growing desire to get down all of the details of your childhood days, there is no rule that says you can’t. So don’t let others’ perceptions stop you.

Twenty-one-year-old Edouard Louis, for example, published a hugely successful fictional autobiography (aka an autofiction), The end of Eddy about his childhood and adolescence. So it is possible. Sorry Cellini.

That said, an older, more experienced writer may have an easier time writing an autobiography, simply because they have more material to draw from.

Like memoir, autobiographies tend to center around a theme, even though you are including many life events. That is because people tend to also be themed, in a way. Want to know how to start an autobiography? Thinking about theme can be a useful way in.

If you are a professional dancer, and that is the passion of your life, it makes sense that your book would also center around the theme of dancing and how you reached that success.

If you are ghostwriting for a celebrity, naturally they will be famous for something in particular.

The main theme, of course, is the person’s life. But that is not enough to sustain interest across time. So bear in mind a secondary theme that ties it all together.

If your theme or themes are relatable, then that will stand you in good stead. If you are not writing a glitzy celeb autobiography, then having a very relatable and original theme is more likely to find a readership than any other. Be careful not to choose and manufacture your theme, however. If you are meant to write an autobiography, you will likely already feel compelled to write about your life. So try not to put too much thought into it. Just keep it in mind, as it will keep you on track.

6. How to Pick a Theme

How to start an autobiography? One way is to pick a theme. And stick to it.

One way of picking a theme is to choose an aspect of your personality that you feel is awesome and make that your sole focus. Maybe you’re great at maths, for example. Perhaps you made it to the world championships on mathematics or something. That would be a story worth telling.

Another is to look at your philosophy in life and make that the focal point of your book. Showing your values throughout the book can inspire and uplift the reader as it can show a good example of a life well-lived. It also reveals quite clearly who you are as a person, without you having to explicitly spell it out.

A third would be to consider the things that are most important to you in your life and to make a reference to these as you work your way through each significant event mentioned in your book. (This works especially well if you are writing an autobiography for those who know you.)

7. Exceptions

You might also be wanting to know how to write an autobiography, because you want to share your story with your family. This is an admirable reason to write a story. It means that your family will always have a special connection to you through story, no matter what. It also means that generations to come will have that link to their own past and history.

From that sense, everybody should write one!

This kind of story can even be compiled as an oral history of your families’ history and lives, which makes for an extremely personal keepsake.

Autobiographies are sometimes written in short form, as essays for college assignments. This is a similar exercise to writing a full book , but in a condensed format.

Another form of autobiography is as an autofiction. This book is based mostly upon autobiographical content, but is also a work of fiction. This is an easy way of avoiding any concerns you might have about privacy. If you are wanting to distance yourself a little and take more control over the content, then this may be the way to go.

You can also consider other formats, such as writing an autobiographical graphic novel, which has the essence of cool written all over it. If you are an artist or have a passion for strong visuals, this is something to consider.

8. How to Plan

“Look for the times when your life changed the most, and when you changed the most, those are the times of peak drama in your life.” Janice Erlbaum, The Autobiographer’s Handbook

An excellent practice when learning how to start an autobiography, is to begin by writing out all of the significant events in your life. These could be anything; from graduating college, to losing your virginity, to being born. Whatever you think is most important and noteworthy, write it down.

You can later play with the order of events if you like, to shake things up a little bit, but for now, just get anything and everything you can think of written down.

When considering how to write an autobiography, it seems to be the most natural of all genres to plan. This is because within it’s very construction there is a presumption of what it will be about: events in your life. From this sense, it is already set up for you. In some ways, this makes writing a lot easier. On the other hand, the risk that easy planning poses, is boredom. For the reader or yourself. The challenge then becomes, how to make these life events interesting and stand out. But we’ll get to that a bit later on…

Nb If you are a pantser (someone who likes to write by the seat of your pants) then you might want to skip this step. In all likelihood you have something in mind to write about, so just start there.

9. Writing Schedule

A schedule helps you to get things done. You will know what works best for you after trying a few things out. You could try planning out how much you are going to write by the hour (i.e. I will write for an hour a day, every weekday) or by word count (I will write 500 words a day). Be realistic and don’t overwhelm yourself. If you are too overambitious, you may find you end up not writing at all.

Otherwise, you could aim to write a certain section of the book per week or month if that works better for you. Because autobiography is so clearly and easily arranged into story beats (was born, had first pimple, dyed hair red etc.) organizing your writing by these events works for almost all writers, even if you are not a fan of planning.

Ask yourself the question, what’s the minimum I could manage on a regular basis? And be honest.

Everyone has their own writing style, including the way they schedule (or don’t schedule) their writing habits. So don’t ever let anyone tell you how you should be writing. It’s up to you.

10. How to Start an Autobiography

Well, now you have a list of important events in your life, starting to write should be pretty straight forward. If you don’t like planning, it’s even simpler, just pinpoint a significant moment in time and get to work! If you have a plan, all you need to do is start writing out a first draft of each event.

Next up we have a few tips and tricks to get you started.

11. Go Digging

While figuring out how to write an autobiography, you will want to have everything you are writing as fresh and vivid in your mind as possible. This clarity will translate onto the page and give your readers a strong impression of each moment.

To do this, you will be wanting to dig out any old photos of you and whomever you might be writing about, and begin filing things away for each chapter or section of the book.

You also might find it beneficial to interview anyone who remembers what happened. This can bring a new light on old events. Try using a recorder or dictaphone and typing up the best bits once you’re done.

12. Fill Up Your Senses

A good way to get into the moment before a writing session is to surround yourself with the materials relating to that particular event. Look at photos or listen to recordings from around that time, and jot down any thoughts you might have about them.

You may also want to listen to some music from the time. If you have any old clothes or keepsakes from the person, you will also want them to be around or near as you write. Listen to any interviews about the time or the characters before writing.

13. Write a letter

If you’re struggling to start writing, you can try writing a letter to yourself or to other members of the family from the time. This is a very personal way of connecting with the past. Remembering your connection to your characters will help your writing to flow more easily and mean you have material to draw from before you even start writing.

14. Emotions

Writing about certain life events is likely to be emotional. Say you had a car crash when you were younger, or had to deal with some maltreatment of some kind, this will impact your writing, and how you feel about it.

It can be a difficult balance. You need to care enough about your subject matter to write it. But you don’t want your emotions to take over to the point where style and the content of your book suffers.

While feeling impassioned by your writing, it is also important to be able to step back and take a second look at your viewpoint. This may take several rewrites to get right.

If you are finding it difficult, then consider writing out as many different viewpoints of the event as you possibly can. This will open up how you see it and may even lead to an inspiring revelation for both you and your book.

15. New Insights

One of the benefits of learning how to write an autobiography, is that, as you develop as a writer, new insights will likely occur.

So while emotions can run high, it is good to know that writing about anything difficult that has happened in your life can help you psychologically.

Dr. James Pennebaker, a professor at Austin Texas university discovered that students who wrote for just fifteen minutes a day over three days about difficult or emotional experiences had a better level of wellbeing. He found that going through the process was upsetting for them, but it was the new insights the students discovered through the process of writing, that led to their improved levels of psychological health.

16. Take Care

As with memoir, if you feel that it is too much to write any subject matter, always take a break and come back to it (or not). Your mental health and general wellbeing are always more important than a book.

17. Know Your Why

Make sure that you don’t add in topics or incidents simply to vent about them. Instead, get all your feelings out about it during your first draft, and then start with a fresh perspective. If your writing is only about venting, it will not interest the reader. You may come across as petty or whiny.

Instead, you will want to make sure you can see the benefit of sharing your experiences with people. When you truly know how to write an autobiography, it should empower and enlighten people and help them connect to your story, rather than reading like an unfinished diary entry. It is perfectly acceptable for it to start out that way. But by the end of your writing process, you should be confident in the purpose of why you are writing your book, and what kind of impact it will have on its readers.

Knowing why you are writing will keep you on the right track, and help you like a compass in the storm, when you are lost.

18. Tone of Voice

An important aspect of telling your story will be your narrative style and tone of voice. This completely depends upon who you are writing for and the purpose of your book.

If you are writing for your grandchildren, for example, you may use more simplistic language. If you are writing for a broader audience, then you may use a more neutral tone. Writing for friends? You might want to use more familial or colloquial terms.

This also depends a lot on what kind of person you are, and you will want your attitude and personality to be reflected in your writing. This should happen naturally, but don’t be afraid to write as if you are talking or to use a recording device and write up your account of each chapter afterwards.

Pro tip: Relax. You won’t find your tone of voice by constantly thinking about how you might come across. Just write as you think and your natural expression will do the rest.

19. First or Third Person?

You can experiment with viewpoint as you go along, but once you have chosen, you will be wanting to stick with it. Third person gives us the feeling it has been written by someone else. So, if you are employing a ghostwriter or are working on a fictional work, then this is a good way to go.

First person is the generally accepted viewpoint for most autobiographies, because it is your story, and you are the one writing it.

20. Conflict

As you recall the people in your life, adding in any conflicts, even if they are comical, will add to the richness of the book. Conflict drives drama, intrigue and interest. And that’s what you want, if you want your book read, that is.

21. Story Arc

One of the most critical components of how to write an autobiography is story arc. Like most genres of story, autobiography is no exception and will need some sort of an all-encompassing story arc. This is one of the main challenges you may face while writing this kind of book.

It simply can’t be a long list of events and then an ending. They have to all meld together cohesively in order to have some sort of an impact on your reader.

A story arc gives writers a structure, in which our main character aims to do something, and then either manages (or doesn’t) to achieve it. There are normally many obstacles in the protagonist’s way, and they must overcome them. Simply put, our main character must get from A to B. And you will need to decide at some point, what your start and end points in the story will be.

This ties into your overall message in the book. The great thing about autobiography is that it basically tells your reader who you are as a person.

You can start by making a note of your core beliefs and who you feel you are as a person before you begin. But don’t be surprised if, as you write, you reveal a value you hold that you had never especially acknowledged. This is a true gift to the reader, to leave them with your wisdom or knowledge.

Your philosophy can play a big role in the book, as it has likely led you to make certain decisions and can be featured and interlaced with certain events when your process of decision making was integral to the direction of your life.

22. Comedy and Funny Anecdotes

While you don’t want to overdo it on the comedy (unless it is a comedic autobiography, in which case, carry on!) a little comic relief can work wonders in this genre. It can lighten the mood and even make sad moments even more poignant. Funny stories specific to your family can add to the color of your characters, so they don’t fall flat .

23. Where to Begin ?

Think about when you might want to start your story. The logical point to start is from birth, but as your writing evolves over time, you may change your mind. You may want to add some perspective about your life from before you were even born. Your heritage may also be a large influence on who you are as a person today.

Once you have written a full first draft, you can consider changing around the order. Editing in this way can make for a more dynamic and varied read. If placed in the right way, you can even add in a plot twist or add to the suspense of your book.

24. Consider Your Reader

Don’t rest on your laurels. This can especially be a risk if you are writing only for friends or family. Just because someone knows you, it doesn’t mean your story will automatically become interesting to them. It will likely make it more interesting than if you were a random passerby, true. But this is not something to take for granted.

This point can be ignored during the first draft, but as you begin to develop your story, it becomes an implicit part of the process.

If you are wanting your book to sell, this becomes even more important as the reader’s interest and word of mouth can mean the difference between a book being put down or another sale.

25. How to Make Events More Colorful

Once you have written the thing, you will want to make sure that it is an interesting read. Even if you are writing just for friends and family, they will want to be excited by your life. And surely, that is why you are writing this in the first place?!

So a few tips to make sure that each story beat pops with color is to:

1. Keep a notebook with you at all times for when you remember particular details about a person or place. Details will always give your story more originality and color.
2. Show don’t tell – this is always relevant to any kind of writing and autobiography is no exception. Try adding in things you saw, smelt, tasted or touched within the scene. Avoid making a statement and describe what happened in the moment, instead.
3. Add metaphor or simile- when describing a character or a vivid memory, don’t just describe how it looked on the surface. Unless this is not at all your writing style, you can enjoy emphasizing how something made you feel through descriptions that include metaphor. (use ext link for how to use metaphor) For example, ‘she was as fit as a fiddle’.
4. Avoid common descriptive words – words such as ‘nice’ and ‘good’ should be considered with great caution once you have reached the third draft of your book.

26. Consider Your Reader

An important part of knowing how to write an autobiography, is having an awareness of the reader throughout the entire manuscript. This is not only a book for you. So don’t rest on your laurels.

This can especially be a risk if you are writing only for friends or family. Just because someone knows you, it doesn’t mean your story will automatically become interesting to them. It will likely make it more interesting than if you were a random passerby, true. But this is not something to take for granted.

Many new writers are tempted to leave in every detail of their life. But longer doesn’t always equal better – often it means that you simply haven’t cut out the parts that aren’t needed. So make sure you have your ego in check – don’t make your book too long just for the sake of it. Just because it’s interesting to you, does not mean every reader will want to know about it – family and friends included.

The average autobiography is around 75,000 words long. Much shorter than 60,000 and you might want to find other sources to write about, and any longer than 100,000, you might want to cut it down a bit.

28. Consider Privacy/Confidentiality

Much like memoir, autobiography includes characters who are real people. This means that some might be negatively affected by your work. So make sure to talk to those involved and to have an attorney at hand, just in case.

If you are unsure about leaving in their real name, it is best to give their character a pseudonym.

29. Editing

Both editing your book and getting it proofread will make or break it.

That means that you will want to find a professional editor to work with, who knows what she or he is doing. Ideally, you will want to find someone who is experienced in editing autobiography or memoir. Check that you have similar values and that you are both clear on what you are going to be working on, before you start.

30. Proofreading

Make sure that all your hard work shows. You can have a strong storyline and everything else in place, but if there’s a typo on the front cover, there is no way you will be taken seriously.

So, ask friends to check over your manuscript, or better yet, employ a few proofreaders to check it over for you. Don’t use the same editor to proofread, as they will find it more challenging to spot minute mistakes by the time they have reread the story more than once. A fresh pair of eyes will likely do a better job.

31. Autobiographies on the Shelf

The autobiographies in our bookshops today, you will notice, are mostly written by celebrities. This is because they often have interesting lives that we want to read about. They include incidents that we could never have access to otherwise, in our day to day lives.

And that’s what makes them so appealing.

Most people are not so interested in other’s lives, unless they have done something extraordinary. So if you’re thinking of writing something purely to try and get it sold, then you might want to rethink the genre you are writing in. We’re not saying it doesn’t happen that unknown authors sell a lot of autobiographies. It does. It’s just a lot less likely.

