autobiography meaning example

Autobiography

Definition of autobiography.

Autobiography is one type of biography , which tells the life story of its author, meaning it is a written record of the author’s life. Rather than being written by somebody else, an autobiography comes through the person’s own pen, in his own words. Some autobiographies are written in the form of a fictional tale; as novels or stories that closely mirror events from the author’s real life. Such stories include Charles Dickens ’ David Copperfield  and J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in The Rye . In writing about personal experience, one discovers himself. Therefore, it is not merely a collection of anecdotes – it is a revelation to the readers about the author’s self-discovery.

Difference between Autobiography and Memoir

In an autobiography, the author attempts to capture important elements of his life. He not only deals with his career, and growth as a person, he also uses emotions and facts related to family life, relationships, education, travels, sexuality, and any types of inner struggles. A memoir is a record of memories and particular events that have taken place in the author’s life. In fact, it is the telling of a story or an event from his life; an account that does not tell the full record of a life.

Six Types of Autobiography

There are six types of autobiographies:

• Autobiography: A personal account that a person writes himself/herself.
• Memoir : An account of one’s memory.
• Reflective Essay : One’s thoughts about something.
• Confession: An account of one’s wrong or right doings.
• Monologue : An address of one’s thoughts to some audience or interlocuters.
• Biography : An account of the life of other persons written by someone else.

Importance of Autobiography

Autobiography is a significant genre in literature. Its significance or importance lies in authenticity, veracity, and personal testimonies. The reason is that people write about challenges they encounter in their life and the ways to tackle them. This shows the veracity and authenticity that is required of a piece of writing to make it eloquent, persuasive, and convincing.

Examples of Autobiography in Literature

Example #1:  the box: tales from the darkroom by gunter grass.

A noble laureate and novelist, Gunter Grass , has shown a new perspective of self-examination by mixing up his quilt of fictionalized approach in his autobiographical book, “The Box: Tales from the Darkroom.” Adopting the individual point of view of each of his children, Grass narrates what his children think about him as their father and a writer. Though it is really an experimental approach, due to Grass’ linguistic creativity and dexterity, it gains an enthralling momentum.

Example #2:  The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

In her autobiography, The Story of My Life , Helen Keller recounts her first twenty years, beginning with the events of the childhood illness that left her deaf and blind. In her childhood, a writer sent her a letter and prophesied, “Someday you will write a great story out of your own head that will be a comfort and help to many.”

In this book, Keller mentions prominent historical personalities, such as Alexander Graham Bell, whom she met at the age of six, and with whom she remained friends for several years. Keller paid a visit to John Greenleaf Whittier , a famous American poet, and shared correspondence with other eminent figures, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Mrs. Grover Cleveland. Generally, Keller’s autobiography is about overcoming great obstacles through hard work and pain.

Example #3:  Self Portraits: Fictions by Frederic Tuten

In his autobiography, “Self Portraits: Fictions ,” Frederic Tuten has combined the fringes of romantic life with reality. Like postmodern writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges, and Italo Calvino, the stories of Tuten skip between truth and imagination, time and place, without warning. He has done the same with his autobiography, where readers are eager to move through fanciful stories about train rides, circus bears, and secrets to a happy marriage; all of which give readers glimpses of the real man.

Example #4:  My Prizes by Thomas Bernhard

Reliving the success of his literary career through the lens of the many prizes he has received, Thomas Bernhard presents a sarcastic commentary in his autobiography, “My Prizes.” Bernhard, in fact, has taken a few things too seriously. Rather, he has viewed his life as a farcical theatrical drama unfolding around him. Although Bernhard is happy with the lifestyle and prestige of being an author, his blasé attitude and scathing wit make this recollection more charmingly dissident and hilarious.

Example #5:  The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

“The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin ” is written by one of the founding fathers of the United States. This book reveals Franklin’s youth, his ideas, and his days of adversity and prosperity. He is one of the best examples of living the American dream – sharing the idea that one can gain financial independence, and reach a prosperous life through hard work.

Through autobiography, authors can speak directly to their readers, and to their descendants. The function of the autobiography is to leave a legacy for its readers. By writing an autobiography, the individual shares his triumphs and defeats, and lessons learned, allowing readers to relate and feel motivated by inspirational stories. Life stories bridge the gap between peoples of differing ages and backgrounds, forging connections between old and new generations.

Synonyms of Autobiography

The following words are close synonyms of autobiography such as life story, personal account, personal history, diary, journal, biography, or memoir.

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• The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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What Is an Autobiography? Definition & 50+ Examples

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in the lives of your favorite icons? Autobiographies offer us an intimate glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who’ve walked extraordinary paths.

These firsthand accounts of personal triumphs, challenges, and wisdom acquired along the way, illuminate the human experience in a profound and often surprising manner.

Join us as we journey through the pages of these literary treasures, unearthing the secrets that make them so compelling.

Table of Contents

Definition of Autobiography

An autobiography is a type of non-fiction writing that provides a firsthand account of a person’s life. The author recounts their own experiences, thoughts, emotions, and insights, often focusing on how these events have shaped their life. Typically structured around a chronological narrative, an autobiography provides a window into the author’s world

While autobiographies may be written for various reasons, including preserving personal history or sharing an inspiring story with others, they all aim to provide a genuine account of the author’s life.

Autobiographies can include stories of personal growth, challenges overcome, successes achieved, and important relationships. They often cover topics such as childhood, family life, education, career, personal struggles, and life-changing experiences.

It can portray both ordinary and extraordinary lives, allowing readers to connect with the author’s experiences and gain insights into their personal journeys.

Historical Overview

Autobiographies have a rich history, stemming from ancient times to the present day.

Early Examples

One of the earliest known examples of an autobiography is Augustine of Hippo’s “Confessions,” written in the 4th century AD. This seminal work is not only an important milestone in the development of the genre but also a deeply introspective and spiritual account of Augustine’s life and faith.

Born in 354 AD in Thagaste, Roman North Africa (modern-day Algeria), Augustine of Hippo was a Christian theologian and philosopher who became one of the most influential figures in the development of Western Christianity.

His “Confessions” were written between 397 and 400 AD, primarily as a testimony of his own personal conversion and growth in faith. The work is considered to be both a literary masterpiece and a foundational text in Christian theology.

Divided into thirteen books, the “Confessions” follows Augustine’s life chronologically, beginning with his childhood and progressing through his adolescence, early adulthood, and eventual conversion to Christianity.

The “Confessions” has been widely regarded as a groundbreaking work that laid the foundation for the autobiographical genre in Western literature. Its introspective and self-reflective style has influenced countless authors over the centuries, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Henry Newman, and Thomas Merton.

Development Through the Centuries

By the early modern period, autobiographies became more widespread, with some of the best-known examples including:

• Saint Teresa of Avila’s “The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself” chronicling the 15th-century Spanish mystic and Carmelite nun’s spiritual relationship with God.
• “The True Travels, Adventures, and Observations of Captain John Smith” of John Smith in 16th-century, which recounts his experiences in the early days of the Virginia Colony and his encounters with Native Americans.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the genre continued to develop, with unique works such as:

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s “Confessions”
• Mary Wollstonecraft’s “Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden “
• Frederick Douglass’ “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”

These important texts highlighted personal experiences, struggles, and social issues, shaping the autobiographical genre into what we recognize today.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, autobiographies span a wide range of themes and voices, including globally renowned works such as:

• Anne Frank’s “The Diary of a Young Girl”
• Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom”

These works demonstrate how the genre has evolved to encompass diverse perspectives and life experiences.

Elements of an Autobiography

An autobiography contains several key elements that help readers understand the life story of the author.

Chronological Order

Chronological order is a common structure used in autobiographies as it allows readers to follow the author’s life events in a linear sequence. This format provides a clear and organized presentation of the author’s experiences and life stages, making it easier for the reader to follow and understand.

One of the primary benefits of using a chronological structure in an autobiography is that it mirrors the natural progression of a person’s life.

As readers move through the narrative, they can witness the author’s growth, the various influences that shaped them, and the crucial turning points that led to significant changes in their lives. This progression allows for a comprehensive understanding of the author’s personal journey and evolution.

Moreover, a chronological order in autobiographies can help to contextualize the author’s experiences within broader historical and cultural events.

By situating their lives within a specific time frame, authors can provide readers with a deeper understanding of the social, political, and cultural forces that influenced their experiences and decisions. This context helps to illuminate the unique circumstances and challenges faced by the author, as well as the ways in which their lives intersected with larger societal trends and issues.

First-Person Perspective

Autobiographies are written in first-person perspective, using “I” statements, as a means of conveying the author’s personal journey through their own eyes. This technique allows the author to provide personal insights, emotions, and opinions, creating a stronger connection between the reader and the author’s personal experiences.

One of the primary benefits of the first-person perspective in autobiographies is the immediacy it lends to the narrative. When authors share their experiences and emotions directly, they draw readers into their world, allowing them to experience events as the author did. This immersive quality can evoke empathy, curiosity, and a sense of connection between the reader and the author.

Furthermore, the use of “I” statements in autobiographies facilitates an authentic portrayal of the author’s voice and personality.

As readers encounter the author’s unique perspective, they gain insight into the author’s individual character, including their values, beliefs, and aspirations. This authenticity can help to establish credibility and trust, as readers come to understand the author’s experiences on a more personal level.

The first-person perspective in autobiographies also enables authors to reflect on their experiences and draw connections between past events and their present understanding.

Self-Reflection

A key aspect of autobiographies is self-reflection, which involves the author’s analysis of their experiences and growth throughout their life. This self-examination can reveal profound insights and lessons learned, offering value and inspiration to readers.

Self-reflection in autobiographies allows authors to delve deeper into their personal experiences and emotions, exploring the impact of those events on their character and worldview.

By examining their past actions, decisions, and relationships, authors can uncover patterns and recurring themes, shedding light on the factors that have shaped their identity and personal growth. This introspective process adds depth and nuance to the narrative, making it more relatable and engaging for readers.

Self-reflection can also contribute to the development of broader themes and life lessons within an autobiography. As authors analyze their experiences and the consequences of their choices, they often identify universal truths or insights that can resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds.

These themes may include the importance of perseverance , the value of self-discovery, or the transformative power of forgiveness, among others. By sharing these lessons, authors can offer readers valuable wisdom and guidance for their own lives.

Intimate Details

Intimate details are important in an autobiography, as they shed light on the author’s personality and emotions. These personal aspects of an individual’s life can provide readers with a deeper understanding and empathy towards the author’s journey.

By sharing the intricacies of their daily lives, relationships, and innermost thoughts, authors can create a more vivid and relatable portrayal of their experiences, allowing readers to connect with their story on a more personal level.

One reason intimate details are significant in an autobiography is that they humanize the author. By providing glimpses into their private lives, authors reveal their vulnerabilities, fears, desires, and joys.

This openness can help break down barriers between the author and the reader, fostering a sense of connection and empathy. As readers recognize shared emotions and experiences, they are more likely to develop a deeper understanding of the author’s life and perspective.

Types of Autobiographies

Traditional autobiographies.

Traditional autobiographies aim to provide an in-depth and personal view of the author’s life experiences, emotions, and thoughts. They are often structured in a chronological order, starting from the author’s childhood and progressing through various stages of their life, ultimately reaching the present day.

The author usually shares anecdotes, lessons learned, and personal growth experiences, which can inspire and educate readers.

Examples of traditional autobiographies:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin (1791)

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a classic piece of American literature written by one of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin.

It was composed in four distinct parts over a period of nearly two decades, beginning in 1771 and ending in 1790, shortly before Franklin’s death. The autobiography provides a unique insight into the life, character, and values of one of the most influential figures in American history.

The autobiography is divided into four parts, each with its own focus and purpose:

• Part One This section, written in 1771, covers Franklin’s early life, from his birth in 1706 to his early career as a printer in Philadelphia. He details his family background, childhood, and early experiences in the printing trade. He also includes some of his initial forays into writing and his early experiments with electricity.
• Part Two Written in 1784, this section focuses on Franklin’s famous list of thirteen virtues, which he devised as a means of achieving moral perfection. These virtues are temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. Franklin also discusses the Junto, a mutual improvement society he founded, and his efforts to establish public services and institutions in Philadelphia, such as the first public library and the American Philosophical Society.
• Part Three Penned in 1788, this part of the autobiography provides an account of Franklin’s role in the founding of the United States. It covers his involvement in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, his diplomatic missions to France during the Revolutionary War, and his eventual return to America.
• Part Four In this brief, final section, written in 1790, Franklin reflects on his life and the writing of his autobiography. He expresses his hope that his story will inspire others and serve as a useful guide to future generations.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (1994)

“Long Walk to Freedom” is an autobiography written by Nelson Mandela, a prominent anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as the first black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. The book was published in 1994, the same year Mandela was elected president.

The autobiography chronicles Mandela’s life from his early childhood in a small rural village in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through his education and political awakening, to his 27 years in prison, and ultimately to his release and the establishment of a new democratic South Africa.

The book provides a detailed account of Mandela’s early life, including his family background and his experiences growing up in a traditional African setting.

It also delves into his education and professional life, during which he became increasingly involved in politics and the struggle against apartheid, a racially discriminatory system that segregated and oppressed the non-white population of South Africa.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (2016)

“Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” is an autobiographical comedy book written by Trevor Noah, a South African comedian and the host of The Daily Show, an American satirical news program.

The book, published in 2016, shares Noah’s life story growing up during the last years of apartheid and the turbulent times that followed as South Africa transitioned into a post-apartheid society.

The title “Born a Crime” refers to Noah’s own birth, as he was born to a black South African mother and a white Swiss father. At the time, his parents’ interracial relationship was considered illegal under the apartheid-era racial classification system, making Noah’s very existence a crime.

The book is a collection of 18 personal essays that delve into various aspects of Noah’s life. It explores his childhood experiences, such as growing up in Soweto, a South African township, learning to navigate the complexities of racial identity, and the challenges he faced due to his mixed heritage.

It also delves into Noah’s relationship with his strong-willed, fiercely independent mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, who played a pivotal role in shaping his life.

A memoir is a sub-type of autobiography that focuses on a specific aspect or period of a person’s life. It is usually more introspective and character-driven than traditional autobiographies, allowing authors to explore their experiences, emotions, and relationships in greater depth.

Memoirs often emphasize personal growth, self-discovery, and the lessons learned from the author’s unique experiences. Some examples of well-known memoirs include:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (2005)

In “The Glass Castle,” Jeannette Walls recounts her extraordinary and often chaotic upbringing as the second oldest of four children in a highly unconventional family. Her parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, were unapologetically free-spirited, opting for a nomadic lifestyle that frequently left the family in poverty and uncertainty.

The memoir is an honest and poignant exploration of the impact of such a lifestyle on the family, touching on the importance of self-reliance, love, and forgiveness.

As they moved from town to town across America, the Walls family faced a plethora of challenges, including homelessness, hunger, and a lack of stability.

Throughout the memoir, Jeannette and her siblings develop an incredible resilience, learning to navigate their unpredictable world with resourcefulness and tenacity. They scavenge for food, devise ways to make money, and adapt to their ever-changing circumstances.

As the children grow older, they begin to question their parents’ choices and recognize the dysfunction within their family. Ultimately, they find the strength to break free and forge their paths in life.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed (2012)

In “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” Cheryl Strayed takes readers on a breathtaking and emotional journey as she embarks on a solo hike across the rugged Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

Span miles from the Mojave Desert in California to the Bridge of the Gods on the border of Oregon and Washington, Strayed’s trek was a quest for healing and redemption following the death of her mother and the subsequent collapse of her marriage.

Throughout the memoir, Strayed shares her raw, honest reflections on the pain and grief she experienced, as well as the life choices that led her to the PCT. With each step on the trail, she grapples with the harsh realities of her past and the emotional baggage she carries with her.

As Strayed confronts the physical challenges of the trail, such as blistered feet, grueling climbs, and encounters with wildlife, she also faces an emotional and spiritual transformation that ultimately leads to profound self-discovery and growth.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (1969)

In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou shares the powerful story of her childhood and adolescence, growing up in the racially segregated South during the 1930s and 1940s.

The narrative follows young Maya and her brother, Bailey, as they navigate life in Stamps, Arkansas, raised by their strong-willed and loving grandmother, Momma, and their disabled Uncle Willie.

Throughout the memoir, Angelou confronts the harsh realities of racial prejudice and the limitations imposed on her and her community due to their skin color. Her experiences with discrimination, sexual assault, and the subsequent muteness that resulted from her trauma shed light on the challenges faced by Black individuals in a deeply divided society.

As Angelou grows older, she begins to question the injustices around her and develops a deep appreciation for literature and language. Through reading works by Black authors and immersing herself in the world of poetry, she gradually finds her voice and the strength to overcome her past traumas.

Angelou’s love for the written word not only empowers her but also sparks her passion for activism and the fight for civil rights.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022)

“I’m Glad My Mom Died” is an autobiography written by Jennette McCurdy, published in 2022. The book offers a candid and honest account of the life and experiences of the former Nickelodeon star, who is best known for her roles in popular TV shows like “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat.”

In the autobiography, McCurdy delves into her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Debra, who passed away in 2013 after battling cancer. The title of the book, while provocative, reflects the complicated emotions that McCurdy experienced throughout her life, as her mother’s death ultimately allowed her to break free from the control and manipulation she had experienced growing up.

Throughout the book, McCurdy explores her upbringing and the ways in which her mother’s controlling nature impacted her mental health, self-esteem, and overall well-being. She shares her struggles with anorexia, which she developed at a young age as a result of her mother’s fixation on her appearance and weight.

Additionally, McCurdy delves into her experiences as a child actor and the immense pressure she faced to succeed in the entertainment industry.

Educated by Tara Westover (2018)

In “Educated: A Memoir,” Tara Westover recounts her harrowing and inspiring journey from a life of isolation and abuse in rural Idaho to the halls of Cambridge University, where she ultimately earned a Ph.D. Born to a strict and domineering father with a mistrust of formal education and government institutions, Westover grew up in a household where schooling was forbidden and paranoia reigned.

Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, she embarked on a courageous path to self-education and personal liberation.

The memoir provides a vivid portrayal of Westover’s childhood, marked by dangerous work in her family’s junkyard, physical and emotional abuse from her father and brother, and a near-total absence of formal education.

With unwavering determination, she taught herself enough mathematics, grammar, and science to gain admission to Brigham Young University. Her pursuit of education exposed her to a world far beyond the confines of her family’s mountain home, leading her to question the beliefs and values she had been raised with.

Westover’s journey took her from Brigham Young University to Harvard and finally to Cambridge, where she earned a Ph.D. in history. Along the way, she faced the challenges of adjusting to unfamiliar social norms, reconciling her past with her newfound knowledge, and navigating the emotional turmoil of gradually breaking away from her family.

Psychological Illness

Autobiographies dealing with psychological illness delve into the challenges faced by individuals suffering from mental health disorders. These accounts offer a unique perspective on the daily struggles and triumphs of people dealing with such conditions, providing readers with valuable insights into the realities of living with mental illness.

By sharing their personal experiences, authors help to destigmatize mental health issues, raise awareness, and promote empathy and understanding. Some examples of autobiographies that focus on psychological illness include:

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison

An Unquiet Mind is a deeply personal and powerful memoir by Kay Redfield Jamison, who is not only a renowned clinical psychologist specializing in mood disorders, but also someone who has personally experienced the tumultuous journey of living with bipolar disorder.

Through her candid narrative, Jamison provides a rare, first-hand account of the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of this mental illness.

Jamison shares her story from the early onset of her symptoms in adolescence to her eventual diagnosis and the long road to finding an effective treatment. As a medical professional, she offers a unique perspective on the disorder, blending her clinical knowledge with her own intimate experiences.

Readers are given an inside look at the emotional rollercoaster of mania and depression, as well as the challenges faced in her personal relationships and professional life.

Jamison’s memoir also delves into the stigma surrounding mental illness, and the difficulties she faced in accepting her diagnosis and seeking help. By openly discussing her struggles, she aims to foster understanding and empathy for those who are affected by bipolar disorder, as well as their friends, families, and healthcare providers.

Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron (1989)

Darkness Visible is a powerful and deeply personal memoir by Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Styron, who chronicles his harrowing descent into the depths of clinical depression and his subsequent near-fatal suicide attempt.