But don’t dismay, this is only a problem if that is the only reason you are writing your book. If it is because you feel impassioned to do so, then that is all the reason you need.

If it is for your friends and family to read, then you need not worry about big sales or landing a large publisher. It is so easy to self-publish these days on a relatively small budget, that you are pretty much guaranteed to achieve your aim.

If you are looking for a book deal, then you might be hard pushed, if you can’t say your life has an original element to it at all. If this is the case, consider writing a memoir , instead. There are many more memoirs written by ordinary people with extraordinary stories, than autobiographies. Because people love to hear about how ordinary people overcame the odds.

No matter what your reason, if you believe in your book enough to start writing the first page, then don’t let anyone stop you from writing the book inside of you.

So there you have it. Hopefully you will now feel confident about how to write an autobiography and ready to start. All it takes, is putting pen to paper.

How to Write a Book (10 Mistakes to Avoid)

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How To Start Autobiography About Yourself? (9 Easy Steps)

Last Updated on July 20, 2022 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD

Introduction

Do you want to write your autobiography but don’t know where to start? Well, this article is for you! In it, we’ll share ten tips on how to start writing your autobiography. From developing a plan to finding a publisher, these tips will help you get started on the project and make the process as smooth and easy as possible. So put down the book club novel and start writing your life story today!

What to Consider When Writing an Autobiography?

Writing your autobiography can be a daunting task, but with the help of the right approach and tools, the process can be a lot easier. To get started, make sure you have a clear goal in mind. This could be anything from writing a memoir that highlights your life story to share your wisdom with the world. Once you have a good idea of the direction you want to take, develop an outline. This will help you stay organized and focused while you write. It’s also important to determine the tone you want your autobiography to have. Is it serious or light-hearted? Finally, research different bio-writing software programs so that you can produce high-quality material. With the help of these programs, you’ll be able to write your autobiography professionally and concisely.

How to Write an Autobiography in 9 Easy Steps

Writing an autobiography can be a life-changing experience, and it can help you reflect on your journey and share your story with the world. With the right step-by-step guide , writing your autobiography can be a breeze. This blog post will outline the nine simple steps you need to write a successful autobiography. So, let’s get started!

Step #1 Start by Brainstorming.

Autobiographies are a wonderful way for people to reflect on their lives and share their stories with the world. Whether you want to write a memoir for personal reasons or give your readers a behind-the-scenes look at your life, the first step is always brainstorming. This process helps you identify the key points of your life story, the events that have shaped you, and the emotions you have experienced.

Once you know what your autobiography will be about, it’s time to develop some ideas. Write in short, concise sentences that are easy to follow and understand. Remember to keep a diary of your progress so that you can reflect on the journey and improve upon any aspects as needed. Writing an autobiography is a rewarding experience that will allow you to share your story with the world and connect with people from all over the globe.

Step #2 Plan Your Outline and Structure

The second step in writing an autobiography is to plan it out. You will want a strong foundation for your story, which starts with character development. You will be instructing the reader on how to feel. Some key moments and people that are significant in your life need to be introduced. These will expand upon, help connect your thoughts and feelings, bring emotion into the story, and keep things interesting for the audience!

You will also want to consider how you would like to structure your autobiography. There are many ways to do this, but typically, people choose chronological order or theme-based structure. Chronological order is when you go through the events of your life in the order that they happened. This can be helpful if you want to share your story chronologically and show how your life has progressed over time. A theme-based structure is when you organize your story around a certain theme or lessons learned. This could be anything from love to lose, family to career, or betrayal to redemption.

Once you have decided on the structure of your autobiography, it is time to start planning the outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your story includes important details. Begin by brainstorming a list of topics you would like to cover in your autobiography. Then, break these down into smaller, more manageable sections. For each section, identify the main points you would like to cover. These should be the key events or lessons you want to share with your audience.

As you are brainstorming and planning, keep in mind the overall tone of your autobiography. Do you want it to be serious or light-hearted? What kind of language do you want to use? What kind of emotions do you want to evoke in your readers? Answering these questions will help you determine the overall tone and approach you to want to take with your story.

Finally, once you have a general outline of the topics you would like to cover, it is time to start thinking about the specific details you want to include. This is where your diary entries from brainstorming will come in handy! Review your entries and start identifying the key moments, events, conversations, and emotions that you want to share. These details will add life to your story and make it more relatable for your readers.

Step #3 Collect your memories and thoughts

The third step in writing an autobiography is collecting your memories and thoughts. This can be done in several ways, but the easiest way is to start writing simply. Write about your childhood, family, friends, experiences, and anything else that you can think of. Write freely and without judgment – this is for your eyes only!

You can also use prompts to help you get started. For example, you could answer the following questions:

What are some of your earliest memories?
Who were the most influential people when you were growing up?
What were some of the defining moments or experiences of your childhood?
What are some of the things that you remember most about your family?

Answering these questions will help you start thinking about the specific details you want to include in your story.

Once you have written down all of your memories and thoughts, it is time to organize them into a cohesive narrative. This is where your outline from the previous step will come in handy. Use your outline to determine which memories and thoughts will go into each section of your autobiography.

Step #4 Choose the right style to write in

The writing style will often determine the structure and language used in your autobiography. A few best sources of resources for this include:

First-person narrative: This is the most common style for autobiographies, as it allows you to write directly about your own experiences.

Third-person narrative: This style can be used if you want to write about someone else’s life or if you want to distance yourself from the events of your story.

Episodic storytelling: This style is perfect for stories full of interesting anecdotes and memories.

You will also want to decide on the overall tone of your autobiography.

Do you want it to be serious or light-hearted?
What kind of language do you want to use?
What kind of emotions do you want to evoke in your readers?

Answering these questions will help you determine the overall tone and approach you to want to take with your story.

Step #5 Organize the story of your life into chapters

If your autobiography is going to be long, you will need to organize it into chapters so that readers can easily follow your story.

Start by dividing your life into major sections, such as childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, etc. You can then further divide your experiences into smaller chapters within each of these sections. For example, if you are writing about your childhood, you might have chapters on your family, home, friends, etc.

Once you have divided your life into sections and chapters, you can start thinking about the specific details you want to include. This is where your outline from the previous step will come in handy. Use your outline to determine which memories and thoughts will go into each section of your autobiography.

Step #6 Create your first draft

Now that you have all of your memories and thoughts organized, you can start writing your first draft. This draft does not need to be perfect – in fact, it shouldn’t be! The goal of this draft is to get all of your thoughts and experiences down on paper.

Start by writing a general introduction to your story. This should include the basic facts about your life, such as your name, where you grew up, and your early years. Next, start writing about each topic you included in your outline. Write freely and without judgment – this is for your eyes only!

Step #7 Get feedback from friends and family

Once you have written the first draft of your autobiography, it is time to get feedback from your friends and family. Ask them to read your story and give their honest opinion. Do they think it is interesting? Does it flow well? Are there any parts that are confusing or could be improved?

Getting feedback from other people will help you see your story from a different perspective and give you some valuable insights into how to make your story even better.

Step #8 Edit and revise your autobiography

Once you have received feedback from your friends and family, it is time to edit and revise your autobiography. This is where you will start to fine-tune your story and turn it into something truly special.

Start by reading through your story and making any necessary changes. Then, ask someone else to read it and give you their feedback. Repeat this process until you are happy with the results.

Proofreading is also an important step in the editing process. Be sure to read through your story multiple times and look for any typos or grammatical errors.

Step #9 Publish your autobiography

Once you are happy with the final version of your autobiography, it is time to start thinking about how you want to publish it. If you are planning to self-publish, there are several different options that you can choose from.

If you are interested in getting your autobiography published by a traditional publishing house, you must submit a query letter to them. This short letter introduces your story and explains why you think it would be a good fit for their publishing company .

If you are not interested in self-publishing or traditional publishing, there are still several other options that you can choose from. For example, you could create an e-book or audiobook version of your autobiography, and you could also submit your story to magazines or websites that accept personal essays.

No matter how you choose to publish your autobiography, share it with your friends and family. They will be proud of your accomplishment and enjoy reading about your life.

Promoting your autobiography

Suppose you have published your autobiography; congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment that you should be very proud of.

Once your autobiography is published, you will need to promote it if you want people to read it. There are several different ways that you can do this.

One way to promote your autobiography is to create a website or blog where you can share information about your book. You can also use social media to spread the word about your book. Be sure to use hashtags and post links to your book’s sales page on Twitter and Facebook.

Another way to promote your autobiography is to give interviews about it. You can do this in person, on the radio or television, or online. This is a great way to generate interest in your book and reach a wider audience.

You can also hold events to promote your book. For example, you could host a book signing or reading. You could also give a talk about your book at a local library or community center.

Social media, email, book signings, interviews, and other events are great ways to promote your autobiography. By taking the time to promote your book, you will be able to reach a larger audience and sell more copies.

No matter how you choose to promote your autobiography, be sure to put in the effort if you want, people to read it.

Autobiography vs. Biography

The author is the essential distinction between biography and autobiography writing. The person whose life is chronicled in the book writes their autobiography. On the other hand, biographies may be written by anybody and about anybody.

The process of writing an autobiography is not an easy one.

Our life is a story of our own life. Even if we do not feel that much to write about, you can still make it quite interesting with the help of being an awesome, real-life example for it.

It requires you to remember many details and facts, which may sound boring. To help you with this task, we have prepared a list of useful tips that will make your writing process much easier.

Autobiography vs. Memoir

The nonfiction genre known as a memoir is closely connected to an autobiography, but they are not the same thing. An autobiography, in particular, is a first-person account of the author’s entire life. A memoir is more like a multi-period journey within an author’s life than a chronicle of the whole life story.

10 Tips on How to Start Autobiography About Yourself

The top 10 tips for writing an autobiography are sprinkled throughout this article exactly where you will need them.

So, let’s get started!

1 – Consider a theme

Themes are used to structure many autobiographies, and becoming is a great illustration. The book’s title contains the words “becoming” in each section. Each portion of the autobiography is linked to an elevated theme. Include stories from your past that shaped your present-day perspective and way of life.

The first draft is the draft that you created after all these things. This can be written almost like a diary, but it should be focused and concise. However, this draft should not look like an autobiography: too short or too long. The main thing in your first draft is to have fun!

2 – Skip the irrelevant parts

Every meal, automobile ride, and a terrifying trip to the supermarket isn’t necessary to describe unless you came across the Russian Mafia at the veggies or at the grocery store, which is perched.

Start editing your biography. The last thing you want to do is get a friend or family member with editing skills to look at your stuff because they’ll make fun of you (unless, of course, it’s good). Some suggestions on what editing does: It makes sure the piece flows smoothly; this could be done by cutting out sentences or using better transitions between ideas. A summary would also help since people often lose interest if there isn’t one and aren’t interested.

3 – Captivate, but don’t chronicle

Always keep in mind how to make each part, chapter, page, paragraph, and sentence more interesting. You want to tell the truth, but it’s up to you how you do it. Build anticipation, rivalry, and secrecy. Let the drama linger until it becomes unpleasant. Don’t try to fix things immediately or remove tension.

4 – Do you write it in the future tense?

When it comes to writing in the future tense, it’s a little tricky. The majority of autobiographies follow a step-by-step structure and recall events that have already happened. The reader is transported from one beginning to another, and even to the present, via this procedure.

You can be the reader of your autobiography. Just start writing about the events that happened to you, and tell them in the most simple way possible so that the reader will feel like reading it themself.

The story usually concludes there, but the end is frequently written in the present tense. If you want to bet or anticipate your goals, dreams, or fears for the future, basic principles of tense apply.

5 – Write in first-person narrative

Traditional biographies need third-person writing, but the third-person voice may sound arrogant in the autobiography style.

An autobiography is a first-person account of the author’s life, written by them alone. It may also be partly based on first-person experiences described in the third person by someone else who was present during them and told from this second-person perspective. The story can include events that happened to others and things that have been changed because their authors didn’t want anyone to know about them at all!

6 – Include dialogue snippets

Use quotation marks the same way you’d use them in a novel. Show short back-and-forth tennis matches between characters in which they discuss. Remember to leave out the mundane parts!

7 – Select a particular tone

Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants is one of the more humorous autobiographies. Some, such as Andre Agassi’s Open, are more serious. Select an overall tone and stick with it, as your tale (like most tales) will likely include a variety of feelings.

8 – Write a catchy title

Your title shouldn’t be dull, and your autobiographical writing shouldn’t be. Jane Doe: An Autobiography is one title to avoid. You aren’t forcing anyone to read it unless you’re famous. Jane Doe: The Tale of My Life is another dull book.

9 – Don’t do grammar mistakes!

The grammar errors in the essay make the reader believe that you do not write it. Even amateurs like us can spot grammar mistakes and bad usage, especially if we compare your autobiography with other autobiographical essays. Before writing an autobiography, see how much space there is for you on the paper.

Then keep thinking about where I will start writing and what direction I should take to captivate my readers right away without giving them time to get bored of the writing style.

10 – Write the story in scenes or vignettes

Each vignette has a beginning, middle, and end. It is a small story, and each vignette progresses as you click. Instead of describing the experience to the reader, each vignette should be described in rich sensory language that depicts the experience. Each vignette is multi-sensory, immediate, and personal.

Final Words

Autobiographies are a great way to connect with your readers on a more personal level and can be a great source of inspiration. Whether you’re just getting started or looking for some tips on how to start one, we’ve put together a list of top 10 tips that will help you get started! We also have a few FAQs to answer any remaining questions you may have. Do you have any advice on autobiography writing? Share it with us in the comments below!

FAQs on writing your Autobiography

How do i know if my autobiography is interesting enough to be published.

Answer: There is no one answer to this question, as the best way to find out is to write and submit your autobiography for review. The best places to submit your work include Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Once your autobiography is accepted, you will need to follow all the publisher’s guidelines. This includes submitting a finished manuscript, getting a copyedited and proofread copy, and making sure your book is formatted correctly. Once you have completed all of these steps, the next step is to promote your book. This can be done through social media, blog postings, and more. Make sure to set a schedule for promoting your book and stick to it! You also want to make sure to price your book affordably so that as many people can purchase it. Finally, be patient – promoting a book is not an overnight process.

Why is writing in the first person important in an autobiography?

Answer: A first-person book is a personal memoir, and it requires the first-person experience to tell its story. The author of first-person books must write from their own experience, which helps them bring readers into the world they inhabit and makes them feel as if they are experiencing things with that character or sometimes through them themselves — such as what it’s like for someone who has had an eating disorder to try on clothes at different sizes (as described in Anne-Marie Slaughter’s “The Beauty Myth”).

What is a good topic for an autobiography?