Through this unflinching narrative, Styron sheds light on the often misunderstood and underestimated nature of depression, providing readers with an intimate understanding of the devastating effects it can have on an individual’s life.

In this poignant and raw account, Styron vividly details the insidious onset of his depression, the growing sense of despair and hopelessness that enveloped him, and his struggle to make sense of what was happening to him.

He also explores the various factors that may have contributed to his illness, including the loss of his mother, the stress of his literary career, and the side effects of medications he was taking.

Styron’s memoir serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of seeking help and support when grappling with mental illness. He recounts his journey through the mental health care system, his encounters with various professionals, and the eventual intervention of friends that ultimately saved his life.

The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness by Elyn R. Saks (2007)

“The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness” is a memoir written by Elyn R. Saks, a prominent legal scholar, professor, and mental health advocate. Published in 2007, the book offers an insightful and candid account of Saks’ life as she navigates her struggles with schizophrenia, a chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by disordered thoughts, hallucinations, and delusions.

The title of the memoir is inspired by the poem “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats, which contains the line “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.” This line reflects Saks’ experience with her illness, as it often felt like her life was falling apart and her sense of self was slipping away.

Throughout the book, Saks shares her journey from the onset of her symptoms during her teenage years, to her time at Oxford University and Yale Law School, and her eventual career as a law professor at the University of Southern California.

She provides a firsthand account of her struggles with psychosis, hospitalizations, and the impact of her illness on her relationships, career, and sense of self.

It has been widely praised for its honest portrayal of schizophrenia and for helping to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. The book offers a unique perspective into the mind of someone living with schizophrenia, and serves as a source of inspiration and hope for those who face similar challenges.

Confessional autobiographies are a form of literature where authors intimately share their personal experiences, including their mistakes, transgressions, and the consequences they faced as a result.

This type of writing often serves as a means for the author to achieve self-reflection, growth, and a sense of redemption. At the same time, it allows readers to empathize with the author’s journey and gain insights into the human condition.

Confessional autobiographies can be raw, honest, and sometimes shocking, but they often resonate deeply with readers due to their authenticity.

Examples of confessional autobiographies include:

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley (1965)

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a 1965 autobiography that recounts the life of Malcolm X, a prominent African American leader, human rights activist, and one of the most influential figures in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

The book was co-authored by journalist and writer Alex Haley, who conducted a series of interviews with Malcolm X over a two-year period before his assassination in 1965.

The book provides a detailed account of Malcolm X’s life, including his early years, criminal past, conversion to Islam, and rise as a prominent leader within the Nation of Islam. It chronicles his evolving political and philosophical beliefs, his eventual disillusionment with the Nation of Islam, and his conversion to Sunni Islam after a transformative pilgrimage to Mecca.

The autobiography also delves into Malcolm X’s international travels, encounters with various world leaders, and his efforts to build a global human rights movement.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is an important work for several reasons:

• It provides a unique and personal insight into the life and thoughts of a highly influential figure in American history.
• It serves as a powerful account of the racial and social injustices faced by African Americans during the mid-20th century.
• It explores themes of personal transformation, redemption, and the power of education to change one’s life.

The book has been highly regarded since its publication, and it has had a significant impact on the understanding of Malcolm X’s life and work, as well as on the broader Civil Rights Movement.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (2000)

“A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” is a memoir by American author Dave Eggers, published in 2000. The book is a blend of autobiography, fiction, and metafiction, recounting Eggers’ experiences after the death of both his parents from cancer within a span of five weeks.

In the wake of their deaths, the then-21-year-old Eggers is left to care for his 8-year-old brother, Toph. The memoir follows their journey together as they navigate grief, responsibility, and the challenges of creating a new life.

The narrative is characterized by Eggers’ innovative and unconventional writing style. He employs self-awareness, humor, and irony to explore themes of loss, family, and the search for identity. The book’s metafictional elements often break the fourth wall, as Eggers directly addresses the reader and critiques his own writing.

Spiritual Autobiographies

Spiritual autobiographies are unique in that they delve deeply into an individual’s spiritual life, exploring their encounters with the divine, struggles with doubt, and moments of profound insight. They often document the author’s transformative experiences and the lessons they’ve learned as they grow spiritually.

Here are two examples of spiritual autobiographies, each of which illustrates a different aspect of spiritual growth:

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton (1948)

“The Seven Storey Mountain” is an autobiography written by Thomas Merton, published in 1948. The book chronicles Merton’s life, spiritual journey, and eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism and entrance into the Trappist monastic order at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky.

The title is inspired by “The Dark Night of the Soul,” a poem by 16th-century Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross, which uses the metaphor of a seven storey mountain to describe the soul’s ascent to union with God.

In the book, Merton recounts his early life, including his childhood and education in France, England, and the United States, as well as the deaths of both of his parents. He details his search for meaning and purpose, which initially led him to a hedonistic lifestyle and pursuit of worldly pleasures.

Merton’s life took a turn when he started studying at Columbia University, where he encountered influential figures, such as the Catholic writer and professor Dan Walsh, who introduced him to the works of prominent Catholic thinkers and mystics.

As Merton delved deeper into Catholicism, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening and felt a strong calling to the monastic life. He eventually entered the Abbey of Gethsemani, where he found peace and a sense of belonging.

The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda (1946)

“The Autobiography of a Yogi” is a spiritual classic written by Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian yogi and guru who introduced millions of Westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book.

First published in 1946, the autobiography is an account of Yogananda’s life, his search for enlightenment, and his encounters with various saints and spiritual masters in India and beyond.

The book begins with Yogananda’s childhood in India, where he was born in 1893 as Mukunda Lal Ghosh. Early in life, he was drawn to spirituality and had mystical experiences that fueled his quest for spiritual truth.

As he grew older, he met his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, who guided him in the practice of Kriya Yoga—a sacred meditation technique that accelerates spiritual growth by cleansing the body and mind of negative energy.

In the book, Yogananda recounts the teachings and wisdom he received from various spiritual figures such as his guru, Sri Yukteswar; the saintly Mahavatar Babaji, who is said to have revived Kriya Yoga; and Lahiri Mahasaya, who was a direct disciple of Babaji.

Yogananda also shares stories of other saints and spiritually advanced individuals he encountered, both in India and during his travels to the West.

Overcoming Adversities

Autobiographies centered around overcoming adversities provide readers with inspirational and motivational stories of individuals who have faced significant challenges in their lives. These memoirs often emphasize the themes of resilience, personal growth, and transformation as the authors share their personal journeys of overcoming various obstacles.

A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer (1999)

“A Man Named Dave: A Story of Triumph and Forgiveness” is a memoir written by Dave Pelzer, published in 1999. It is the third and final installment in his autobiographical trilogy, following “A Child Called ‘It'” (1995) and “The Lost Boy” (1997).

The series chronicles the author’s journey through a horrifically abusive childhood, his time in foster care, and ultimately his path to healing, redemption, and forgiveness.

“A Man Named Dave” picks up where “The Lost Boy” leaves off, as Dave Pelzer enters adulthood. The memoir details his life in the U.S. Air Force, his search for love, his struggles with trust and relationship issues, and his efforts to break the cycle of abuse that plagued his upbringing.

The book also delves into Dave’s attempts to reconcile with his abusive mother and the importance of forgiveness in the healing process.

Throughout the memoir, Dave shares his experiences and insights, highlighting the power of resilience, perseverance, and self-discovery. The book serves as an inspiration for those who have faced adversity and a reminder that forgiveness and personal growth are essential for healing from trauma.

The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is a memoir written by Chris Gardner, published in 2006. The book tells the inspiring story of Gardner’s journey from homelessness and severe financial struggles to becoming a successful stockbroker and entrepreneur.

The memoir highlights the importance of determination, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness amidst life’s adversities.

In the book, Chris Gardner recounts his difficult childhood, marked by poverty, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. As an adult, Gardner finds himself struggling to provide for his son as a single father while also dealing with homelessness. Despite these challenges, he refuses to give up and remains determined to secure a better life for himself and his son.

Gardner’s journey takes a turn for the better when he secures an unpaid internship at the brokerage firm Dean Witter Reynolds. He faces numerous obstacles, including balancing his demanding work with caring for his son, finding shelter, and meeting their basic needs.

However, his hard work and perseverance eventually pay off, as he becomes a full-time employee and later starts his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co.

The book was adapted into a critically acclaimed film of the same name in 2006, starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner and Jaden Smith as his son. The film brought widespread attention to Gardner’s story, inspiring and motivating many people around the world.

Famous Examples

The world of autobiographies offers a plethora of captivating stories from various walks of life. In this section, we explore famous examples from historical figures, political figures, literary figures, and celebrities.

Historical Figures

Autobiographies of historical figures provide a glimpse into their personal lives and the events that shaped their legacies. Some standout examples include:

• The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
• The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
• My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi
• Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
• My Life by Golda Meir

Political Figures

Politicians often share their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments through autobiographies, offering a look into their minds and ideologies. Noteworthy examples are:

• The Downing Street Years by Margaret Thatcher
• The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
• Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• My Life by Bill Clinton
• The Courage to Act: A Memoir of a Crisis and Its Aftermath by Ben S. Bernanke

Literary Figures

As masters of words, literary figures have created autobiographies filled with compelling insights and vivid details. Some distinguished examples include:

• The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
• Black Boy by Richard Wright
• Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
• The Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
• Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)
• Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

Celebrities

Autobiographies of celebrities offer a unique perspective on fame, art, and the weight of societal expectations. Some popular examples are:

• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• Open by Andre Agassi
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler
• My Life So Far by Jane Fonda
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
• The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
• The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
• Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis and Larry Sloman
• Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman
• Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Me by Elton John

Purpose and Impact

The autobiography as a literary form has several purposes and impacts on both the author and the reader. Some of these purposes and impacts include self-reflection, sharing personal experiences, and influencing society and culture.

One of the primary purposes of writing an autobiography is self-reflection. Through the process of narrating their own lives, authors can reflect on their experiences and emotions, gaining insight into their personal development and growth. This self-reflection can lead to both greater self-awareness and ultimately, self-improvement.

Sharing Personal Experience

Another important aspect of autobiographies is the sharing of personal experiences. The authors use the written word as a means to share their unique perspectives, triumphs, and difficulties with a wider audience.

These personal narratives can offer valuable lessons and insights to readers, allowing them to empathize with the author’s experiences and potentially apply these insights to their own lives.

Influencing Society and Culture

Autobiographies can also have a profound impact on society and culture. By sharing their personal stories, authors can spark change, raise awareness of certain issues, or challenge societal norms and beliefs.

This influence on society and culture allows autobiographies to have a lasting impact beyond the individual lives depicted within their pages.

Challenges and Criticisms

Reliability.

One challenge often faced by autobiographies is the issue of reliability. Since the author is the subject of the story, there may be a tendency to portray themselves in a more favorable light or to omit certain details that could be perceived as negative.

For example, in the autobiography “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,” Franklin may have omitted certain aspects of his life to maintain a positive public image.

Another challenge faced by autobiographies is the concept of truth. Autobiographical narratives can sometimes blur the lines between fact and fiction, making it difficult for readers to discern the accuracy of the story. A notable example of this is James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces,” which was later revealed to contain fabricated information.

Writing Your Own Autobiography

Writing an autobiography can be a rewarding and insightful experience, capturing your life’s journey and creating a record for future generations.

Finding Your Focus

Before you begin writing, it’s essential to identify the defining moments and themes in your life that you want to highlight. Reflect on your experiences and identify the most significant events that shaped who you are today.

Creating an Outline

An outline will provide structure to your autobiography, making it easier to navigate through your life’s chronology. Organize your outline by dividing it into sections such as childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, or by thematic categories specific to your life. This will help you present your story in a logical and coherent manner.

Developing Your Voice

Your voice as an autobiographer is essential, as it will set the tone and atmosphere of your narrative. Strive for a confident, knowledgeable, and neutral tone that authentically represents your experiences.

Revising and Editing

Revise and edit your autobiography carefully, ensuring that your writing is clear, concise, and engaging. This process not only includes checking for grammatical errors and factual inaccuracies but also enhancing the narrative flow and readability of your story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i write an autobiography about someone else.

If you are writing about someone else’s life, the work would be considered a biography rather than an autobiography. A biography is a narrative account of someone’s life written by someone other than the subject.

To write a biography, you’ll need to conduct thorough research, including interviews with the subject (if possible), their friends and family, and any relevant documents, such as letters, diaries, or published works.

Like an autobiography, a biography should be engaging and well-structured, offering readers insight into the subject’s life and experiences.

Can I collaborate with someone to write my autobiography?

Yes, collaborating with another writer or a professional ghostwriter is a common approach to writing an autobiography.

This process typically involves the subject sharing their life story through a series of interviews, conversations, or written correspondence, which the collaborator then uses as the basis for crafting the narrative.

Collaborating with a skilled writer can help ensure that your autobiography is well-structured, engaging, and professionally written, while still maintaining your personal voice and perspective.

Are there any legal or ethical considerations when writing an autobiography?

When writing an autobiography, it’s important to be aware of potential legal and ethical considerations, such as privacy and defamation.

Sharing personal information about others, especially if it could potentially harm their reputation or violate their privacy, can lead to legal issues. To avoid potential problems, it’s wise to:

– Seek permission from individuals whose stories you plan to include, especially if they involve sensitive or private information. – Use discretion when discussing the lives and experiences of others, considering the potential impact on their lives and relationships. – Ensure that your accounts of events and experiences are truthful and accurate, avoiding exaggeration or fabrication that could be construed as defamation.

Being mindful of these considerations will help you write a responsible and respectful autobiography that shares your story while minimizing potential risks.

Autobiographies provide a captivating glimpse into the lives of their authors, offering readers an intimate and authentic account of personal experiences, growth, and challenges.

From historical figures to everyday people, these self-written narratives reveal the human spirit’s resilience and the transformative power of personal reflection. By exploring the rich world of autobiographies, we can broaden our understanding of the diverse tapestry of human experiences, ultimately deepening our empathy and connection with others.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a curious reader, delving into the realm of autobiographies promises an enriching and enlightening journey.

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• Literary Terms
• Autobiography
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write Autobiography

I. What is Autobiography?

An autobiography is a self-written life story.

It is different from a  biography , which is the life story of a person written by someone else. Some people may have their life story written by another person because they don’t believe they can write well, but they are still considered an author because they are providing the information. Reading autobiographies may be more interesting than biographies because you are reading the thoughts of the person instead of someone else’s interpretation.

II. Examples of Autobiography

One of the United States’ forefathers wrote prolifically (that means a lot!) about news, life, and common sense. His readings, quotes, and advice are still used today, and his face is on the $100 bill. Benjamin Franklin’s good advice is still used through his sayings, such as “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” He’s also the one who penned the saying that’s seen all over many schools: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” His autobiography is full of his adventures , philosophy about life, and his wisdom. His autobiography shows us how much he valued education through his anecdotes (stories) of his constant attempts to learn and improve himself. He also covers his many ideas on his inventions and his thoughts as he worked with others in helping the United States become free from England.

III. Types of Autobiography

There are many types of autobiographies. Authors must decide what purpose they have for writing about their lives, and then they can choose the format that would best tell their story. Most of these types all share common goals: helping themselves face an issue by writing it down, helping others overcome similar events, or simply telling their story.

a. Full autobiography (traditional):

This would be the complete life story, starting from birth through childhood, young adulthood, and up to the present time at which the book is being written. Authors might choose this if their whole lives were very different from others and could be considered interesting.

There are many types of memoirs – place, time, philosophic (their theory on life), occupational, etc. A memoir is a snapshot of a person’s life. It focuses on one specific part that stands out as a learning experience or worth sharing.

c. Psychological illness

People who have suffered mental illness of any kind find it therapeutic to write down their thoughts. Therapists are specialists who listen to people’s problems and help them feel better, but many people find writing down their story is also helpful.

d. Confession

Just as people share a psychological illness, people who have done something very wrong may find it helps to write down and share their story. Sharing the story may make one feel he or she is making amends (making things right), or perhaps hopes that others will learn and avoid the same mistake.

e. Spiritual

Spiritual and religious experiences are very personal . However, many people feel that it’s their duty and honor to share these stories. They may hope to pull others into their beliefs or simply improve others’ lives.

f. Overcoming adversity

Unfortunately, many people do not have happy, shining lives. Terrible events such as robberies, assaults, kidnappings, murders, horrific accidents, and life-threatening illnesses are common in some lives. Sharing the story can inspire others while also helping the person express deep emotions to heal.

IV. The Importance of Autobiography

Autobiographies are an important part of history. Being able to read the person’s own ideas and life stories is getting the first-person story versus the third-person (he-said/she-said) version. In journalism, reporters go to the source to get an accurate account of an event. The same is true when it comes to life stories. Reading the story from a second or third source will not be as reliable. The writer may be incorrectly explaining and describing the person’s life events.

Autobiographies are also important because they allow other people in similar circumstances realize that they are not alone. They can be inspiring for those who are facing problems in their lives. For the author, writing the autobiography allows them to heal as they express their feelings and opinions. Autobiographies are also an important part of history.

V. Examples of Autobiography in Literature

A popular autobiography that has lasted almost 100 years is that of Helen Keller. Her life story has been made into numerous movies and plays. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan, has also had her life story written and televised multiple times. Students today still read and learn about this young girl who went blind and deaf at 19 months of age, causing her to also lose her ability to learn to speak. Sullivan’s entrance into Helen’s life when the girl was seven was the turning point. She learned braille and soon became an activist for helping blind and deaf people across the nation. She died in 1968, but her autobiography is still helping others.

Even in the days before my teacher came, I used to feel along the square stiff boxwood hedges, and, guided by the sense of smell, would find the first violets and lilies. There, too, after a fit of temper, I went to find comfort and to hide my hot face in the cool leaves and grass. What joy it was to lose myself in that garden of flowers, to wander happily from spot to spot, until, coming suddenly upon a beautiful vine, I recognized it by its leaves and blossoms, and knew it was the vine which covered the tumble-down summer-house at the farther end of the garden! (Keller).

An autobiography that many middle and high school students read every year is “Night” by Elie Wiesel. His story is also a memoir, covering his teen years as he and his family went from the comfort of their own home to being forced into a Jewish ghetto with other families, before ending up in a Nazi prison camp. His book is not that long, but the details and description he uses brings to life the horrors of Hitler’s reign of terror in Germany during World War II. Students also read “The Diary of Anne Frank,” another type of autobiography that shows a young Jewish girl’s daily life while hiding from the Nazis to her eventual capture and death in a German camp. Both books are meant to remind us to not be indifferent to the world’s suffering and to not allow hate to take over.

“The people were saying, “The Red Army is advancing with giant strides…Hitler will not be able to harm us, even if he wants to…” Yes, we even doubted his resolve to exterminate us. Annihilate an entire people? Wipe out a population dispersed throughout so many nations? So many millions of people! By what means? In the middle of the twentieth century! And thus my elders concerned themselves with all manner of things—strategy, diplomacy, politics, and Zionism—but not with their own fate. Even Moishe the Beadle had fallen silent. He was weary of talking. He would drift through synagogue or through the streets, hunched over, eyes cast down, avoiding people’s gaze. In those days it was still possible to buy emigration certificates to Palestine. I had asked my father to sell everything, to liquidate everything, and to leave” (Wiesel 8).  

VI. Examples of Autobiography in Pop Culture

One example of an autobiography that was a hit in the movie theaters is “American Sniper,” the story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. According to an article in the Dallas, Texas, magazine D, Kyle donated all the proceeds from the film to veterans and their families. He had a story to tell, and he used it to help others. His story is a memoir, focusing on a specific time period of his life when he was overseas in the military.

An autobiography by a young Olympian is “Grace, Gold and Glory: My Leap of Faith” by Gabrielle (Gabby) Douglas. She had a writer, Michelle Burford, help her in writing her autobiography. This is common for those who have a story to tell but may not have the words to express it well. Gabby was the darling of the 2012 Olympics, winning gold medals for the U.S. in gymnastics along with being the All-Around Gold Medal winner, the first African-American to do so. Many young athletes see her as an inspiration. Her story also became a television movie, “The Gabby Douglas Story.”