Answer: Many different topics could make great fodder for an autobiography, and the sky is the limit! If you have a compelling story, then an autobiography could be the perfect vehicle to tell it. Some of the most popular topics for autobiographies include life-changing events, overcoming adversity, and personal growth. Once you have decided on a topic, it is important to develop a plan. This includes planning out the content, developing a writing style that is easy to read and engaging, and scheduling time to write. Once you have completed your manuscript, it is important to edit it and ensure that all the details are correct. Remember, an autobiography reflects your life, so make sure that it is accurate and reflects your true personality. Finally, create a personal branding strategy and use social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to market your book.

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How to write an autobiography: 7 key steps

Many people who’ve lived interesting lives want to learn how to write an autobiography. Whether you want to write a memoir or a fictional autobiography, these 7 steps will help you start:

Post author By Jordan
4 Comments on How to write an autobiography: 7 key steps

What is autobiography?

Autobiography means to write about yourself, typically the account of significant events in your life. The word stems from the Greek, αὐτός (autos) meaning self , plus βίος (bios) meaning life and γράφειν ( graphein ) – to write.

Autobiography vs memoir: What’s the difference?

What’s the difference between autobiography and memoir? Are there specific kinds of autobiography? These may be questions you ask as you set out to write your life story.

As Ian Jack writes in The Guardian , there are differences between autobiography vs memoir although the terms are often used interchangeably:

An autobiography is usually a record of accomplishment. All kinds of people, more or less famous, can write them or be helped to write them: footballers, politicians, newsreaders. Deeds, fame and an interesting life are not necessary ingredients of the memoir. The memoir’s ambition is to be interesting in itself, as a novel might be, about intimate, personal experience. It often aspires to be thought of as “literary”, and for that reason borrows many of literature’s tricks – the tricks of the novel, of fiction – because it wants to do more than record the past; it wants to re-create it. If a memoir is to succeed on those terms, on the grounds that all lives are interesting if well-enough realised, the writing has to be good. Ian Jack, in The Guardian , February 2003.

7 steps to write your own life story:

Brainstorm your autobiography’s focus and scope
Skim autobiographies for inspiration
Choose between autobiography and memoir
Outline key and illustrative life events
Draft key scenes from your life
Find strong transitions
Check details and get beta readers

1. Brainstorm your autobiography’s focus and scope

Deciding what period and events you’ll cover in your life story is a helpful first step in choosing how to write an autobiography.

Squishing the intrigues, heartbreaks, surprises and secrets of your life into narrative form may seem an impossible task. Life of course does not unfold in neat paragraphs, scenes and chapters.

Make it easier and brainstorm your autobiography’s focus and scope. Ask:

What period of my life do I want to tell readers about?
Where should the timeline start? (Infancy? Childhood? Adolescence?)
What are key events of my life readers may find intriguing?

This will help you refine your autobiography’s focus [you can also pinpoint your story’s focus in the Central Idea brainstorming tool in the Now Novel dashboard].

For deciding your story’s scope, ask:

What essential scenes and events should I include?
What themes or subjects need mention (for example, if you have experienced a trauma or illness that has greatly impacted your life, exploring personal events and insights that resulted from them would make sense)

Autobiography Exercise: Scenes to show

Write a brief bullet list of events to include in your autobiography or memoir.

Focus on events that show strong emotion, key turning points or changes, or vivid life lessons , because these connect with readers.

For example:

A first encounter with someone who turned out to be an amazing mentor
A positive or challenging move to another school, city or country in childhood
The first time you met a major love interest in your life
The moment you walked away from a job or other commitment to pursue a new dream

How to write an autobiography - infographic | Now Novel

2. Skim autobiographies for inspiration

One of the best ways to learn how to write an autobiography is, of course, to read published examples.

Get hold of copies of autobiographies that interest you . Skim parts such as the beginning and end, chapter beginnings and endings. Read for details that leap out at you, grab your attention.

Take notes on how the author approaches telling their life story. Do they:

Proceed chronologically from childhood to adulthood or play with time and memories?
Start with a dramatic, life-changing incident or lead in slowly?
Tell the reader what they’re going to cover or leave the reader to gradually discover the narrative structure or shape of the story?

Reading autobiography and note-taking in this way helps you see the options for how to structure your narrative.

3. Choose between autobiography and memoir

Reading autobiography examples will help you see how authors use common narrative elements.

For example, the acclaimed author Vladimir Nabokov begins Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited :

The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness. […] I know, however, of a young chronophobiac who experienced something like panic when looking for the first time at homemade movies that had been taken a few weeks before his birth. Vladimir Nabokov, Speak Memory : An Autobiography Revisted (1967), 17.

Nabokov, in typically ornate fashion, breaks the ‘rules’ of autobiography. He uses third person to describe a ‘ young chronophobiac’ – one who is afraid of time. We can guess this ‘young chronophobiac’ is Nabokov himself, and that he is using a tone of ironic detachment to imply that the act of dredging through memories – or even the idea of time itself – fills him with ‘something like panic’.

The above seems more like a literary play with form (an attribute Ian Jack ascribes memoir) than a straightforward, chronological autobiography.

Readers might indeed wonder why Nabokov calls Speak, Memory an autobiography.

Nabokov does, however, proceed more or less chronologically, from before his birth, to Chapter 2 which begins:

It was the primordial cave (and not what Freudian mystics might suppose) that lay behind the games I played when I was four. Nabokov, Speak, Memory , p. 20.

Thus Nabokov blends elements of memoir. He blends illustrative snapshots of life (the part illuminating the whole) with key events (birth, childhood) typical of autobiographical narration.

Thinking about how you’ll structure your life story , however, will make it more purposeful and consistent.

Jump to Top

4. Outline key and illustrative life events

In deciding how to write an autobiography, there are two types of events to include:

Key events – Crucial, formative experiences, for example an early childhood triumph or loss that shaped your view of the world.
Illustrative events – Individual encounters, lessons, romances, teachers and mentors that provide texture, background, humour, drama or the other vital elements of storytelling .

Examples of key events and illustrative events in autobiography

As an example, Nabokov uses the games he would play as a child at the start of chapter two to illustrate how he came to value imagination and beauty . He describes making a couch tent:

I then had the fantastic pleasure of creeping through that pitch-dark tunnel, where I lingered a little to listen to the singing in my ears – that lonesome vibration so familiar to small boys in dusty hiding places – and then, in a burst of delicious panic, on rapidly thudding hands and knees I would reach the tunnel’s far end…’ Nabokov, Speak, Memory , p. 20.

This is an example of illustrative event: a scene in autobiography that reveals something about the author.

In this case, we see Nabokov’s love of games of imagination and sensory stimulation (something one finds abundant in his fiction).

An example of a key event would be a major relocation, a historical conflict (such as war), or another key turning point. For example, Nabokov describes the effects of the Russo-Japanese War (a key event) in 1905 on the family unit:

The close of Russia’s disastrous campaign in the Far East was accompanied by furious internal disorders. Undaunted by them, my mother, with her three children, returned to St. Petersburg after almost a year of foreign resorts. Nabokov, Speak, Memory , p. 24.

Autobiography exercise: Finding key and illustrative events

Write a bullet list each of key and illustrative events – a sentence describing each. Examples:

The year my family moved from Country A to Country B
The first time I held a violin in my hands
The first close friendship I ever made at school

Illustrative Events

The experience and emotion of boarding a plane for the first time
A specific funny or insightful violin lesson or teacher
A day with a close school friend that left an indelible impression

Autobiography and art - Fellini quote | Now Novel

5. Draft key scenes from your life

Now that you have ideas for key and illustrative events in your life, expand on an example.

Use the techniques of fiction to enrich the scene.

For example, Nabokov describes his sensory impressions behind the family couch.

Impressions of sound, smell, touch, taste or specific visual details
Emotions (Nabokov conveys a palpable sense of the child’s simultaneous delight in secrecy and panic in the dark when he describes crawling through the tunnel he made using the family couch)

As you draft, keep this in mind: What do I want to tell, show, teach? How will this help, entertain, surprise, amuse my reader?

6. Find strong transitions

Learning how to write an autobiography is not that different from learning how to write fiction.

For one, autobiographical writing and fiction writing both need engaging introductions, transitions, exposition and development.

An advantage of memoir and autobiography is that transition is a shared, relatable part of life.

For example, most children in countries where school attendance is required by law will leave the family unit and go out into the world at a similar age.

These key life changes are useful places in a memoir or autobiography for chapter breaks or scene transitions . Nabokov, for example, uses the family move to St Petersburg at the start of Chapter 4 to transition into describing his first teacher, a natural early childhood memory to include:

With a sharp and merry blast from the whistle that was part of my first sailor suit, my childhood calls me back into that distant past to have me shake hands again with my delightful teacher. Vasiliy Martinovich Zhernosekov had a fuzzy brown beard, a balding head, and china-blue eyes, one of which bore a fascinating excrescence on the upper lid. Nabokob, Speak, Memory , p. 24.

Note how Nabokov signals the narrative transition – by describing a sound he associates with that period of his life. It’s a vivid, descriptive way to end one section of story and begin another.

7. Check details and get beta readers

As you write an autobiography or memoir, it’s often helpful to speak to family or old friends. Because you never know who may remember a funny, interesting or surprising detail about a time you are remembering and trying to capture.

The people who know you best may be your best beta readers when you write about yourself. It’s also good etiquette, if writing about a family member or friend who is still living, to run sections concerning them past them.

Need someone to read over your autobiography so far? Get help from a skilled editor. Jump to Top

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Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

4 replies on “How to write an autobiography: 7 key steps”

Just starting to write a family history beginning with what I know about my immigrant grandparents, then with a follow-up through moves and my childhood.

Hi Peter, that sounds a wonderful use of family history. I hope it is going well.

Very helpful.

Glad you found it helpful, Sally. Thanks for writing in.

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How To Write An Autobiography: A Detailed & Comprehensive Guide

March 28, 2022

When contemplating how to write an autobiography, many people are led to assume that it’s simple. It’s just your own life story, put through the writing process. However, when writing your own autobiography, you may find that the writing process is a little more complicated than just starting with your birth and telling the story of your own life up to the present moment.

A person’s life is more than just the big events, and it’s seldom ever a solitary story. There are life lessons that need to be included. Family members and their impact on you are a part of autobiography writing as well. If you want to write an autobiography, you have to be conscious of your life story, as a tale that built the person you are, not just a string of events.

This article will help you figure out how to write an autobiography so that it’s not just the story of your own life but a personal story that others can relate to, find inspiration in, and learn from.

What is an Autobiography?

An autobiography is more than just the life story of someone. The person’s life being described is your own; therefore, it is far more personal than a novel or work of fiction. It is essential to stay truthful when recalling your own memories. The slightest deviation in honesty is a slippery slope and can quickly take you from autobiography writing to fiction writing.

How An Autobiography is Different from a Biography

A biography is the telling of someone else’s life. You choose someone, such as a family member, a friend, or a famous person, and you tell the story of his or her own life while leaving your own story out of it. A biography takes a large amount of research and expertise regarding the subject’s life story and events that they lived through. An autobiography works in the same fashion, but it’s the story of you. You are the ultimate expert in your own life. Therefore, there’s not much research to be done.

Another significant difference between autobiographical writing and biographical writing is the voice that is used. When you write an autobiography, you want to use first-person writing. You are telling the story of you. Therefore you should tell it from your own point of view.

On the other hand, biographies should always be written from a third-person point of view. Third-person is using “he, she, they, them.” You were not there, you did not witness the events you are writing about, and therefore, you should be telling the story from an outsider’s viewpoint.

How an Autobiography is Different from a Memoir

A memoir tells your own story, but not your entire life story. Often written to convey a specific message, a memoir includes snippets and anecdotes that occur throughout your entire life. Still, it’s not the detailed story of a life in its entirety. Both of these types of writing are done in the first-person point of view. First-person uses pronouns such as “I, we, and us.”

For example, if you were to write a memoir about how 9/11 affected you personally, you might write about your life the year that the attack occurred. You may even give some bits of information about your childhood, your career, or your family life from before the event. Then you would provide details and focus on 9/11 itself and what you did and were doing that day. Later, you might skip ahead and give stories from your life about how it changed you, but you wouldn’t tell the story of your entire life.

Future Tense in an Autobiography

The future tense is tricky when it comes to writing. Most autobiographies recall events that have already occurred in a step-by-step process. This process takes the reader from the beginning to another point in the not-so-distant past or right up to the present.

The end is often written in the present tense, but most of the time, the story stops there. Basic principles of tense apply if you decide to speculate or include your hopes, dreams, or fears for the future.

Tips on How to Write an Autobiography

Your own autobiography should include details that encompass your life from birth to the present. When the writing process begins, you should write in the past tense to let the readers know that the events you are writing about have already occurred.

When you get to the present day, remember to switch your tense to the present tense so that the readers understand that you are discussing where you are in your life now. Mistakes in tense usage can be fixed in the first draft revision, but it’s best to try to get yourself in the habit of switching tenses as you go from the past events to the present day when you write an autobiography.

The following are other important tips about what content to include that will help you learn how to write an engaging and well-executed autobiography.

Autobiography Questions

Below are some autobiography questions that can guide you when writing about your life story:

What has motivated you to write an autobiography?
Who made a significant impact or influence in your life?
Who are the people who surround you?
What are the remarkable memories you have?
Did anyone not support you on your journey and you proved them wrong?
What inspires you?
What demotivates you?
What do you consider the best time in your life?
What quote best depicts and summarizes your life?
How would you describe yourself?
What kind of family relationships do you have?
What moments in life do you feel like you could be truly proud of yourself?
What do you think are some of your flaws?
What do you desire to have in the future/where would you like to be?
What do you do to upskill, and in which field would you like to focus your energy?
What are your set of principles and personal values?
How have your values defined who you are today?
What is your dream career path?
Have you advocated for something?
If there was one thing you wanted everyone to know about you, what would it be?

Your Background

It’s essential to start by telling your readers where you’re from, when you were born, and who your family members are when you write an autobiography.

This does not mean that you need to include how long your mother was in labor (unless the story of your birth is a particularly interesting one), what the hospital room number was, how much you weighed, how long you were, and what you scored on the Apgar test. Those are details that are nice to include in your baby book, but almost no one is interested in those details but you and your mom.

What you should include is where you were born (city, state, country), a story or two about a family member who meant a lot to you when you were a child or teenager, what your educational background was like, what kind of kid you were, and what your family life was like.

Keeping it general and sticking to just a few personal stories and anecdotes is enough. If you want to know how to write an autobiography that doesn’t bore the reader to tears or sleep within the first few pages, keep the details specific to significant events in your childhood, and keep the more drab and general stories to yourself.