VII. Related Terms

The life story of one person written by another. The purpose may to be highlight an event or person in a way to help the public learn a lesson, feel inspired, or to realize that they are not alone in their circumstance. Biographies are also a way to share history. Historic and famous people may have their biographies written by many authors who research their lives years after they have died.

VIII. Conclusion

Autobiographies are a way for people to share stories that may educate, inform, persuade, or inspire others. Many people find writing their stories to be therapeutic, healing them beyond what any counseling might do or as a part of the counseling. Autobiographies are also a way to keep history alive by allowing people in the present learn about those who lived in the past. In the future, people can learn a lot about our present culture by reading autobiographies by people of today.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

autobiography

What is autobiography definition, usage, and literary examples, autobiography definition.

An  autobiography  (awe-tow-bye-AWE-gruh-fee) is a self-written  biography . The author writes about all or a portion of their own life to share their experience, frame it in a larger cultural or historical context, and/or inform and entertain the reader.

Autobiographies have been a popular literary genre for centuries. The first Western autobiography is attributed to Saint Augustine of Hippo for his 13-book work titled  Confessions , written between 397 and 400 CE. Some autobiographies are a straightforward narrative that recollects a linear chain of events as they unfolded. The genre has expanded and evolved to include different approaches to the form.

The word  autobiography  comes from the Ancient Greek  auto  (“self”) +  bios  (“life”) +  graphein  (“to write”) = “a self-written life.” It is also known as autography .

The History of Autobiography

Scholars regard Augustine’s  Confessions  as the first Western autobiography. Other autobiographical works from antiquity include Jewish historian Flavius Josephus’s  Vita  (circa 99 CE) and Greek scholar Libanius’s  Oration I  (374 CE). Works of this kind were called apologias, which essentially means “in my defense.” Writers approached these works not as acts of self-documentation but as self-defense. They represented a way to explain and provide rationale for their life, work, and escapades. There was also less focus on their emotional lives.

The Book of Margery Kempe , written in 1438 by an English Christian mystic, is the earliest known autobiography in English. (Though it didn’t see full publication until the 20th century.) Other early English-language biographies of note include:

• Lord Herbert of Cherbury’s 1764 memoirs
• John Bunyan’s  Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners  in 1666
• Jarena Lee’s  The Life and Religious Experience of Jarena Lee  (the first autobiography of an African American woman)

Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s  Confessions was published in 1782. It paved the way for the more thoughtful, emotionally centered autobiographies seen today. Autobiography as a literary genre emerged a few years later, when British scholar William Taylor first used the term to describe a self-written biography. He did so disparagingly, suggesting the form was  pedantic . In 1809, English Romantic poet Robert Southey used the term more seriously to describe self-written biographies.

Starting in the 20th century, more young people started writing autobiographies. Perhaps the most famous example is Anne Frank’s  The Diary of a Young Girl , about her time hiding from the Nazis in an Amsterdam attic. The 21st century saw an increase in autobiographical essay collections and memoirs by younger celebrities, including:

• Anna Kendrick
• Mindy Kaling
• Gabourey Sidibe
• Mike Birbiglia
• Lena Dunham
• Chelsea Handler

Autobiographies are not immune to controversy. One notable scandal involved author James Frey’s  A Million Little Pieces . Originally billed as a memoir, evidence later emerged that Frey invented key parts of the story. This example underscores how easily authors can cross over into autofiction—fictional autobiography—and how seriously readers take authors’ responsibility to accurately and honestly market their books.

Types of Autobiographies

There are a few different types of self-written works that qualify as autobiography.

Standard Autobiographies

In the most traditional form, authors recount their life or specific formative events from their life. This approach often utilizes a chronological format of events, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. An author’s approach might include a framing device such as flashbacks, in which they move from the present to the past as they remember their lives. For example, Broadway star Patti LuPone’s self-titled autobiography begins on the opening night of  Gypsy  in 2004 before moving back in time to LuPone’s childhood. An author could take a more stream-of-consciousness style, in which one memory links to another by a common theme. Irish writer Seán O’Casey narrates his six-volume  Autobiographies  in this manner

This is a type of autobiography that is narrower in scope and focus. It places greater emphasis on particular memories, thoughts, and feelings. A standard autobiography can certainly cover some of this same ground—most do—but the memoir is more interested in individual events or defined portions of the author’s life and the emotions and lessons behind them.

Henry David Thoreau is a notable memoirist. In Walden , he reflects on his time spent living in solitude in the woods of Massachusetts and what he learned about life and nature throughout this experience. Another example is  The Year of Magical Thinking  by Joan Didion, which relates the death of her husband and its impact on her life and work. Another is  Wild  by Cheryl Strayed, wherein Strayed remembers her time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail during a period of great change in her life.

Autofiction

The fictionalized autobiography, or autofiction, is another type of autobiography. The author presents their story not as fact but as fiction. This method gives them considerable space to take creative license with events and characters, thereby blurring the lines between reality and fiction. The overall goal is less about the author wanting to obscure facts and make things up and more a matter of taking another tactic to delve into their experiences in service of self-discovery.  Taipei  by Tao Lin is a work of autofiction. The central character, Paul, mirrors Lin’s own life and experiences, from the literary world of New York City to his ancestral roots in Taiwan.

Spiritual Autobiographies

These autobiographies center on the author’s religious or spiritual awakening and the subsequent journey their faith has taken them on. Common elements include struggles and doubt, a life-altering conversion, periods of regression, and sharing the “message.” These all act as endorsements of the author’s faith. Augustine’s  Confessions , Paramahansa Yogananda’s  Autobiography of a Yogi , and Augusten Burroughs’s  Toil & Trouble: A Memoir  are all spiritual autobiographies.

Autobiography vs. Biography

Both autobiographies and  biographies  are records of real lives, but there is one major distinction. A person other than the book’s subject writes a biography, while the subject themselves writes an autobiography. In this way, an autobiography is essentially a biography of the self. The biographer’s job is typically more involved, entailing detailed research into the life of the subject. The autobiographer, however, is usually not burdened by this because they lived through the events they write about. They may need only to confirm dates and stories to accurately relate the pertinent details.

The Function of Autobiography

An autobiography allows the author to tell the true story of their own life. This is the reason why autobiographies have always been written by famous people. History tends to remember notable individuals for just one significant contribution or event and, even then, the public’s perception of it may be inaccurate. Writing an autobiography allows the author to share the real story and put it into the larger context of their life and times.

Most readers pick up an autobiography expecting some degree of subjectivity from the author. After all, the events chronicled happened to the author, so the writing will of course have a biased  perspective . There are advantages to this subjectivity, though. The reader gets the real story directly from the person who lived it, unvarnished by others’ opinions or erroneous historical data.

One way this subjectivity is problematic is that the author may not possess the ability to see the story they’re telling from other perspectives. For example, they may not acknowledge any hurt they caused others, dangerous behaviors they engaged in, or the “other side” of a controversial event in which there are equally valid opposing viewpoints and experiences. Any of these deficiencies can result in a somewhat skewed narrative.

Writers Known for Autobiography & Autobiography Books

• Maya Angelou,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ,  Gather Together in My Name
• Jung Chang,  Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
• Isak Dinesen,  Out of Africa ,  Shadows on the Grass
• Carrie Fisher,  Wishful Drinking ,  Shockaholic
• Anne Frank,  The Diary of a Young Girl
• Ernest Hemingway,  A Moveable Feast
• Karl Ove Knausgård,  My Struggle
• Frank McCourt,  Angela’s Ashes
• Anaïs Nin,  The Diaries of Anaïs Nin
• Marcel Proust,  Remembrance of Things Past
• Patti Smith,  Just Kids ,  M Train
• Mark Twain, The Autobiography of Mark Twain
• Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie: An Autobiography
• Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
• Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi: An Autobiography 

Examples of Autobiographies

1. Maya Angelou,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s autobiography is the first installment in a seven-volume series chronicling the life of the legendary poet, teacher, actress, director, dancer, and civil rights activist. Given all those roles, it’s easy to see why Angelou’s life story makes for interesting reading.

This volume centers primarily on her early life in Stamps, Arkansas, and the devastating effects of a childhood rape. It also explores racism in the American South. It discuses the important role reading plays in helping young Maya deal with the sexual assault and pervasive prejudice in her environment.

2. Helen Keller,  The Story of My Life

Keller’s autobiography details her first 20 years, starting with the childhood illness that caused her blindness and deafness. She discusses the obstacles she had to overcome and the life-changing relationship she shared with her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who helped her learn to read and write. Keller also documents her friendships with several famous figures of her day, including Alexander Graham Bell, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and First Lady Frances Cleveland.

3. Vinh Chung,  Where the Wind Leads

Chung’s autobiography recalls the harrowing story of a Vietnamese refugee and his journey to make the American Dream his own. Born in South Vietnam, Chung comes of age in a changing political climate that eventually compels his family to flee the country. Their voyage takes them through the South China Sea, run-ins with pirates, resettlement in Arkansas, and Chung’s graduation from Harvard Medical School.

How to Write an Autobiography

Autobiography is a truly universal art form and is accessible to anyone, whether you're in high school or 100 years old. Exploring the process of writing an autobiography deserves an article in itself, but the process should include these steps:

• Determine your "why." What lessons do you want to impart via your story, and why are they worth sharing with a broader audience?
• Draft an autobiographical outline. It should include information about your upbringing, impactful moments throughout your life, stories of failure and success, and meaningful mentors.
• Begin with the easiest sections. Getting started is often the greatest hurdle, so begin by writing the chapters that feel most accessible or enjoyable.
• Write your first draft. Once you write the first chapters, it will feel easier to write the rest. Capitalize on your momentum and write a full draft.
• Step away. As with anything, stepping away from your work will help foster fresh perspectives when you return.
• Edit and re-write your draft. Your first draft will probably benefit from thorough revisions, as will your second draft, and maybe your third. Continue to edit and revise until it feels right.
• Ask for help. Bring in a trusted family member or friend or professional editor to help with final edits.

Further Resources on Autobiography

ThoughtCo. shares some  important points to consider before writing an autobiography .

The Living Handbook of Narratology delves into the  history of the autobiography .

MasterClass breaks autobiography writing down into  eight basic steps .

Pen & the Pad looks at the  advantages and disadvantages of the autobiography .

Lifehack has a list of  15 autobiographies everyone should read at least once .

Related Terms

• Frame Story
• Point of View

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What is an Autobiography? Definition, Elements, and Writing Tips

POSTED ON Oct 1, 2023

Written by Audrey Hirschberger

What is an autobiography, and how do you define autobiography, exactly? If you’re hoping to write an autobiography, it’s an important thing to know. After all, you wouldn’t want to mislabel your book.

What sets an autobiography apart from a memoir or a biography? And what type of writing is most similar to an autobiography? Should you even write one? How? Today we will be discussing all things autobiographical, so you can learn what an autobiography is, what sets it apart, and how to write one of your own – should you so choose. 

But before we get into writing tips, we must first define autobiography. So what is an autobiography, precisely? 

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This Guide to Autobiographies Contains Information On:

What is an autobiography: autobiography meaning defined.

What is an autobiography? It’s a firsthand recounting of an author’s own life. So, if you were to write an autobiography, you would be writing a true retelling of your own life events. 

Autobiography cannot be bound to only one type of work. What an autobiography is has more to do with the contents than the format. For example, autobiographical works can include letters, diaries, journals, or books – and may not have even been meant for publication. 

An autobiography is what many celebrities, government officials, and important social figures sit down to write at the end of their lives or distinguished careers. 

Of course, the work doesn’t have to cover your whole life. You can absolutely write an autobiography in your 20s or 30s if you’ve lived through events worth sharing!

If an autobiography doesn’t cover the entire lifespan of the author, it can start to get confused with another genre of writing. So what’s an autobiography most similar to? And how can you tell it apart from other genres of writing? Let’s dive into the details. 

What type of writing is most similar to an autobiography?

A memoir is undoubtedly what type of writing is most similar to an autobiography. So what is the difference between an autobiography vs memoir ?

Simply put, a memoir is a book that an author writes about their own life with the intention of communicating a lesson or message to the reader. It doesn’t need to be written in chronological order, and only contains pieces of the author’s life story. 

An autobiography, on the other hand, is the author’s life story from birth to present, and it’s much less concerned with theme than it is with communicating a “highlight reel” of the author’s biggest life events. 

In addition to memoirs, there is also some confusion between autobiography vs biography . A biography is a true story about someone’s life, but it is not about the author’s life. 

Is an autobiography always nonfiction?

When many people define autobiography, they say it is a true or “nonfiction” telling of an author’s life – but that’s not always the case.

There is actually such a thing as autobiographical fiction .

Autobiographical fiction refers to a story that is based on fact and inspired by the author’s actual experiences…but has made-up characters or events. Any element in the story can be embellished upon or fabricated. 

Even the information in a standard “nonfiction” autobiography should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, anything written from the author’s perspective may contain certain biases, distortions, or unconscious omissions within the text. 

So if being nonfiction isn’t a defining characteristic of an autobiography, what is an autobiography defined by? 

The key elements of an autobiography

What’s an autobiography like from cover to cover? It should contain these key elements:

• A personal narrative : It is a firsthand account of the author's life experiences.
• A chronological structure : An autobiography typically follows a chronological order, tracing the author's life from birth to present.
• Reflection and insight : The book should contain the author's reflections, insights, and emotions about key life events.
• Key life events : The book should highlight significant events, milestones, and challenges in the author's life.
• Setting and context : There should be descriptions of the time period, cultural background, and environment to help the reader understand the author’s life.
• Authenticity : The author should be honest and sincere in presenting their life story.
• A personal perspective : An autobiography is written from the author's unique point of view.
• A strong conclusion : The ending of the book should reflect on the author's current state or outlook.

Famous Autobiography Examples

Now that you know what an autobiography is, let’s look at some famous autobiography examples .

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947)

Perhaps no autobiography is more famous than The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Her diary chronicles her profound thoughts, dreams, and fears as she hides with her family in the walls during the Holocaust. 

Anne's words resonate with the enduring spirit of hope amid unimaginable darkness.

The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Benjamin Franklin (1909)

Benjamin Franklin's autobiography follows Franklin’s life from humble origins to one of America's greatest forefathers. While originally intended as a collection of anecdotes for his son, this autobiography has become one of the most famous works of American literature. 

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (1994)

Long Walk to Freedom narrates Nelson Mandela's epic odyssey from South African prisoner to revered statesman. This masterpiece of an autobiography is a portrait of resilience against the backdrop of apartheid – and his words are a bastion for courage and human rights. 

Now you know what an autobiography is, and some examples of successful autobiographies, so it’s time to discuss what goes into actually writing one. 

Who Should Write an Autobiography?

Celebrity autobiographies are popular for a reason – the people who wrote them were already popular. 

The main purpose of an autobiography is to portray the life experiences and achievements of the author. If you haven’t made any massive achievements that people are already aware of, an autobiography might not be for you. Instead, you should learn how to write a memoir . 

After all, what’s an autobiography worth if no one reads it?

If you have made an important contribution to society, or have amassed a massive following of fans, then writing an autobiography could be a fabulous idea.

An autobiography is what allows you to claim your rightful place in history. It provides a legacy for your life, helps you to better understand your life’s journey, and can even be deeply therapeutic to write. 

But then comes the next problem: how to write an autobiography.

Tips on Writing Your Own Autobiography 

While memoirs are the books that teach life lessons, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your autobiography meaning. The best autobiographies paint a vivid tapestry of personal growth and introspection. 

You don’t just want to tell the reader about your life – you want them to feel like they are living it with you.

And it’s not just about painting a picture with your prose. A lot of thought should go into everything from autobiography titles to page count. To get started, here are five tips for writing an autobiography:

• Know your audience : Understand who will read your autobiography and speak to them while writing.
• Be candid and authentic : A life seen through rose-colored glasses isn’t relatable. You should include your failures as well as your triumphs, and humanize yourself so your story resonates with your reader.
• Do your research : Of course you know what happened in your life, but how many details do you actually remember? You may need to sift through photos, archives, and diaries – and interview people close to you. Consider adding the photos to your book. 
• Identify key themes : Identify key events and life lessons that have shaped you. Reflect on how these themes have evolved over time.
• Edit and edit again : Write freely first, then edit rigorously. Seek feedback from trusted individuals and consider professional editing to ensure clarity and coherence in your narrative. NO ONE writes perfectly the first time. 

So there you have it, you are well on your way to understanding (and writing) an autobiography. 

If you'd still like more guidance for writing your autobiography, you can check out our free autobiography template . We can’t wait for you to share your life story with the world. 

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The only (free) autobiography template you need – 4 simple steps.

What Is an Autobiography?

What to Consider Before You Start to Write

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Your life story, or autobiography , should contain the basic framework that any essay should have, with four basic elements. Begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement , followed by a body containing at least several paragraphs , if not several chapters. To complete the autobiography, you'll need a strong conclusion , all the while crafting an interesting narrative with a theme.

Did You Know?

The word autobiography  literally means SELF (auto), LIFE (bio), WRITING (graph). Or, in other words, an autobiography is the story of someone's life written or otherwise told by that person.

When writing your autobiography, find out what makes your family or your experience unique and build a narrative around that. Doing some research and taking detailed notes can help you discover the essence of what your narrative should be and craft a story that others will want to read.

Research Your Background

Just like the biography of a famous person, your autobiography should include things like the time and place of your birth, an overview of your personality, your likes and dislikes, and the special events that shaped your life. Your first step is to gather background detail. Some things to consider:

• What is interesting about the region where you were born?
• How does your family history relate to the history of that region?
• Did your family come to that region for a reason?

It might be tempting to start your story with "I was born in Dayton, Ohio...," but that is not really where your story begins. It's better to start with an experience. You may wish to start with something like why you were born where you were and how your family's experience led to your birth. If your narrative centers more around a pivotal moment in your life, give the reader a glimpse into that moment. Think about how your favorite movie or novel begins, and look for inspiration from other stories when thinking about how to start your own.

Think About Your Childhood

You may not have had the most interesting childhood in the world, but everyone has had a few memorable experiences. Highlight the best parts when you can. If you live in a big city, for instance, you should realize that many people who grew up in the country have never ridden a subway, walked to school, ridden in a taxi, or walked to a store a few blocks away.

On the other hand, if you grew up in the country you should consider that many people who grew up in the suburbs or inner city have never eaten food straight from a garden, camped in their backyards, fed chickens on a working farm, watched their parents canning food, or been to a county fair or a small-town festival.

Something about your childhood will always seem unique to others. You just have to step outside your life for a moment and address the readers as if they knew nothing about your region and culture. Pick moments that will best illustrate the goal of your narrative, and symbolism within your life.

Consider Your Culture

Your culture is your overall way of life , including the customs that come from your family's values and beliefs. Culture includes the holidays you observe, the customs you practice, the foods you eat, the clothes you wear, the games you play, the special phrases you use, the language you speak, and the rituals you practice.

As you write your autobiography, think about the ways that your family celebrated or observed certain days, events, and months, and tell your audience about special moments. Consider these questions:

• What was the most special gift you ever received? What was the event or occasion surrounding that gift?
• Is there a certain food that you identify with a certain day of the year?
• Is there an outfit that you wear only during a special event?

Think honestly about your experiences, too. Don't just focus on the best parts of your memories; think about the details within those times. While Christmas morning may be a magical memory, you might also consider the scene around you. Include details like your mother making breakfast, your father spilling his coffee, someone upset over relatives coming into town, and other small details like that. Understanding the full experience of positives and negatives helps you paint a better picture for the reader and lead to a stronger and more interesting narrative. Learn to tie together all the interesting elements of your life story and craft them into an engaging essay.

Establish the Theme

Once you have taken a look at your own life from an outsider’s point of view, you will be able to select the most interesting elements from your notes to establish a theme. What was the most interesting thing you came up with in your research? Was it the history of your family and your region? Here is an example of how you can turn that into a theme:

"Today, the plains and low hills of southeastern Ohio make the perfect setting for large cracker box-shaped farmhouses surrounded by miles of corn rows. Many of the farming families in this region descended from the Irish settlers who came rolling in on covered wagons in the 1830s to find work building canals and railways. My ancestors were among those settlers."