Write About Hardship or Failure

While it may not be the most glamorous of life events you have experienced, writing about hard times, failure, and times of struggle help the reader relate to you, feel empathy and care about the story of your life.

Making your life seem perfect simply because writing about something that didn’t work out, hurt you, or made you unpopular because you see it as embarrassing will only hurt you in the long run because the reader will not be engaged.

When you go back and read your first draft, ask yourself if what you have written will touch anyone who has struggled similarly to you. If not, go back and rewrite it to include at least a few stories of hard times.

Come Up with a Catchy and Compelling Title

Autobiographical writing doesn’t have to be boring, and neither should your title. Steer clear of titles such as; Jane Doe: An Autobiography. Unless you’re famous, you’re not compelling anyone to pick it up and read it. Equally boring is; Jane Doe: The Story of my Life.

Try to come up with something catchy and engaging when you come up with the title. Readers are more likely to read an autobiography written by someone with a witty or smart title than someone who didn’t have the writing skills or creativity to create something more original.

Instead, try for something like; A Beautiful Disaster: The Story of Jane Doe. This title denotes that you don’t take yourself too seriously, but you respect and love yourself while admitting that your life can sometimes be a mess.

You don’t even need to have your name in your title if you have a catchy title. Take this example into consideration; Hot Mess Express: The Story of One Tired Mom. This sort of title is fun, funny, and will catch the attention of mothers, especially those with young children.

Significant Events

When considering how to write an autobiography, keep in mind that significant events in your life should always be included. When you write an autobiography, you are looking for points in your personal story that impacted you and helped to shape you into the person that you are now.

Maybe that was a move across the country, the death of someone close to you, finding love, or your first kiss. Perhaps it was being the first person in your family to go to college, starting your own business, or the birth of your first child.

Be sure to include the less wonderful but still significant events in your life, as well. Things like your first heartbreak, divorce, the loss of a job, poverty you experienced, or trauma that compelled you to rise above your station and seek help to gain self-improvement or lessons learned from these experiences.

Have a Central Idea

What is the most important thing you want to say to the reader with this story? Is it that you started out with nothing and rose up to success? Is it that you had success and lost it all? Maybe it’s that love and dedication to family are more important than success in a career or climbing a social ladder.

Whatever your central idea, identify it and then figure out how you can put it in autobiography format.

The Steps Involved to Write an Autobiography

When thinking of how to write an autobiography, consider that the writing process begins in much the same way that it does with any sort of writing. You should consider following the following steps if you want to learn how to write an autobiography effectively.

Create an Autobiographical Outline

Just like any literary work, you should have an outline. After you have taken some time to reflect on what you want to include, get it written down in autobiography outline form. Include all of the parts of your life that you think you might want to incorporate, and then separate them into categories, focusing on what you think will be of medium to high interest to a reader.

What is meant by “medium to high interest” is that the events are significant enough to garner enough interest for the reader. That they will feel compelled to continue reading to see what happened to you next or how you got through an event or part of your life that you describe.

Do Your Homework

Just because you know what happened to you, and you have the general information and experiences from things like your childhood, it doesn’t mean that you have the knowledge to write it well.

If you don’t know how to describe the setting, society in the era you’re writing about, and the culture, it will seem that you don’t know how to write an autobiography, and readers will start to lose interest.

Look into things like the area you grew up in and what life was like in that area when you were a child. Get a family history from members of your family, such as where your family originated from, what your parents and grandparents did for a living, and any other significant information you may need that you don’t know about the people from whence you came.

Complete the First Draft

Your first draft may not be very clean, and it will most likely have things in it that need to be cut out. You may get too wordy talking about specific periods of your life and may not supply enough story to others. You won’t know until you get that first draft under your belt.

Once you complete this draft, take some time off and let the work sit. Taking a break before revisiting puts distance between yourself and your story, and you’re far more likely to be able to come at the revision process in an open-minded matter once you have that distance.

Revise and Rewrite

As with any writing that you do, whether it’s an autobiography, novel, personal essay, research paper, or news article, you have to revise your work. Proofread, fix simple and obvious mistakes, and add to the things that need more description while cutting out the unnecessary parts.

Once you have fixed grammar mistakes and taken the story from what looks like a personal diary to a narrative account of your life experiences, you can start writing the next draft. Make sure to determine your desired writing style before you rewrite, and make sure that the content matches that style.

How to Properly Structure an Autobiography

Whether you’re writing a full-length book or an autobiographical essay, you still have to have structure to your writing. While an autobiographical essay is shorter, the structure is much the same. The following are some tips that will help you figure out how to write an autobiography format that works well.

Write in Chronological Order

While it’s perfectly fine for a novel to have a timeline that skips and jumps around, the best way to tell a good story of your own experiences and personal memories is to do so in chronological order or the order in which things happened.

The very beginning of your autobiography should cover your birth, then childhood, then education, then young adulthood, on up to the present moment. This creates a timeline of each significant personal experience that is easy to follow and doesn’t confuse the reader.

Don’t Fictionalize Names or Places

Professional writers of fiction often create characters based on people they know or even themselves. They give these characters fake names and personas and rename towns and businesses so as not to make the writing too personal. All the details of the real people may be present, but when you write fiction, you have the freedom to change things.

An autobiography covers actual events, so the writing needs to be honest. If you grew up in Toledo, Ohio, say that. Don’t make up the name of a town. If you grew up with a mother named Tess, say that. Don’t give her a fake name. Being truthful about your family and your life is essential. You’re not the only character in this story, and it’s unfair and not suitable to misrepresent a setting or person in your life.

Add Family Photos or Other Personal Touches

The most compelling television episodes are the ones in which there is a strong story and a strong visual to accompany it. You can create an effect very close to this by including photos, artwork, letters shared by people close to you, and more. Just be sure that you ask for and are granted permission before you do this, especially if the photos are used to identify weak moments in your life for any reason.

Be Thorough in Describing Pivotal Moments

Significant moments in life that occur, such as academic achievements, turning points, and the things that build up to a story arc for you, need to be built up in a way that creates both interest and intrigue for your reader. Include details like how negative experiences shaped your understanding or outlook on things or how you learned to be completely free of stress because of how stressful and frantic your life used to be.

These things make up the critical elements in what amounts to a full life. And being completely transparent and thorough in the telling of it gives the reader the freshest possible perspective, especially if you acknowledge as the writer that you are reflecting upon the story you’re telling, as you tell it.

The Final Draft When Writing an Autobiography

So you’ve completed all of the steps mentioned above, and you’ve worked out your outline, title, and other details that seem small but are incredibly important. Now it’s time to write the final draft so that your favorite story, the story of you, can become someone else’s favorite story.

The Last Revision

Once you have completed that final draft , you still need to go back and ensure that everything you wanted and needed to include is present and accounted for. Clarity is sometimes an issue when a person is trying to figure out how to write an autobiography. Try reading your story aloud, and if it makes sense to someone else or even to you as you read it with your own voice, then it’s probably thorough enough.

Make Sure the Title Agrees with the Content

The last thing you want is a misleading title. Make sure that the title goes along with your autobiography’s overall tone and message.

For example, if you wrote a sad story about heartache and loss of hope, don’t title your story: Little Miss Sunshine: The Story of One Woman from the Midwest. Be sure that the mood, message, and tone align with the title you have decided on. If they don’t fit, it’s much easier to change the title than the mood and tone of the story.

Autobiography Format

Below we have outlined the format that you can utilize when writing an autobiography:

Title – It should reflect what your life story conveys or what it is like to be you.
Dedication – This section states whom you would like to dedicate your autobiography.
Table of Contents – It helps your readers to locate specific parts of your autobiography.
Acknowledgments – This is where you express your gratitude to the people who have helped you on your journey.
Foreword – It highlights the purpose of the autobiography.
Introduction – This provides a glimpse of who you are as the author, and if this is effective, the reader will continue reading your book.
Body Section – This is where the events in your life are chronologically narrated, along with all the necessary details. It can contain many headings and subheadings.
Conclusion – This is where you share all your revelations and successes, while also referencing your own personal experiences.
Memorabilia – You may include significant pictures or any other objects that have impacted your life.
Index – It helps the reader browse through your autobiography by using main keywords or concept words.

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Last updated on May 3rd, 2024

How to Write a Personal Bio About Yourself

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A personal biography, often shortened to just my self-biography, is a brief statement summarizing your skills and achievements. You can write a bio to differentiate yourself from other candidates, gain new clients, or connect with social media followers.

Learning how to write a biography about yourself can help you build your brand and market yourself effectively. In this article, we are going to discuss biography with steps, tips, and strategies to help you write how to write a biography about yourself.

Before writing, how to write a biography of yourself. First, we have to know what a personal biography is.

What is a personal biography?

A personal biography [1] is a brief introduction summarizing your experience, references, education, and personal or professional achievements. This can help you convey your brand and show others what makes you unique. You can use your profile as a marketing tool when applying for jobs, attracting potential clients, or encouraging people to follow you on social media.

A personal biography often conveys the purpose or goal of writing the biography, such as talking to a client or getting a job. In your biography, you can include details about your personal or professional achievements, such as awards you’ve won or positive feedback you’ve received from customers.

You don’t have just to write an essay about you. You may choose to discuss your personal or professional background in your biography, such as your current position, years of experience in the industry, or your motivation for pursuing your career path.

A personal biography typically mentions your education and other qualifications, such as internships, certifications, or professional development training.

What to include in a personal bio?

Here are some of the elements a personal bio might include:

Name : [Your Name]
Profession : [Your Job Title/Role]
Experience : Briefly outline your relevant professional experience.
Accomplishments : Highlight any notable achievements or milestones in your career.
Skills : List key skills or areas of expertise relevant to your profession.
Interests : Mention any hobbies or interests that showcase your personality outside of work.
Unique Qualities : Highlight any unique traits or experiences that set you apart.
Education : Include your educational background if relevant.
Contact Information : Provide a way for people to contact you if they want to connect or collaborate.

Where To Show Personal Bio

Many people use their biography when looking for a job to explain to the hiring manager why they are the ideal candidate for the job. You can also use your biography in other ways. Some places you can post your biography include:

Shine Online:

Concise & Catchy: Twitter and Instagram bios thrive on brevity. Use keywords to grab attention and reflect your interests (e.g., “Foodie, Bookworm, Aspiring Cloud Architect”).
Professional: LinkedIn allows for a more comprehensive bio. Craft a compelling summary that highlights your career journey, key skills, and achievements.
Personal Website or Blog : If you have your own digital space, a dedicated “About Me” section is ideal. Here, you can delve deeper into your background, passions, and what makes you tick.
Guest Posting Platforms : When contributing articles to other websites, some may have an author bio section. Craft a concise bio that piques the reader’s interest and potentially links back to your own website.

Offline Bio Beacons:

Resumes & Cover Letters : In the professional realm, tailor your bio to resonate with the specific job or company. Highlight relevant skills and experiences that showcase your qualifications for the role.
Networking Events : Prepare a succinct “elevator pitch” that summarizes your background and interests in a captivating way. This is your chance to make a lasting impression in a short interaction.
Business Cards (Optional) : While not a necessity, some people include a bio or tagline on their business cards. This can be a creative way to spark conversation and leave a memorable impression.
Portfolios or Presentations : If you’re in a creative field, consider incorporating a bio section into your portfolio or presentation. This can add a personal touch and help potential clients or collaborators connect with you on a deeper level.

Remember, the key is to tailor your bio to the specific platform or situation. Think about your target audience and the message you want to convey. By strategically placing your bio in these online and offline spaces, you can effectively introduce yourself to the world and leave a lasting impression.

How to Write a Biography About Yourself

When you think you have to do something for your better career you must be alert about how to write a bio . Here’s an expanded take on how to craft a captivating biography about yourself in 6 steps:

1. Find Your Focus

Don’t just list facts, tell a story! Think about who will be reading it like a boss, classmate, or everyone. What’s the goal? Is it to show your skills for a job, your creative side, or everything about you?

This helps you decide what to write. For a job, focus on work experience, achievements, and skills that make you a good fit. For creative writing, mention what inspires you and the artists you like.

Think of important moments, big achievements, and things that make you unique. Then, write them down in a clear order, either by time (like your life story) or by topic (like focusing on skills).

2. Start Strong with a Hook

The first sentence is your chance to shine. Instead of a snoozer intro, write something that makes people curious. This could be a surprising fact about what you do, a quick story that hints at your personality, or even a question that sparks the reader’s imagination.

Think about how you’d introduce yourself to someone you really admire. What would you say to make them want to chat more? Do that in your first sentence. It’ll turn your bio into a “must-read.” After all, you’re an interesting person, so show it off from the very beginning.

Imagine you’re starting a conversation with someone you want to impress – how would you introduce yourself in a way that compels them to listen? So, I think you know how to write an introduction .

3. Showcase Your Journey

This is the heart of your biography, where your experiences come alive. Don’t just list accomplishments; delve deeper and showcase the challenges overcome, turning points that shaped you, and the triumphs you’ve achieved.

Instead of just stating you received a prestigious award, describe the project you tackled or the problem you solved that led to the recognition. Highlight the skills you honed along the way and how they contribute to your overall value.

Tell your story. Don’t just list your achievements. Show the interesting parts. What problems did you solve? What were the big moments? How did you learn and grow?

Pick things that impress the people you’re writing for. If it’s a job application, show skills that fit the job. If it’s for friends, tell fun stories. Use details to make your story come alive. Maybe you won an award. Instead of just saying that, tell them about the project you did.

4. Add Personality with Details and Voice

Spice it up! Don’t just tell people what you did, show them! Instead of saying “I won an award,” describe the cool project you worked on or the tricky problem you solved to earn it. Mention things you saw, heard, or even smelled that made the experience memorable.

A funny story shows you’re quick-witted, and a story about overcoming a challenge shows you’re a problem-solver. Write like you’re chatting with a friend. Don’t worry about using big words or sounding fancy. Just write the way you normally talk.

Are you known for your jokes? Let your sense of humor shine through. Are you super passionate about something? Let your enthusiasm jump off the page. The more you sound like yourself, the more interesting your story will be.

5. Keep it short

The length of your biography can vary depending on the focus and goals. On your social media site, you can write a brief professional biography of two or three sentences. Other bios, such as a website bio, can be several paragraphs long. No matter where you plan to display your biography, keep it short to grab readers’ attention and encourage them to learn more about you or connect with you.

6. Refine and Polish Your Work

Once you have a solid draft, take a critical eye and become your own editor. Proofread meticulously for typos, grammatical errors , and any awkward phrasing. Ensure the flow of your writing is smooth and the information is presented clearly.

Read your biography aloud to catch inconsistencies or areas that feel clunky. Having a trusted friend or colleague review it for clarity and impact can also be beneficial. Their fresh perspective might help you identify areas for improvement or ensure your message resonates with the intended audience. You don’t need to check for plagiarism .

7. Leave a Lasting Impression

The final sentence is your chance to create a memorable closing. This could be a powerful summary of your core values, a glimpse into your aspirations for the future, or a call to action that invites the reader to connect with you in some way.

This could be a quick summary of what’s important to you, a hint about your future goals, or even an invitation for the reader to connect in some way. The ending should leave a lasting impression that reflects who you truly are. Maybe you could end with a question that sparks a conversation or a quote that sums up your way of thinking.

8. Regularly update your profile

You are constantly learning new skills and achieving new goals in your career. Keeping these achievements to yourself will only limit your opportunities.

Instead, you should take a few minutes to update your various profiles every time you go through a major life event. This way, your biography will always accurately reflect who you are and what you have to offer, allowing you to gain better exposure, gain the respect of your peers, and ultimately be recruited.

9. Match the word count to the platform

While you analyze how to write a biography about yourself you should concern yourself with the word limit of the biography. The time it takes to write your biography is up to you unless you’re filling out the biography section of your profile and are only allowed a certain number of words. However, you should keep in mind your background and what your audience is looking for when deciding how much to write.

For example, people reading a biography on a job site may be screening many candidates, so it’s best to keep the biography on these sites short, between 300 and 500 words. Otherwise, readers may be tempted to ignore them.

For a biography on your website, a longer biography (between 1500 and 2000) is often better because you can include more details. Search engines also prefer longer bios, so they often rank higher in search results, making your bio more visible.

Tips for making your biography noticeable

1. hook from the start: .

Skip the boring intro! Start your bio with something awesome! Think of a cool sentence, a surprising detail, or a question that makes people think. Imagine meeting someone interesting at a party. What would you say to grab their attention and make them want to chat more? This first line is super important because it sets the tone for your whole bio and makes people want to read on.

2. SEO Savvy:

If your bio is online, consider yourself a tiny search engine magnet! Strategically sprinkle in relevant keywords that people might use to find someone like you. Research keywords related to your profession, interests, or skills. For instance, an aspiring chef might include a “culinary student” or “food enthusiast” to attract potential employers or collaborators.

3. Paint a Picture with Words:

Instead of a laundry list of skills or interests, use vivid language and action verbs to showcase your passions. Don’t just say you’re “creative” – describe yourself as “brainstorming innovative solutions” or “transforming blank canvases into vibrant masterpieces.” This paints a picture for the reader and allows them to connect with your energy and enthusiasm.

4. Infuse Personality with a Pinch of Spice:

Let your unique voice and perspective shine through! A dash of humor (if the platform allows) can make your bio relatable and memorable. Are you known for your infectious laugh? Mention your “contagious enthusiasm for life’s adventures.” Do you have a quirky hobby or hidden talent? Share it! This personal touch allows people to connect with you on a deeper level.

5. Storytelling Power:

Weave a short, impactful anecdote that reveals something interesting about you. This personalized touch is far more engaging than a simple list of facts. Did a volunteer experience spark a passion? Briefly describe it! Did an unexpected encounter change your perspective? Share a snippet!

6. Sharp and Focused:

While you want to showcase your personality, remember bio real estate is precious! Strive for a concise and focused bio. Aim for a length suitable for the platform. Twitter thrives on brevity, so keep it short and sweet. LinkedIn allows for a more comprehensive summary but avoids rambling.

7. Intrigue with a Call to Action (Optional):

Depending on the context, consider including a call to action (CTA) at the end. This could be an invitation to connect with you on another platform, learn more about your work on a website or portfolio, or even a prompt to start a conversation. A strong CTA leaves a lasting impression and encourages further interaction.

Examples of Biography

1. Bio for getting a job

I’m [Your Name], a highly motivated and results-oriented IT professional with [Number] years of experience in [Your area of expertise]. Throughout my career, I’ve thrived in fast-paced environments, and consistently exceeded expectations by troubleshooting complex technical issues and implementing innovative solutions.

My passion lies in [Specific area of IT you enjoy most]. In my previous role at [Previous company], I spearheaded the [Project name] initiative, which resulted in a [Quantifiable achievement related to the project]. I’m proficient in [List of relevant technical skills] and possess a strong understanding of [Industry knowledge related to your field].

Beyond technical expertise, I’m a strong communicator, adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams to bridge the gap between technical aspects and real-world business needs. I’m also a quick learner, always eager to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the ever-evolving IT landscape.

I’m confident that my [Specific skills] combined with my [Positive personality traits] make me a valuable asset to any team. I’m particularly interested in opportunities that allow me to leverage my skills in [Areas you want to focus on] to contribute to [Desired company goals].

2. Examples of a biography that focuses on career and journey

They say curiosity is the seed of all discovery. Well, for me, it felt more like an insatiable fire. Growing up in Warsaw, science wasn’t exactly a woman’s domain, but the pull I felt toward unraveling the mysteries of the universe was undeniable.

It wasn’t easy. Sacrifices had to be made to chase my dream. Paris, with its grand Sorbonne University, became my new home. There, amidst towering stacks of books and endless lab experiments, I met Pierre. He wasn’t just my love, but a brilliant mind who shared my passion for the unknown. Together, we delved into the world of radiation, a realm then shrouded in mystery.

Our discoveries were like unearthing hidden treasures. Polonium, a new element I named after my homeland, then the wonder of radium – each revelation fueled our scientific hunger. Then came the heartbreaking loss of Pierre. Devastated, I considered giving it all up. But his spirit, his unwavering belief in our work, propelled me forward.

Becoming the first woman to win a Nobel Prize felt surreal, an acknowledgment of the battles fought and the path paved. Yet, the greatest reward was the knowledge that our research held the potential to heal, to illuminate the darkest corners of medicine.

The irony isn’t lost on me. The very force I dedicated my life to understanding, radiation, ultimately took its toll. But even as my health declined, the fire of curiosity never truly dimmed. I hope that my journey, with all its struggles and triumphs, inspires others, especially young women, to chase their scientific dreams.

When applying for a job, one crucial factor that most individuals overlook is their “personal history.” Candidates’ dry and uninteresting personal histories don’t give them the credit they deserve because they don’t have enough time or aren’t aware of how important they are.

To pass difficult technical interviews in different companies, in addition to thorough preparation, creating and presenting the best personal biography is extremely important.

This article shows you how to write a biography about yourself and how to create the best personal biography to increase your chances of making a good impression and landing your dream job.

Why should I write a biography about myself?

Writing your biography can be a powerful way to reflect on your life journey, document your achievements, and share your story with others. It can also be a valuable tool for personal branding and professional development.

What should I include in my biography?

Your biography should include important milestones, significant life events, challenges you’ve overcome, passions, interests, and goals. You can also include anecdotes, quotes, and insights that reveal your personality and values.

How do I structure my biography?

There’s no one-size-fits-all structure for a biography, but a common approach is to start with an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention, followed by chronological or thematic sections that explore different aspects of your life, and a conclusion that ties everything together.

Should I include personal details in my biography?

It’s up to you how much personal information you want to include in your biography. While sharing some personal details can make your story more relatable and engaging, it’s essential to strike a balance and maintain your privacy.

How long should my biography be?

The length of your biography will depend on its purpose and where it will be published. For personal websites or social media profiles, a shorter bio of around 100-200 words may be sufficient. For more detailed accounts, aim for 500-1000 words or more.

How we've reviewed this article

Our content is thoroughly researched and fact-checked using reputable sources. While we aim for precision, we encourage independent verification for complete confidence.

1. Learn more about biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biography

We keep our articles up-to-date regularly to ensure accuracy and relevance as new information becomes available.

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May 3rd, 2024
Oct 24th, 2023

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How to write a book about yourself

An autobiography is a book about your entire life up until you write your book, while a memoir focuses on a specific event or time period in your life.
Autobiographies and memoirs are almost always written in the 1st person. They should include emotive descriptions of key events in your life, as well as background information about your past and hopes for your future.
Self-publishing is a powerful approach for memoirists and autobiography writers. It allows you to share your story with greater freedom than traditional publishing.

Everyone has a story to tell. Whether you’ve travelled the world, danced with movie stars, or brought up an incredible family, many people have fantastic life experiences they want to share with the world. Writing a book about yourself is a powerful, rewarding way to revisit and record some of the most important moments in your life.

But writing a book about yourself can be daunting. You need to be able to craft your experience into a story. That means writing a book that’s full of suspense, intrigue - and real-life experience.

This guide is designed to help you learn how to write a book about yourself - and get it published.

What is a book that you write about yourself called?

Let’s start with the basics. Books about the author’s life typically fall into one of two categories: memoirs and autobiographies. While there are some similarities between these two formats - the major one being that they’re both subjective, first-person accounts of real-life events - there are also some key differences.

What is a memoir?

A memoir is usually focused on a specific event, or a particular time period of a person’s life. For example, your memoir could focus on your formative adolescent years, or a traumatic event that affected you. Memoirs are often written by non-famous people about larger-than-life events.

What is an autobiography?

An autobiography usually recounts the writer’s entire life up until the point the book is written. Autobiographies are usually reserved for celebrities and other famous figures.

What is a biography?

A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else. Biographies can be authorised or unauthorised. Authorised biographies have the cooperation and approval of the person the biography is about. Unauthorised biographies, meanwhile, rely on external sources for their information.

How to start writing a book about your life

Writing a book takes a lot of time. It’s extremely rewarding, but can be frustrating - particularly if you’re not sure where to begin. These 4 steps will help you take the plunge into writing a book about yourself.

Make sure you’re ready - Delving into your memory can be exhilarating, joyful, and painful - so make sure you’re emotionally prepared for the experience. Take some time for self-reflection before you begin planning your autobiography or memoir.
Make a list of the events in your life you want to include - If possible, take a few minutes to journal about these events as you list them. This can help jog your memory and stir up emotions that will help you write vividly and honestly.
Tell your loved ones you’re writing a book about yourself - This is especially important if they’re going to feature as identifiable characters in the story. They may have some reservations about their inclusion in the book, so make sure you’re on the same page before you start writing.
Plan your story - If you haven’t written a book before, mapping your memoir out in advance may be beneficial. An outline can help you stay on track, and give structure and pace to your story. The importance of these elements can’t be underestimated, so planning your book puts you in a strong position to start writing.

What to put in an autobiography or memoir

If you’re writing a book about yourself, you probably already know which key moments you want to include. But it’s important that you take the time to build up context and intrigue in the reader, so you’ll also need to give them some background information about you.

Here are 5 key components every autobiography and memoir should include:

Your childhood and adolescence - Your formative years will help your readers understand the actions you take and feelings you have in later life. Make sure to explore the events that shaped you in your early years.
Key life events - These events are the reason you want to write your autobiography or memoir - so be sure to give them the colour and depth they deserve. Write honestly. Give readers details that help them understand and envisage the situation.
Information about the other characters in your story - The real people in your life who feature in your book also need some backstory. That said, it’s important to discuss the details you’re including in your book with your friends and family before you publish it.
Episodes of despondency - Without some degree of grief or loss, most stories would be pretty boring. So even if you’re happy, successful and rich now, it’s important to include moments of failure or sadness you’ve experienced in life. This gives the reader a more rounded view of you, and helps them to sympathise with your story.
Your hopes for the future - Even when the book is finished, your story continues. Ending your autobiography or memoir with a hopeful message is a satisfying way to tie things up.

Writing an introduction for an autobiography or memoir

As in any book, the introduction to your autobiography should be intriguing and make the reader want to learn more. That means you don’t necessarily need to start at the beginning of your life. In fact, unless you had a particularly interesting birth, it’s probably best to skip ahead to a more pivotal moment.

This is particularly true if you’re writing a memoir. In a memoir, you’re writing about a particular time period or event you experienced - so your introduction should relate to that event.

Remember that your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your book, so it should be punchy, relevant, and captivating.

Tips for writing an autobiography or memoir

No matter what theme or tone your book will take, here are some useful tips for how to write a professional autobiography or memoir.

Write in 1st person - Use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’ throughout your book. Not only is this the accepted perspective for this kind of writing, it also lends your work subjective authority. This is your story, so make sure the reader knows that by using the 1st person voice.
Read other autobiographies and memoirs - Reading published work that’s similar to the book you want to write will help you understand the conventions of autobiographical writing.
Do your research - Even though you’re writing about your own life, it’s possible that you won’t recall the correct details of every incident you’re recounting. Double check all kinds of factual information - such as dates, ages, and names - before you publish your story.
Write with the benefit of hindsight - You know things now that you didn’t know when the events took place. Writing honestly means being truthful about mistakes you may have made in the past, and acknowledging them with the information you now have.
Be emotive - You want your readers to understand what you felt at each life stage you’re writing about. Express your emotions in writing to give your readers a sense of empathy.

I want someone to write a book about my life

If you think your life story would make an intriguing read, but you want someone else to write the book on your behalf, you can hire a ghostwriter to write the book for you.

Unlike biographers, ghostwriters write your autobiography as if they are you. Often, you can decide whether or not to credit the ghostwriter. If you credit them, their name will appear on the cover alongside yours - for example: My Story by Joe Bloggs, as told to Jane Doe. If you choose not to credit them, their name won’t appear on the cover. Most ghostwriters charge more for non-credited work.

How to write a biography about someone else

Biographies are similar to autobiographies in structure, but the form is usually very different. Because biographies are written about someone other than the author, they are almost always written in the 3rd person, rather than 1st person. Biographies also tend to depend less on emotion and more on factual information, because the author isn’t writing about their personal experiences.

While research is key for autobiographical writing, it’s doubly important for biographies. If you’re writing a book about someone else’s life, you’ll need to ensure you have all your facts right. That means reading and researching multiple accounts of the same event to ensure you’ve corroborated your information. Biographical inaccuracies can discredit you at best; at worst, they can result in libel lawsuits. So if you’re planning to write a book about someone else, make sure to do as much research as possible.

Examples of published life stories, autobiographies and memoirs

Many famous and non-famous people have published successful autobiographies and memoirs over the years. Here are some bestselling autobiographies and memoirs from well-known public figures:

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
On Writing - Stephen King
Becoming - Michelle Obama

Many self-published memoirs and autobiographies have also achieved mainstream success. Some examples of these include:

Grit: The Banter and Brutality of the Late-Night Cab - Karl Wiggins
When I Was Lost: A Mother's Struggle with Bipolar Disorder - Glenna Gill
Beautiful Affliction - Lene Fogelberg

Reading work by other writers is a great way to find out what works in an autobiography or memoir. It’s sure to help you avoid many of the common pitfalls of writing and self-publishing a book .