A little bit of research can make your own personal story come to life as a part of history, and historical details can help a reader better understand your unique situation. In the body of your narrative, you can explain how your family’s favorite meals, holiday celebrations, and work habits relate to Ohio history.

One Day as a Theme

You also can take an ordinary day in your life and turn it into a theme. Think about the routines you followed as a child and as an adult. Even a mundane activity like household chores can be a source of inspiration.

For example, if you grew up on a farm, you know the difference between the smell of hay and wheat, and certainly that of pig manure and cow manure—because you had to shovel one or all of these at some point. City people probably don’t even know there is a difference. Describing the subtle differences of each and comparing the scents to other scents can help the reader imagine the situation more clearly.

If you grew up in the city, you how the personality of the city changes from day to night because you probably had to walk to most places. You know the electricity-charged atmosphere of the daylight hours when the streets bustle with people and the mystery of the night when the shops are closed and the streets are quiet.

Think about the smells and sounds you experienced as you went through an ordinary day and explain how that day relates to your life experience in your county or your city:

"Most people don’t think of spiders when they bite into a tomato, but I do. Growing up in southern Ohio, I spent many summer afternoons picking baskets of tomatoes that would be canned or frozen and preserved for cold winter’s dinners. I loved the results of my labors, but I’ll never forget the sight of the enormous, black and white, scary-looking spiders that lived in the plants and created zigzag designs on their webs. In fact, those spiders, with their artistic web creations, inspired my interest in bugs and shaped my career in science."

One Event as a Theme

Perhaps one event or one day of your life made such a big impact that it could be used as a theme. The end or beginning of the life of another can affect our thoughts and actions for a long time:

"I was 12 years old when my mother passed away. By the time I was 15, I had become an expert in dodging bill collectors, recycling hand-me-down jeans, and stretching a single meal’s worth of ground beef into two family dinners. Although I was a child when I lost my mother, I was never able to mourn or to let myself become too absorbed in thoughts of personal loss. The fortitude I developed at a young age was the driving force that would see me through many other challenges."

Writing the Essay

Whether you determine that your life story is best summed up by a single event, a single characteristic, or a single day, you can use that one element as a theme . You will define this theme in your  introductory paragraph .

Create an outline with several events or activities that relate back to your central theme and turn those into subtopics (body paragraphs) of your story. Finally, tie up all your experiences in a summary that restates and explains the overriding theme of your life. 

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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?

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.

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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autobiography

Definition of autobiography

Examples of autobiography in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autobiography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

auto- + biography , perhaps after German Autobiographie

1797, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing autobiography

• semi - autobiography

Dictionary Entries Near autobiography

autobiographist

Cite this Entry

“Autobiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autobiography. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of autobiography, more from merriam-webster on autobiography.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for autobiography

Nglish: Translation of autobiography for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of autobiography for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autobiography

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As interesting as it may be writing about someone else's life, whether it be a fictional character's story or a non-fictional biography of someone you know, there is a different skill and enjoyment involved in sharing stories that are personal to you and showing others what it is like to experience life from your point of view. 

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As interesting as it may be writing about someone else's life, whether it be a fictional character's story or a non-fictional biography of someone you know, there is a different skill and enjoyment involved in sharing stories that are personal to you and showing others what it is like to experience life from your point of view.

Many people hesitate to write accounts of their own life, in fear that their experiences are not worthy of attention or because it is too difficult to narrate one's own experiences. However, the truth is there is a much higher appreciation for self-written biographies, otherwise known as autobiographies. Let us look at the meaning, elements and examples of autobiography.

Autobiography Meaning

The word 'autobiography' is made of three words - 'auto' + 'bio' = 'graphy'

• The word 'auto" means 'self.'
• The word 'bio' refers to 'life.'
• The word 'graphy' means 'to write.'

Hence the etymology of the word 'autobiography' is 'self' + 'life' + 'write'.

'Autobiography' means a self-written account of one's own life.

Autobiography: An autobiography is a nonfictional account of a person's life written by the person themselves.

Writing an autobiography allows the autobiographer to share their life story in the way that they have personally experienced it. This allows the autobiographer to share their perspective or experience during significant events during their lifetime, which may differ from the experiences of other people. The autobiographer can also provide insightful commentary on the larger sociopolitical context in which they existed. This way, autobiographies form an important part of history because whatever we learn about our history today is from the recordings of those who experienced it in the past.

Autobiographies contain facts from the autobiographer's own life and are written with the intention of being as truthful as memory allows. However, just because an autobiography is a non-fictional narrative does not mean that it does not contain some degree of subjectivity in it. Autobiographers are only responsible for writing about events from their life, the way they have experienced them and the way they remember them. They are not responsible for showing how others may have experienced that very event.

Mein Kampf (1925) is the infamous autobiography of Adolf Hitler. The book outlines Hitler's rationale for carrying out the Holocaust (1941-1945) and his political perspectives on the future of Nazi Germany. While this does not mean that his perspective is factual or 'right', it is a truthful account of his experiences and his attitudes and beliefs.

A key to understanding the meaning of an autobiography is realising the difference between a biography and an autobiography.

A biography is an account of someone's life, written and narrated by someone else. Hence, in the case of a biography, the person whose life story is being recounted is not the author of the biography.

Biography: A written account of someone's life written by someone else.

Meanwhile, an autobiography is also an account of someone's life but written and narrated by the very same person whose life is being written about. In this case, the person on who the autobiography is based is also the author.

Therefore, while most biographies are written from the second or third-person perspective, an autobiography is always narrated with a first-person narrative voice. This adds to the intimacy of an autobiography, as readers get to experience the autobiographer's life from their eyes - see what they saw and feel what they felt.

Here is a table summarising the difference between a biography and an autobiography:

Autobiography Elements

Most autobiographies do not mention every detail of a person's life from birth to death. Instead, they select key touchstone moments that shaped the autobiographer's life. Here are some of the essential elements that most autobiographies are made of:

This could include information regarding the autobiographer's date and place of birth, family and history, key stages in their education and career and any other relevant factual details that tell the reader more about the writer and their background.

• Early experiences

This includes significant moments in the autobiographer's life that shaped their personality and their worldview. Sharing these with the readers, their thoughts and feelings during this experience and what lesson it taught them helps the readers understand more about the writer as a person, their likes and dislikes and what made them the way they are. This is usually how autobiographers connect with their readers, by either bringing forth experiences that the reader may identify with or by imparting them an important life lesson.

Many autobiographers dwell on their childhood, as that is a stage in life that particularly shapes people the most. This involves narrating key memories that the autobiographer may still remember about their upbringing, relationships with family and friends, and their primary education.

Professional life

Just as writing about one's childhood is a key area of focus in autobiographies, so are stories from an autobiographer's professional life. Talking about their successes and their progression in their chosen industry serves as a huge source of inspiration for those aspiring to go down the same career pathway. In contrast, stories of failures and injustices may serve to both warn the reader and motivate them to overcome these setbacks.

The HP Way (1995) is an autobiography by David Packard that details how he and Bill Hewlett founded HP, a company that began in their garage and ended up becoming a multi-billion technological company. Packard details how their management strategies, innovative ideas and hard work took their company towards growth and success. The autobiography serves as an inspiration and a guidebook for entrepreneurs in every field.

• Overcoming adversity

As mentioned above, autobiographers often delve into stories of their life's failures and how they dealt with this setback and overcame it.

This is not only to inspire sympathy from their readers but also to inspire those facing similar problems in their lives. These 'failures' could be in their personal and professional lives.

Stories of failure could also be about overcoming adversities in life. This could be recovering from a mental illness, accidents, discrimination, violence or any other negative experience. Autobiographers may wish to share their stories to heal from their experiences.

I Am Malala (2013) by Malala Yousafzai is the story of how Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl, got shot by the Taliban at the age of 15 for protesting for female education. She became the world's youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2014 and remains an activist for women's right to education.

Talking about culture involves discussions about the autobiographer's way of life. This means delving into their values and beliefs, traditions, customs, rituals and holidays that are practised by them and their family, the writer's language, food and clothing preferences and anything that may be 'normal' for the autobiographer, but unique to readers who do not belong to that culture.

This particular element also allows for identification, amongst people who belong to the same culture as the autobiographer, but also allows for an appreciation of diverse cultures.

Out of Africa (1937) is an autobiography by Karen Blizen where she details her life on a coffee plantation from 1914 to 1931 in Kenya, which was under British Empire at the time. It provides a picture of what life looked like during colonial rule in Africa.

Autobiographers often have a common theme or lesson running across the stories they have selected to include in their autobiographies. This is especially true for memoirs, a specific type of autobiography we will discuss in the next section.

On Writing (2000) is a memoir by American author Stephen King that is a collection of King's experiences as a writer. Hence, the underlying theme under all the experiences and events that he includes in this memoir either have had a profound impact on his writing career or serve as inspiration for aspiring writers.

Types of Autobiographies

Now that we have looked at the elements that make up an autobiography, let's look at the different types of self-written work that possess all the abovementioned elements.

• Traditional autobiographies

This is when an autobiographer chronicles their entire lifetime, starting from their birth and early childhood, all the way to the present time when the book is being written. Most autobiographers opt for a chronological structure while narrating, although this is not necessary. While not each and every moment starting from the day of their birth needs to be included, the autobiographer must delve into any formative events occurring throughout the entire course of their life.

My Life (2004) is an autobiography by former U.S. President Bill Clinton chronicling his life, beginning with his childhood in Arkansas and then covering his tenure as the president of the United States.

Memoirs are a type of autobiography where the autobiographer only zooms in on particular memories that are significant or special to the author. Hence, memoirs are usually collections of memories handpicked by the author from their own life.

The memories that are selected are usually bound by a common theme.

autobiography is a story of a life; memoir is a story from a life. 1

Eat, Pray, Love (2006) is a collection of memoirs by Elizabeth Gilbert who writes about her various experiences while travelling across Italy, India and Indonesia, and the lessons she learnt along the way.

Fictionalised autobiographies

Remember when we said that autobiographies are always non-fictional? Well, there are some autobiographers who blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction while writing an autobiography!

While the events taking place in the autobiography are from the author's real life, the author may decide to use fictional characters to represent their actual experiences. Or, sometimes, an author may create a fictional character with a fictional story, but choose to narrate it like it is an autobiography by recording made-up (but very believable) facts about the character and tracing their psychological and social development throughout the course of their life. Sometimes, the author is so skilled at autobiographical writing, that readers are hardly able to tell that the protagonist and the life they are reading about are fictional!