Penguin has a great list of the best memoirs of all time , as voted by their readers.

How to publish an autobiography

Autobiographies and memoirs from previously unpublished authors are notoriously difficult to market to risk-averse traditional publishers. But that doesn’t mean you should quit before you’ve begun.

Self-publishing is a great publishing option for memoirists who haven’t previously been published. With a self-published book, you’ll receive a higher percentage of royalties than if you’re traditionally published. Plus, there are lots of self-publishing companies out there who can help you get your book in front of a wider audience.

If you choose to self-publish your autobiography or memoir, you’ll be responsible for marketing, printing, and selling your book. This gives you much greater freedom around the content of your book, as well as your marketing and pricing strategy .

Find out more about the world of self-publishing in our writing advice .

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Home / Book Writing / How to Write an Autobiography and Publish it in 7 Easy Steps

How to Write an Autobiography and Publish it in 7 Easy Steps

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be a famous figure to write an autobiography. In fact, if you want to write a novel or some other nonfiction book but just don't know where to start, an autobiography could be an ideal project to tackle.

There are many different kinds of autobiographies from which to choose, so you don't have to keep a narrow focus or use a cookie-cutter mold for your book or autobiography essay. Read on as we tackle how to write an autobiography.

Different kinds of autobiographies.
Steps to help you write your autobiography.
Tips to strengthen your storytelling skills while writing.

Autobiography vs Memoir
The Benefits of Writing an Autobiography
Before You Write, Read
Step 1: Decide on a Type and Scope
Step 2: Research and Outline
Step 3: Craft Your Story to Entertain
Step 4: Write Your First Draft
Step 5: Pause—Then Edit and Rewrite
Step 6: Get a Professional Editor
Step 7: Publish!
How to Write an Autobiography: Conclusion

The Many Types of Autobiographies

An autobiography in its broadest terms is a book about a person's entire life (or at least the interesting parts), written by that person . If you wanted to write a book about someone else's life, you'd be writing a biography .

But within the autobiography genre, there are many other subgenres to choose from. These include:

Intellectual
Religious/Spiritual

An intellectual autobiography focuses on the author's life in terms of intellectual evolution and fulfillment. Often (but not always) written by people who have had a lot of schooling, the intellectual autobiography aims to analyze how certain experiences affected the author's life in terms of education, intelligence, and thought patterns.

A religious or spiritual autobiography is one concerning the author's spiritual enlightenment. If you've found God (in any form) or have gravitated to a more spiritual life as you've aged, then this could be a good genre for you.

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Thematic autobiographies are those that look upon a person's life story through the lens of a certain theme. This could be love, loss, perseverance, family, or even something like mental health, addiction, or mental illness. If you've noticed a theme in your life that has influenced your choices repeatedly, a thematic autobiography could be a good choice for you.

A fictional autobiography is one that uses events from the author's real life while changing certain other elements freely. There are no hard-and-fast rules about what can and can't be real—or what percentage of each you must include. It could be that you use mostly real events but embellish them, change characters around, or make up certain exchanges. The most important part is that you don't claim it's a true autobiography when it's really a fictional one.

It can be easy to confuse an autobiography and a memoir—which is in fact a type of autobiographical writing . The big difference is that autobiographies cover the author's whole life. Memoirs, on the other hand, focus on certain aspects of the author's life, usually in service of a theme.

If you want to focus on your career or your childhood instead of covering your whole life, then a memoir could be a better fit for you. If so, you can check out our memoir writing prompts article .

There are a ton of benefits to writing an autobiography. There's an old adage that goes “write what you know.” And there's no better genre to do just that! By diving into your personal story and examining life lessons and experiences, you don't have to worry about getting writer's block. You know the plot and the characters, which can help you get into a rhythm.

This can not only give you confidence as a writer, but it can also make you a better writer as you go. A good autobiography is a lot like a novel in a lot of ways, so you use the same skills you would in a novel by painting a picture for your reader.

But the benefits don't end with developing as a writer. It can also help you deal with traumatic events and process significant moments in your life. The goal, after all, isn't to dwell on any perceived wrongs or get back at anyone. The goal is to make sense of your personal experience by turning it into a story that readers will enjoy.

Now that we've covered that introductory ground, let's get into how to write an autobiography, step by step.

I would be remiss if I didn't say that you must first familiarize yourself with autobiography examples before you can write one. As such, here are some famous autobiographies to read so you can see how it's done.

Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Complete Guide to Autobiography Writing

Writing an autobiography can be a rewarding endeavor, but it’s not easy. Even though it’s about your own life, it still requires research, time, effort, and some writing skill to get done. The steps below take you through the writing process, from choosing your focus to choosing your publishing avenue.

While an autobiography covers the author's whole life, that doesn't mean that every single detail needs to go in. Even if you could remember what you had for breakfast on April 7th when you were ten years old, there would be no reason to include it unless some significant event happened at that time.

So the first step in the writing process is deciding what type of autobiography it will be . This, in turn, will help you decide on the scope. If it will be an intellectual autobiography, you may want to spend time focusing on your early schooling and how that impacted your ability to learn or your love of knowledge.

On the other hand, if you're writing an autobiography themed on marriage or romantic love, you probably won't have a lot of ground to cover during your childhood years.

Pro Tip: Write a short personal statement about why you want to write an autobiography. There's no wrong answer, but putting your “why” into words can help you keep focused through the process.

Once you have your scope in mind, you can start doing research and outlining in broad strokes the exact events you want to cover. This is when your idea starts to take shape in your mind and on the page.

Researching will mean delving into your family history, busting out the yearbooks, and opening up the (physical or digital) photo albums. It will mean talking to parents, friends, siblings, and other family members. To get things right, it's important not to rely just on your fallible memory. Get multiple perspectives and sources on any important event you plan to cover.

This is also a great time to get permission to use people's names in your book. Everyone you include in the story by name should give their permission. While this isn’t legally required, it’s a courtesy. However, it’s unlikely you will be sued for anything you say in a book unless it is blatantly slanderous.

Research is a time-consuming step in the process. But it's essential for forming your autobiography in your mind. You may even learn things about your family that you never knew before!

Just write everything down (or record it) so you can reference what people have said later. Using all your research, start crafting an autobiography outline in a Word document or on paper.

Pro Tip: If you're not sure you have enough to say to fill a book, you can write an autobiographical essay first. If you still feel like you have a lot to say after writing an essay of a few thousand words, then you may have a book's worth inside your head!

Since you don't have to include every single detail in your memoir, you get to prioritize certain things over others. And while most autobiographies move in chronological order, it doesn't preclude you from using a hook to engage your readers.

Perhaps you want to open your autobiography with a single event that changed your life . If this means jumping forward in time in your autobiography introduction to hook the reader before jumping back to your childhood, then that's perfectly fine.

The point is, your autobiography needs to entertain the reader. And to do this, you can craft it like a novel. The one thing your book shouldn't be is full of dry, academic writing.

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You're the protagonist of the autobiography. And being a human, you're flawed. Make this clear to the reader while also giving them a reason to like you and root for you early in the book. Unless you're writing a fictional autobiography, this needs to be a true anecdote. But it shouldn't be hard to find.

Think about all the other people in your story as characters . Each family member is there as a supporting role to you, the protagonist. Like you, they need to be interesting, if not always likable. It also helps to include conflict early on. Most people experience plenty of conflict in their lives, so this isn't usually hard.

When you think about your autobiography in this way, you can then refine your outline – or write a whole new one—with this in mind.

And once you're confident that you have the structure you want, it's time to start writing!

Since you're writing about your own experiences, you'll probably want to stick to the first person point of view . This is the most common autobiography format—even for those written with the help of a ghostwriter. For many authors, this comes naturally because it's how we tell stories to each other.

That said, writing “I” over and over again can get a little old. This is normal. Just take it as an opportunity to vary your sentences instead of starting every one of them with “I.”

The writing process is different for every author, but it's important that you commit to a certain word goal per day or week . Make this goal attainable and stick to it. If you go weeks or months without getting words down, you'll just have to work harder to get back into the rhythm of autobiography writing.

That said, give yourself room to make mistakes during the first draft. When you accept that your first draft won’t be perfect and only focus on getting the words down, things get a lot easier. You can always go back and edit later. But you won’t have anything to edit if you don't write!

When you're done with your first draft, let it sit for a couple of weeks or a month. This will allow you to get some distance from the words, which can help you look at them with a critical eye when it comes time to work on your subsequent drafts.

Some authors even do this after each consecutive draft. But many find that it's most beneficial after the first one.

Whether you wait a week or a month or more is up to you. But you can certainly find a sweet spot that works best for your writing schedule.

Recording your life story is no easy task. And you will, by definition, be close to it. So this distance is imperative to achieve a dispassionate look at it. From there, you can make changes and re-work it until you think it's ready for another pair of eyes.

Once you've made your autobiography as good as you can make it, it's time to seek help. While you can certainly give a copy of the book to some friends and family to see what they think, keep in mind they're likely biased. Chances are they're also not professional editors, either.

This is why it's always a good idea to hire an editor —preferably one who's familiar with autobiographies. Of course, there are many different kinds of editors. And taking a critical look at your book in step 5 is important for choosing the right kind.

If you think there are some structural issues with the book, you may want to hire a developmental editor. If you want someone to find typos and grammar issues, then a line editor may be best.

For more information, check out our article on different kinds of editing .

No matter what kind you go with, getting the feedback of an unbiased professional can do wonders for your autobiography .

Even if you're not looking to make millions with your autobiography, publishing can still be a lot of fun. While it's hard to get a book deal for an autobiography unless you're already a celebrity, self-publishing is always an option.

With a formatted manuscript and a professional cover, you can have your book up on Amazon and other online retailers in short order. You can even order author copies of your paperback to give to friends and family.

To learn more about this process, check out our self-publishing hub .

Whether you want to sell your autobiography to a wide audience or simply have it around for future generations of your family to read, writing about your life experience is a worthwhile endeavor. It can help you become a better writer while reflecting on your life and the lessons learned.

To cover your life story in a compelling manner means leaving some things out and focusing more on others. Pivotal moments in your life should be the “plot points” of your autobiography. Striving to meet some goal should create a through-line for the reader. And the setbacks on your way to that goal can create the conflict needed to keep things interesting.

Of course, all this should be true—unless you're writing a fictional autobiography!

Dave Chesson

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Shaping Your Legacy: How to Write a Compelling Autobiography

The Speaker Lab
March 12, 2024

Ever thought about how your life story would read if it were a book? Writing an autobiography is like creating a map of your personal journey, each chapter representing milestones that shaped you. But where do you start and how can you ensure the tale holds interest?

This guide will help unravel those questions by delving into what makes an autobiography stand out, planning techniques to keep your narrative on track, writing tips for engaging storytelling, and even ethical considerations when revealing private aspects of your life.

We’ll also touch on refining drafts and navigating publishing options. By the end of this read, you’ll be equipped with all the insights you need to create a compelling autobiography!

Understanding the Essence of an Autobiography

An autobiography provides a comprehensive view of one’s life journey from birth to the present day. Imagine climbing into a time machine where every chapter represents different eras in your life. The goal of an autobiography is to allow readers to explore a factual, chronological telling of the author’s life.

Autobiographies aren’t merely catalogues of events, however; they need soulful introspection too. Think about why certain episodes mattered more than others and how those experiences influenced your perspectives or decisions later on.

You’ll also want to infuse emotional honesty, allowing yourself vulnerability when recalling both triumphant milestones and painful obstacles. Authenticity creates connections between authors and their audience, so let them see real human emotions behind every word written.

Distinguishing Features Of An Autobiography

The unique thing about autobiographies is they are first-person narratives . This allows readers to experience everything through your eyes, as if they’re living vicariously through you. From triumphs to trials, each page unravels another layer of who you are.

While memoirs are also first-person narratives of a person’s life, there are different from autobiographies. In a memoir, the author focuses on a particular time period or theme in their life. If you’d rather skip the details and dates needed for an autobiography and focus more on emotional truths, you might consider writing a memoir.

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Pre-Writing Stage: Planning Your Autobiography

The planning stage is a crucial part of writing your autobiography. It’s where you map out the significant events in your life, establish a timeline, and identify who will be reading your story.

Selecting Key Life Events

To start, you need to pinpoint key moments that have shaped you. While you will include plenty of factual details in your autobiography, you won’t include every single one. Rather, you’ll be spending the majority of your autobiography focusing on the transformative experiences that defined your life journey. After all, an autobiography is not just a catalogue of events; it’s also an exploration into what these experiences meant to you.

Establishing A Timeline

Next up is establishing a timeline for your narrative flow. Since you’re writing an autobiography, it’s important to first map out your story chronologically so that you can keep your events straight in your mind. MasterClass has several suggestions for key elements you might want to include in your timeline.

Identifying Your Audience

Finding out who’ll read your book helps shape its tone and style. Self-Publishing School says understanding whether it’s for close family members or broader public can guide how personal or universal themes should be presented.

While this process might feel overwhelming initially, take time with this stage. Good planning sets solid foundations for creating an engaging autobiography.

Writing Techniques for an Engaging Autobiography

If you’re on the journey to pen down your life story, let’s dive into some techniques that can help transform it from a simple narrative into a riveting read. An engaging autobiography is more than just facts and dates—it’s about weaving your experiences in such a way that they captivate readers.

Incorporating Dialogue

The first technique involves incorporating dialogue. Rather than telling your audience what happened, show them through conversations. It lets the reader experience events as if they were there with you. As renowned author Stephen King suggests , dialogue is crucial in defining a the character of a person (including yourself).

Using Vivid Descriptions

Vivid descriptions are another effective tool in creating an immersive reading experience. But remember: overdoing it might overwhelm or bore the reader, so find balance between being descriptive and concise.

Narrative Techniques

Different narrative techniques can also enhance storytelling in autobiographies. For instance, foreshadowing creates suspense; flashbacks provide deeper context; and stream of consciousness presents thoughts as they occur naturally—a powerful way to share personal reflections.

All these writing tools combined will give you a gripping account of your life journey—one where every turn of page reveals more layers of depth and dimensionality about who you are as both character and narrator.

Structuring Your Autobiography for Maximum Impact

Deciding on the right structure for your autobiography is essential to ensure your book captivates readers and keeps them engaged.

The first step towards structuring your autobiography effectively is deciding whether to organize it chronologically or thematically. A chronological approach takes readers on a journey through time, letting each event unfold as you experienced it. On the other hand, a thematic approach revolves around central themes that have defined your life—think resilience, ambition or transformation—and might jump back and forth in time.

Creating Chapters

An effective way to manage the vast amount of information in an autobiography is by dividing it into chapters. Each chapter should be structured around a specific time frame (if you’re opting for chronological order) or theme (if taking the thematic approach). The key here isn’t necessarily sticking rigidly to these categories but using them as guides to help shape and direct your narrative flow.

Crafting Compelling Beginnings and Endings

A strong beginning pulls people into your world while an impactful ending stays with them long after they’ve closed the book—a little like how memorable speeches often start with something surprising yet relatable and end leaving audiences pondering over what they’ve heard. So consider starting off with something unexpected that gives insight into who you are rather than birthplace/date details right away. For endings, look at wrapping up major themes from throughout the book instead of simply closing out on latest happenings in your life.

Remember, structuring an autobiography is as much about the art of storytelling as it is about chronicling facts. Use structure to draw readers in and take them on a journey through your life’s highs and lows—all the moments that made you who you are today.

Ethical Considerations When Writing an Autobiography

When penning your life story, it’s important to respect privacy and handle sensitive issues well. Because let’s face it, writing about others in our lives can be a slippery slope. We need to tread carefully.

Respecting Privacy: Telling Your Story Without Invading Others’

The first thing we have to consider is the right of privacy for those who cross paths with our narrative journey. While they might play crucial roles in our stories, remember that their experiences are their own too.

A good rule of thumb is to get explicit consent before mentioning anyone extensively or revealing sensitive information about them. In some cases where this isn’t possible, anonymizing details or using pseudonyms could help maintain privacy while keeping the essence of your story intact. Author Tracy Seeley sheds more light on how one should handle such situations responsibly.

Navigating Sensitive Topics With Care

Sensitive topics often make for compelling narratives but dealing with them requires tact and empathy. You’re walking a tightrope, balancing honesty and sensitivity, a fall from which can lead to hurt feelings or even legal troubles.

An excellent way around this dilemma would be by focusing on how these experiences affected you personally rather than detailing the event itself. Remember, your autobiography is an opportunity to share your life experiences, not just a platform for airing grievances or settling scores.

Maintaining Honesty: Your Authentic Self Is the Best Narrator

Above all else, stay truthful when writing your autobiography, both when you’re writing about sensitive topics and even when you’re not. While it can be tempting to bend the facts so that your audience sees you in a more positive light, maintaining honesty is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Editing and Revising Your Autobiography

Your initial draft is finished, but the job isn’t done yet. Editing and revising your autobiography can feel like a daunting task, but it’s essential for creating a polished final product.

The Importance of Self-Editing

You may feel that you have written your autobiography perfectly the first time, but there are always ways to make it better. The beauty of self-editing lies in refining your story to make sure it resonates with readers. You’re not just fixing typos or grammar mistakes; you’re looking at structure, flow, and consistency. Essentially you’re asking yourself: does this piece tell my life story in an engaging way?

Inviting Feedback from Others

No matter how meticulous we are as writers, our own work can sometimes evade us. Inviting feedback from others is invaluable during the revision process. They provide fresh eyes that can spot inconsistencies or confusing parts that may have slipped past us.

Hiring a Professional Editor

If you’re serious about publishing your autobiography and making an impact with your words, hiring a professional editor can be worth its weight in gold. An editor won’t just fix errors—they’ll help streamline sentences and enhance readability while respecting your unique voice.

Remember to approach editing and revising with patience—it’s part of the writing journey. Don’t rush through it; give each word careful consideration before moving onto publication options for your autobiography.

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Publishing Options for Your Autobiography

Once you’ve spent time and energy creating your autobiography, the following challenge is to make it available for others. But don’t fret! There are numerous options available for releasing your work.

Traditional Publishing Houses

A conventional path many authors take is partnering with a traditional publishing house . These industry giants have extensive resources and networks that can help boost the visibility of your book. The process may be competitive, but if accepted, they handle everything from design to distribution—letting you focus on what matters most: telling your story.

Self-Publishing Platforms

If you want more control over every aspect of publication or seek a faster route to market, self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), offer an accessible alternative. With this option, you manage all aspects including cover design and pricing ; however, it also means greater responsibility in promoting your book.

Bear in mind that both options have their own pros and cons, so consider them carefully before making any decisions.

Marketing Your Autobiography

Now that you’ve crafted your autobiography, it’s time to get the word out. You need a plan and strategy.

Leveraging Social Media

To start with, use your social platforms as launching pads for your book. Sites like Facebook , Twitter, and especially LinkedIn can help generate buzz about your work. And don’t underestimate the power of other platforms like Instagram and TikTok when trying to reach younger audiences. Whatever social platform you use, remember to engage with followers by responding to comments and questions about the book.

Organizing Book Signings

A physical event like a book signing not only provides readers with a personal connection but also generates local publicity. Consider partnering up with local independent stores or libraries, which are often open to hosting such events.

Securing Media Coverage

Contacting local newspapers, radio stations or even bloggers and podcasters in your field can provide much-needed visibility for your work. It might seem intimidating at first, but who better than you knows how important this story is?

FAQs on How to Write an Autobiography

How do i start an autobiography about myself.

To kick off your autobiography, jot down significant life events and pick a unique angle that frames your story differently.

What are the 7 steps in writing an autobiography?

The seven steps are: understanding what an autobiography is, planning it out, using engaging writing techniques, structuring it effectively, considering ethics, revising thoroughly, and exploring publishing options.

What are the 3 parts of an autobiography?

An autobiography generally has three parts: introduction (your background), body (major life events), and conclusion (reflections on your journey).

What is the format for writing an autobiography?

The usual format for autobiographies involves chronological or thematic structure with clear chapters marking distinct phases of life.

Writing an autobiography is a journey, a trek exploring the unique narrative of your life. Together, we’ve covered how to plan effectively, select key events, and set timelines.

Once you’re all set to write, you now have the techniques you need for engaging storytelling, including vivid descriptions and dialogues. You also learned about structuring your story for maximum impact and navigating sensitive topics while maintaining honesty.

Last but not least, you learned editing strategies, publishing options, and effective ways of promoting your book.

Now you know more than just how to write an autobiography. You know how to craft a legacy worth reading!

Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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Education and Communications
Autobiographies

How to Write an Autobiography

Last Updated: April 25, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,285,707 times.

What's your story? Anyone who has lived a full life has something fascinating to share with the world. The trick to writing an autobiography is to treat it like any good story: it should have a protagonist (you), a central conflict, and a cast of fascinating characters to keep people engaged. You may want to think about a certain theme or idea that has been present in your daily life to revolve your story around. Read on to learn how to craft the story of your life and polish your writing to make it sing.

Mapping Out Your Life

Your autobiography doesn't have to begin with your birth. You may want to include some family history as well. Write down information about your ancestry, your grandparents' lives, your parents' lives, and so on. Having information about your family history will help readers get a sense of how you became the person you are.
What happened when you were a teenager? What led you to make the decisions you made?
Did you go to college? Write about those transitory years, too.
Write about your career, your relationships, your children, and any big life-altering events that occurred.

Teachers, coaches, mentors, and bosses are extremely influential in people's lives. Decide whether someone who has been a role model (or the opposite) for you will figure into your story.
Ex-boyfriends and girlfriends might co-star in some interesting stories.
What enemies have you had in life? Your story will be boring if you don't include some conflicts.
Offbeat characters such as animals, celebrities you've never met, and even cities are often points of interest in an autobiography.

The childhood story. Whether your childhood was happy or traumatic, you should include a few anecdotes that give a picture of who you were and what you experienced at the time. You can tell the story of your childhood by breaking it down into smaller anecdotes that illustrate your personality - your parents' reaction when you brought home a stray dog, the time you climbed out of the window at school and ran away for 3 days, your friendly relationship with a homeless person living in the woods… get creative.
The coming of age story. This heady and often sensual period in a human's life is always of interest to readers. Remember that it's not about writing something unique; everyone comes of age. It's about writing something that resonates with readers.
The falling in love story. You could also write the opposite of this, the never-finding-love story.
The identity crisis story. This usually occurs in the 30s or 40s and is sometimes referred to as a mid-life crisis.
The story of facing down some force of evil. Whether it's your battle with addiction, a controlling lover, or a madman who tried to kill your family, you've got to write about conflict you've experienced.

Write as though you're opening your heart to a trusted friend, in prose that's clear, strong and not too cluttered with vocabulary words you rarely use.
Write so that your personality is revealed. Are you funny? Intense? Spiritual? Dramatic? Don't hold back; your personality should come through in the way you tell your story.

Don't always cast yourself in a positive light. You can have foibles and still be the protagonist. Reveal mistakes you've made and times when you've failed yourself and other people.
Reveal your inner thoughts. Share your opinions and ideas, including those that may spark controversy. Be true to yourself through your autobiography.

Crafting a Narrative

What's your central conflict? What's the biggest obstacle life presented that took years to overcome or come to terms with? Maybe it's an illness you were diagnosed with at an early age, a relationship wrought with turmoil, a series of career setbacks, a goal you worked for decades to achieve, or any other number of things. Look to your favorite books and movies for more examples of conflicts.
Build tension and suspense. Structure the narrative so that you have a series of stories leading up to the climax of the conflict. If your central conflict is trying to reach the goal of competing in the Olympics for skiing, lead up to it with stories of small successes and plenty of failures. You want your readers to ask, will she make it? Can he do it? What's going to happen next?
Have a climax. You'll get to the point in your story when it's time for the conflict to come to a head. The day of the big competition has arrived, a showdown happens with your worst enemy, your gambling habit gets the better of you and you lose all your money - you get the picture.
End with a resolution. Most autobiographies have happy endings because the person writing the story lived to tell the tale - and hopefully get it published. Even if your ending isn't cheerful, it should be deeply satisfying. You somehow accomplished your goal or won the day. Even if you lost, you came to terms with it and gained wisdom.

Step 2 Decide where the story is going to start.

You could frame the entire autobiography with reflections from the present, telling your story through a series of flashbacks.
You could begin the story with a poignant moment from your childhood, go backward to tell the story of your heritage, move forward to your college years, and launch into the story of your career, with anecdotes from your childhood sprinkled in for comic relief.

Consider ending chapters on a poignant or suspenseful note, so people can't wait to start the next one.
The beginnings of chapters are a good place to take a bird's eye view of your past, describe the setting of a place, and set the tone for what's to come.

Editing the Book

Step 1 Make sure you get the facts right.

You can stretch the truth about your own goals and intentions, but don't include fabricated conversations with real people, or altered versions of events that really happened. Of course, you won't remember everything perfectly, but you should reflect reality as best you can.
Get permission to use people's names or quote them if you're including content on what other people said or did. Some people don't appreciate appearing as a character in someone else's autobiography, and you should respect that by altering the way you describe them or changing their names if necessary. [6] X Research source

If several people recommend cutting a certain section, strongly consider making the cut.
Try to get opinions from people outside your circle of family and friends. People who know you might try to spare your feelings, or they might be biased - especially if they appear in the story.

Bossy Pants , by Tina Fey.
My Confession , by Leo Tolstoy.
A Long Walk to Freedom , by Nelson Mandela.
The Sound of Laughter , by Peter Kay. [7] X Research source

Publishing Your Story

If you don't want to pay for a publishing service, you can still create a nice copy of your book by taking it to a copy store and having it printed and bound.

Step 2 Consider finding a literary agent.

Start the query letter with an airtight blurb succinctly describing the highlights of the book. Situate your book in the correct genre, and describe what will make it stand out from the rest. Tell the agent why you think he or she is the right person to shop your book around to publishers.
Send sample chapters to agents who show interest.
Sign a contract with an agent you trust. Make sure to read the contract carefully and check into the agent's history before signing anything.

Many publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts or queries. Make sure you only send letters to publishers that accept them.
If a publisher decides to move forward with a book deal with you, you'll need to sign a contract and set up a schedule for editing, designing, proofreading, and finally publishing the book.

Step 4 Look into publishing your book online.

Writing Help

Expert Q&A

Your biography can also include a dedication, foreword, vital statistics, chronology sheets, family tree, and epilogue. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
If the purpose of your autobiography is to pass on your story to your heirs, consider including memorabilia (e.g. pictures, heirlooms, medals, mementos, letters, etc.) and putting your story in a scrapbook format. Of course, you may not be able to copy the memorabilia that accompanies your autobiography, so you still have to think about what you intend to do with your original work and other items, such as medals or bulky heirlooms. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
Make your story vivid but don't get bogged down in unimportant details. While you want your autobiography to be memorable, you don't want it to be boring. Too many details—listing everyone that was at a party or trying to include all the events of each day—will bog the story down. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

Be aware of what constitutes libel. If you write something defamatory or maliciously untrue about another person in an autobiography that you intend to publish, consider changing his or her name (if still living). Otherwise, you might find yourself facing a lawsuit. If you're unsure about what to change, consult a lawyer who specializes in libel. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about writing as a career, check out our in-depth interview with Gerald Posner .

↑ https://theamericanscholar.org/how-to-write-a-memoir
↑ https://self-publishingschool.com/how-to-write-an-autobiography/
↑ https://blog.reedsy.com/narrative-arc/
↑ https://cdn5-ss8.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_222705/File/Parents%20and%20Students/Star%20Works/How%20to%20write%20an%20Autobiography.pdf
↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/04/how-to-write-a-memoir-jeanette-winterson-and-helen-macdonald
↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/defamation-and-invasion
↑ https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/feb/07/biographies-autobiography-nielsen-2001
↑ https://www.pw.org/literary_agents

About This Article

To write an autobiography, start by making a timeline of your most important life events that you feel you could write about. Then, identify the main characters in your life story, including family members, ex-boyfriends or girlfriends, friends, and enemies. Once you have your cast of characters, pull life events from your timeline, such as a story from your childhood, a coming of age story, a love story, or a triumphant story. Write about these events and then connect them with a cohesive plot by writing in your own voice and being honest with the reader. To learn more about how to edit and publish your autobiography once it's finished, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write an Autobiography: An Essential Guide to Writing About Yourself in a Memoir or Autobiography

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How to Write an Autobiography: An Essential Guide to Writing About Yourself in a Memoir or Autobiography Paperback – May 5, 2015

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50 Eye-Catching Autobiography Titles (+ How to Write Your Own)

POSTED ON Oct 12, 2023

Written by Shannon Clark

You’ve written your life story.

You’ve laid your heart bare before the world

So, what’s the best title for your one-of-a-kind masterpiece?

“____________: An Autobiography”?

Seriously, unless you’re a household name, using “autobiography” as part of your title might not work in your favor, but not to worry. You don’t have to be famous to write an autobiography , but you do need a title that will grab a buyer's attention, so they know your book is worth a second look.

Don't like it?

The purpose of this article is to break down what makes a standout autobiography title and the process for creating your own.

Need autobiography titles? Let's dive in!

The secret sauce for writing an amazing book title.

The process of creating an autobiography book title that gets noticed starts with a marketer's mindset.

Yes, it all boils down to strategic book positioning in the marketplace. Creativity is a big part of it, but that’s a small part of the bigger picture. After all, if your book doesn't get in front of the people who would be most likely to read it, you can't change lives with the content inside!

Unlike fiction books or other types of nonfiction books (e.g. business books or textbooks) where there’s a specific category or genre expectation, autobiographies play by their own set of rules—the more creative the better.

How to think like a marketer when creating your title

If you are self-publishing your book, then you’re probably already aware that marketing is a key component of your book’s success, but what is marketing exactly?

The American Marketing Association defines marketing as

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

When marketing your book, knowing how to write a good book title matters, because, along with your cover, it’s the first thing a potential buyer sees (reads) before making a buying decision. A casual search for “autobiography” on Amazon pulled up over 700,000 results. This doesn’t mean that every book belongs in the category, but it’s still a lot of books.

You might be asking how you get your book to rise to the top of search results.

Start with a great title.

Here are some best practices:

Make your title relevant – You can never go wrong with a title that reflects the theme of your book . This will clue buyers into what to expect. You can also go with a significant statement or quote drawn directly from your story. Clever titles also work, but try to stay away from the cheesy ones that confuse buyers.
Appeal to your ideal audience’s needs – Every book is not for everyone. Target a specific reader type when creating your title. For example, meteorologist and television personality Ginger Zee titled her book Natural Disasters. This title works well for her because her book’s content is about the unpredictable “storms” of life she has faced and she also covers storms in her reporting.
Stay away from clickbait – Or anything that leads readers to believe your book is about one thing but it’s something else. This only frustrates readers and could potentially lead to bad reviews.
Use a primary keyword in your title if it fits – First Gen by Alejandra Campoverdi and Cooked by Jeff Henderson include keyword(s) that are relevant to buyer searches.
Invite the reader into your story – This can be done by asking a question like the autobiography title What Are You Doing Here? by Baroness Floella Benjamin. Or, create an image in their mind like The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson or The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish.

Hint: Keep it short. According to Amazon, “Customers are more likely to skim past long titles (over 60 characters). There are exceptions to the rules. You’ll see some in the list that follows.

Don’t forget about writing a subtitle for your book . They are optional but a great way to add a splash of flavor.

50 eye-catching autobiography titles that inspire

After an exhaustive search in the autobiography categories of the top online book retailers, I selected 50 incredible autobiography titles as a starting point for creating an amazing title for your autobiography. Note: Memoir titles listed under the autobiography category are included in the list.

Autobiography titles about celebrities

What Are You Doing Here? – Baronness Floella Benjamin
Tis Herself – Maureen O’Hara
F inding Me by Viola Davis
Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots By Reba McEntire
Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories by Kelly Ripa
Thicker than Water by Kerry Washington
We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu
Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli
Just as I am by Cicely Tyson
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Making It So by Patrick Stewart
Inside Out by Demi Moore
In Pieces by Sally Field
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder by William Shatner
Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
Look Out for the Little Guy! By Scott Lang
I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart, Neil Strauss
No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox
Scenes from My Life by Michael K. Williams
The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe
I Came as a Shadow – John Thompson

Autobiography titles about authors

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Lit by Mary Karr

Autobiography titles about family

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Mott Street by Ava Chin
The Girl in the Middle by Anais Granofsky
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson

Autobiography titles about immigration, culture, and race

Good Morning, Hope: A True Story of Refugee Twin Sisters and Their Triumph over War, Poverty, and Heartbreak by Argita Zalli, and Detina Zalli
Negroland by Margo Jefferson
First Gen by Alejandra Campoverdi
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter’s Story – Mazie K. Hirono
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clementine Wamariya, Elizabeth Weil

Autobiography titles about beating the odds

Cooked by Jeff Henderson
The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow
Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Mann, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory
When the Tears Dry by Meredith Hawkins
Reaching for the Moon by Katherine Johnson
80 Percent Luck, 20 Percent Skill: My Life as a WWII Navy Ferry Pilot by Ralph T. Alshouse

Autobiography titles about faith

Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache by Granger Smith
The Barn by David Hill
All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore

Autobiography titles about journalists, reporters, and media

Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I am One by Ginger Zee
Going There by Katie Couric
Rough Draft by Kati Tur
The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day

Use a free tool to generate your own autobiography title

You obviously can't use these published autobiography titles for your own book – but you can use our free book title generator to come up with suggestions that you could use.

It's really easy to use, and instantly gives you an unlimited amount of working titles – or even final titles – to use for your book!

1. Select nonfiction for the book’s genre in the drop-down menu

2. Fill in the details

For the next question, if you have a book description, type “yes” and add your description in the text box.

If you don’t have a description yet, answer “no” and fill out the questions. Eventually, you will need to write a book description , but this is often something our authors do after they complete their manuscript .

Incredible Biography Titles - Book Title Generator Description Question Section

3. Click “generate”

That's it! Get ready for some unique autobiography book title suggestions. Remember, if you don't like the one that you see, you can continue to generate as many as you'd like.

Final thoughts

Your autobiography title can be the difference between someone scrolling past your book on Amazon or stopping to read a sample. Whatever title you choose, remember that it’s just as much about you as your reader. Make them want to read your story by giving them something unique that piques their interest.

You can also look for inspiration in other genres. For example, some memoir book titles could also lend well to an autobiography – like What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo. Intriguing, isn't it? Don't limit yourself!

Are you ready to take the next steps with your autobiography? We have a professional publishing team ready to guide you through the book development process.

What is a mind map: 7 steps to making one and using it to write your book.

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COMMENTS

How to Write a Book About Your Life: 10 Powerful Steps
Decide if you're ready to write a book about yourself. Spend some time self-reflecting. Decide which specific experience of your life you want to focus on. Create a mindmap of the things that pop up after step #3. Take those ideas and start creating a book outline, then follow the rest of this blog post.
Autobiography Definition, Examples, and Writing Guide
The strict definition of autobiography is a first-person account of its author's entire life. A memoir does not document the memoirist's full life story but rather a selected era or a specific multi-era journey within that author's life. Memoirs tend to be much more focused than autobiographies. The main difference between memoir and ...
How To Write an Autobiography 2024 (Tips, Templates, & Guide)
Order your sections (from medium to high interest) Order the ideas in each section (from medium to high interest) Write three questions to answer in each section. Choose a starter sentence. Complete a title template. Write each section of your by completing the starter sentence and answering all three questions.
How to Write a Book About Yourself: 11 Steps (+ Publishing!)
11. Host a book launch party. This is the day your book goes "live" on your selected platforms, and readers can buy a copy. Your book launch party isn't just about finally becoming a published author - it's a huge day to leverage to increase book sales and buzz. This is the day you've been waiting for.
How to Write a Book About Your Life
Say that in your recollection, this is how it happened. If you find you want to lie to make your story interesting, start the process over. Ask yourself if this is really the spin on your life you should take. Find a story in your life that doesn't make you want to lie. 5. Fill in Realistic Details.
15 Autobiography Examples to Inspire Your Own
1. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. One of the best-known autobiographies, The Diary of a Young Girl, is an excellent example of a journal-style layout. Featuring the story of a young girl who is hiding during the Holocaust, aspiring writers will find inspiration in Frank's raw emotions and candor.
How to Write an Autobiography in 31 Steps
3. Read. A great way to learn how to write an autobiography is to read. A lot. Reading other autobiographies will give you an idea of which direction to go in and how this genre is structured. It can also help you to develop your style and tone of voice, and to pinpoint which writing techniques you find most effective.
How To Start Autobiography About Yourself? (9 Easy Steps)
Step #3 Collect your memories and thoughts. The third step in writing an autobiography is collecting your memories and thoughts. This can be done in several ways, but the easiest way is to start writing simply. Write about your childhood, family, friends, experiences, and anything else that you can think of.
How to Write an Autobiography: 7 Key Steps
7 steps to write your own life story: Brainstorm your autobiography's focus and scope. Skim autobiographies for inspiration. Choose between autobiography and memoir. Outline key and illustrative life events. Draft key scenes from your life. Find strong transitions. Check details and get beta readers. 1.
How To Write An Autobiography: A Detailed & Comprehensive Guide
When you write an autobiography, you want to use first-person writing. You are telling the story of you. Therefore you should tell it from your own point of view. On the other hand, biographies should always be written from a third-person point of view. Third-person is using "he, she, they, them.".
How to Write a Biography About Yourself: Pro Tips & Examples
3. Paint a Picture with Words: Instead of a laundry list of skills or interests, use vivid language and action verbs to showcase your passions. Don't just say you're "creative" - describe yourself as "brainstorming innovative solutions" or "transforming blank canvases into vibrant masterpieces.".
How To Write A Book About Your Life
Write in 1st person - Use the pronouns 'I' and 'we' throughout your book. Not only is this the accepted perspective for this kind of writing, it also lends your work subjective authority. This is your story, so make sure the reader knows that by using the 1st person voice.
How to Write an Autobiography and Publish it in 7 Easy Steps
Step 6: Get a Professional Editor. Once you've made your autobiography as good as you can make it, it's time to seek help. While you can certainly give a copy of the book to some friends and family to see what they think, keep in mind they're likely biased. Chances are they're also not professional editors, either.
How to Write a Biography in 8 Steps (The Non-Boring Way!)
Conduct relevant interviews. Whenever possible, seek firsthand accounts from those who knew or interacted with the subject. Conduct interviews with family members, friends, colleagues, or experts in the field. Their insights and anecdotes can provide a deeper understanding of the person's character and experiences.
Shaping Your Legacy: How to Write a Compelling Autobiography
The goal of an autobiography is to allow readers to explore a factual, chronological telling of the author's life. Autobiographies aren't merely catalogues of events, however; they need soulful introspection too. Think about why certain episodes mattered more than others and how those experiences influenced your perspectives or decisions ...
5 Ways to Write an Autobiography
Taking a step back from the action of the story to reflect on what it all means is a good way to add depth to your autobiography. 5. Use chapter divisions to give the book structure. Chapters are useful because they allow you to move on from discussing certain life periods or events.
Writing Your Life: A Guide to Writing Autobiographies
Writing Your Life: A Guide to Writing Autobiographies breaks down the barriers of personal narrative with an easy-to-follow guide that includes thought-provoking questions, encouraging suggestions, memory-jogging activities, tips for writing, advice on publishing one's stories in print and online, and examples of ordinary people's writing.
How to Write an Autobiography: An Essential Guide to Writing About
Since I am taking history and writing classes, its common for my teacher to assign writing assignments like write an autobiography of a historic figure. Again, I suck at writing. This book tells you how to step by step write an autobiography and organize your thoughts before writing your paper.
11 Tips On How To Write A Personal Biography + Examples
Those who have mastered the steps of how to write a bio spend a lot of time doing this. If you approach writing a bio like a story, you're giving yourself the opportunity to differentiate yourself from others and truly connect with the reader. 6. Edit ruthlessly, analyze with free tools, and update constantly.
The Only (FREE) Autobiography Template You Need
Write an eye-catching autobiography title for your book. Leave out the minutia. If it doesn't move your story along, drop it. Tone matters. A good rule of thumb is to write your story like you were talking to a friend. Your story doesn't have to be a monotone race to the finish line. Spice it up. Add some sparkle.
How to Write an Autobiography: An Essential Guide to Writing About
Since I am taking history and writing classes, its common for my teacher to assign writing assignments like write an autobiography of a historic figure. Again, I suck at writing. This book tells you how to step by step write an autobiography and organize your thoughts before writing your paper.
50 Eye-Catching Autobiography Titles (+ How to Write Your Own)
1. Select nonfiction for the book's genre in the drop-down menu. 2. Fill in the details. For the next question, if you have a book description, type "yes" and add your description in the text box. If you don't have a description yet, answer "no" and fill out the questions.

How To Write an Autobiography 2024 (Tips, Templates, & Guide)

What Is an Autobiography?

What Should I Include In an Autobiography?

Autobiography Structure Secrets

How To Write an Autobiography Quickly: Strategies & Templates

How To Write an Autobiography: Step-by-Step

Brainstorm Your Autobiography

Order Your Sections (From Medium to High Interest)

Order The Ideas in Each Section (From Medium To High Interest)

Write Three Questions to Answer in Each Section

Choose a Starter Sentence

Complete a Title Template

Write Your Autobiography

How To Write an Autobiography (All the Best Tips)

How Do I Format an Autobiography?

How Long Should an Autobiography Be?

How To Write a Short Autobiography

How To Start an Autobiography

Good Autobiography Titles

Types of Autobiographies

Memoir vs. Autobiography: Are They The Same?

What Is the Difference Between an Autobiography and a Biography?

What Not To Include In an Autobiography

1) Anything That Readers Will Skip

2) Character Attacks on Others

3) Skipping Highlights

How To Write an Autobiography: Autobiography Examples

Autobiography Examples for Adults

Autobiography Examples for Kids

Final Thoughts: How To Write An Autobiography

2 thoughts on “How To Write an Autobiography 2024 (Tips, Templates, & Guide)”

How to Write a Book About Your Life: 8 Tips with Examples

Krystal N. Craiker

Reasons to Write Your Story

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave , by Frederick Douglass

An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

1. Pre-Write

2. Follow a Narrative Structure

3. Research Your Own Life

4. Be Truthful

5. Fill in Realistic Details

6. Show Your Shortcomings

7. Get Permission

8. End on a High Note

Be confident about grammar

Get started with ProWritingAid

Related Topics

How to Write an Autobiography

How to Write an Autobiography in 31 Steps

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What is an Autobiography?

2. Memoir vs. Autobiography

4. When to Write an Autobiography

6. How to Pick a Theme

7. Exceptions

8. How to Plan

9. Writing Schedule

10. How to Start an Autobiography

11. Go Digging

12. Fill Up Your Senses

13. Write a letter

14. Emotions

15. New Insights

16. Take Care

17. Know Your Why

18. Tone of Voice

19. First or Third Person?

20. Conflict

21. Story Arc

22. Comedy and Funny Anecdotes

23. Where to Begin ?

24. Consider Your Reader

25. How to Make Events More Colorful

26. Consider Your Reader

28. Consider Privacy/Confidentiality

29. Editing