Charles Dickens took an autobiographical approach while writing David Copperfield (1849), a novel where the substance of the book comes from Dickens' own life. However, the novel has been written in the first-person narrative voice of David Copperfield, who is a fictional character who also happens to be the protagonist of the story. Dickens reproduces his own life t hrough the story of David, a character that is a reflection of Dickens as a person.

• Spiritual autobiographies

These autobiographies focus on the autobiographer's journey towards finding their faith and spirituality. It usually follows the narrative of the writer lacking faith or having lived a sinful youth. However, after numerous cycles of struggles, doubts, and repenting, the writer reconnects with their faith and undergoes a spiritual awakening.

Throughout the autobiography, the autobiographer shares stories of this conversion and attempts to spread God's message.

Left To Tell (2006) by Immaculée Ilibagiza is an autobiography where Ilibagiza details the story of her surviving the Rwandan Holocaust by hiding in a pastor's bathroom. She survives the genocide by possessing faith and trust, and by eventually learning to forgive those who murdered her family and friends.

Confessional autobiographies are written by people who usually have a hidden secret or a personal revelation that they wish to reveal. Some autobiographers have dark and painful secrets that they wish to share in order to seek redemption or to warn others from doing the same.

This could be anything from stories of struggling with addiction to committing a crime - anything that the autobiographer has been plagued with and wishes to get off their chest.

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821) narrates Thomas Quincy's struggle with drug addiction and the influence this has had on his life. He narrates instances from his childhood that acted as emotional factors leading to his addiction, the nightmares and visions he would have under the influence of the drug and even a contrasting picture of the allure of the drug and the pleasure and euphoria it affords. This is an extract from his autobiography:

The sense of space, and in the end, the sense of time, were both powerfully affected. Buildings, landscapes, &c. were exhibited in proportions so vast as the bodily eye is not fitted to conceive. Space swelled, and was amplified to an extent of unutterable infinity. This, however, did not disturb me so much as the vast expansion of time; I sometimes seemed to have lived for 70 or 100 years in one night; nay, sometimes had feelings representative of a millennium passed in that time, or, however, of a duration far beyond the limits of any human experience. ( pp. 103–104.)

Autobiography Books

Now let us look at a few famous examples of autobiographies.

The Story of My Life (1903) by Hellen Keller

In her autobiography, Hellen Keller details her struggles and journey following her blindness and deafness at a very young age. She describes her relationship with her teacher and life-long companion Anne Sullivan, who taught her how to cope and learn from her disability and enjoy life once again. She talks about her many adventures with Anne Sullivan, who taught her to appreciate nature and reading and built Hellen's confidence and determination. After overcoming several obstacles, Hellen grows up to become a successful and well-educated woman and is able to achieve all her dreams by the end of the novel.

This is a collection of diary entries written by Anne Frank from 1942 to 1944, where she details her life as a Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. She describes the two years she spent writing and studying in the Annex, a small refuge for her family and other Jewish people fleeing persecution. Anne's diary halts when the Annex is raided by the Nazis after which she and her family are sent to concentration camps. She died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, and her diary is one of the most poignant accounts of the horrors of the Holocaust.

This is an extract from one of her diary entries from October 9th, 1942:

Escape is almost impossible; many people look Jewish, and they’re branded by their shorn heads. If it’s that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilised places where the Germans are sending them? We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English radio says they’re being gassed. Perhaps that’s the quickest way to die. I feel terrible. Miep’s accounts of these horrors are so heartrending… Fine specimens of humanity, those Germans, and to think I’m actually one of them! No, that’s not true, Hitler took away our nationality long ago. And besides, there are no greater enemies on earth than the Germans and Jews.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou

This autobiography is the first volume of a seven-volume autobiographical series written by Maya Angelou. It details her early life in Arkansas and her traumatic childhood where she was subjected to sexual assault and racism. The autobiography then takes us through each of her multiple careers as a poet, teacher, actress, director, dancer, and activist, and the injustices and prejudices she faces along the way as a black woman in America.

Autobiography - Key takeaways

• An autobiography is a nonfictional account of a person's life, written by the person themselves.
• A biography is a written account of someone's life written by someone else, whereas an autobiography is a self-written account of one's own life story.
• Key background information
• Professional Life

Fictional autobiographies

• Confessions

The Diary of a Young Girl (1947) by Anne Frank

• Judith Barrington. 'Writing the Memoir'. The Handbook of Creative Writing . 2014
• Fig. 1 - Adolf Hitler cropped restored (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adolf_Hitler_cropped_restored.jpg) by Unknown Author is licensed by Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 de (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en)
• Fig. 2 - Malala Yousafzai at Girl Summit 2014 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malala_Yousafzai_at_Girl_Summit_2014.jpg) by Russell Watkins/Department for International Development is licensed by Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
• Fig. 3 - Public domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angelou_at_Clinton_inauguration_(cropped_2).jpg

Frequently Asked Questions about Autobiography

--> what are some examples of autobiography.

Some notable examples of autobiographies are: 

--> What does autobiography mean?

An autobiography is a nonfictional account of a person's life, written by the person themselves. 

--> What should I write in an autobiography?

While writing an autobiography, include key background information about you and your family, early experiences from your childhood, your culture, your professional life, stories of adversity and any other touchstone moments that shaped your life.

--> What is the difference between biography and autobiography?

A biography is a written account of someone's life by someone else, whereas an autobiography is a self-written account of one's own life story.

--> What are the different types of autobiographies?

The types of autobiographies are:

Define an autobiography.

An autobiography is a nonfictional account of a person's life, written by the person themselves. 

What is the difference between an autobiography and a biography?

A biography is a written account of someone's life by someone else, whereas an autobiography is a self-written account of one's own life story.

Which type of autobiography includes fictional elements?

Which narrative voice are autobiographies written in?

First-person narrative voice

Which of the following autobiographies were written about the Holocaust? 

What is a memoir? 

A memoir is a type of autobiography where the writer zooms in on  a  particular collection of memories that are significant or special to the author.

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• autobiography

a history of a person's life written or told by that person.

Origin of autobiography

Other words from autobiography.

• au·to·bi·og·ra·pher, noun

Words Nearby autobiography

• autoantigen
• autobiographical
• auto caption
• autocatalysis
• autocatharsis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use autobiography in a sentence

In so doing, she gave us an autobiography that has held up for more than a century.

His handwritten autobiography reawakens in Lee a longing to know her motherland.

His elocution, perfected on stage and evident in television and film, make X’s autobiography an easy yet informative listen.

The book is not so much an autobiography of Hastings — or even Netflix’s origin story.

By contrast, Shing-Tung Yau says in his autobiography that the Calabi-Yau manifold was given its name by other people eight years after he proved its existence, which Eugenio Calabi had conjectured some 20 years before that.

Glow: The autobiography of Rick JamesRick James David Ritz (Atria Books) Where to begin?

Hulanicki was the subject of a 2009 documentary, Beyond Biba, based on her 2007 autobiography From A to Biba.

And it was also during the phase of the higher autobiography .

“Nighttime was the worst,” Bennett wrote in his autobiography .

Then I picked up a book that shredded my facile preconceptions—Hard Stuff: The autobiography of Mayor Coleman Young.

No; her parents had but small place in that dramatic autobiography that Daphne was now constructing for herself.

His collected works, with autobiography , were published in 1865 under the editorship of Charles Hawkins.

But there is one point about the book that deserves some considering, its credibility as autobiography .

I thought you were anxious for leisure to complete your autobiography .

The smallest fragment of a genuine autobiography seems to me valuable for the student of past epochs.

British Dictionary definitions for autobiography

/ ( ˌɔːtəʊbaɪˈɒɡrəfɪ , ˌɔːtəbaɪ- ) /

an account of a person's life written or otherwise recorded by that person

Derived forms of autobiography

• autobiographer , noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for autobiography

A literary work about the writer's own life. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa are autobiographical.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Autobiography

Definition of autobiography.

Autobiography is one type of biography , which tells a life story of its author, meaning it is a written record of the author’s life. Rather than being written by somebody else, an autobiography comes through the person’s own pen, in his own words. Some autobiographies are written in the form of a fictional tale; as novels or stories that closely mirror events from the author’s real life. Such stories include Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield , and J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye . In writing about personal experience, one discovers himself. Therefore, it is not merely a collection of anecdotes – it is a revelation to the readers about author’s self-discovery.

Difference between Autobiography and Memoir

In an autobiography, the author attempts to capture important elements of his life. He not only deals with his career, and growth as a person, he also uses emotions and facts related to family life, relationships, education, travels, sexuality, and any types of inner struggles. A memoir is a record of memories, and particular events that have taken place in the author’s life. In fact, it is the telling of a story or an event from his life; an account that does not tell the full record of a life.

Examples of Autobiography in Literature

Example #1:  the box: tales from the darkroom (by gunter grass).

A noble laureate and novelist, Gunter Grass, has shown a new perspective of self-examination by mixing up his quilt of fictionalized approach in his autobiographical book, “The Box: Tales from the Darkroom.” Adopting the individual point of view of each of his children, Grass narrates what his children think about him as their father and a writer. Though it is really an experimental approach, due to Grass’ linguistic creativity and dexterity, it gains an enthralling momentum.

Example #2:  The Story of My Life (by Helen Keller)

In her autobiography, The Story of My Life , Helen Keller recounts her first twenty years, beginning with the events of the childhood illness that left her deaf and blind. In her childhood, a writer sent her a letter and prophesied, “Someday you will write a great story out of your own head that will be a comfort and help to many.”

In this book, Keller mentions prominent historical personalities, such as Alexander Graham Bell, whom she met at the age of six, and with whom she remained friends for several years. Keller paid a visit to John Greenleaf Whittier , a famous American poet, and shared correspondence with other eminent figures, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Mrs. Grover Cleveland. Generally, Keller’s autobiography is about overcoming great obstacles through hard work and pain.

Example #3:  Self Portraits: Fictions (by Frederic Tuten)

In his autobiography, “Self Portraits: Fictions,” Frederic Tuten has combined fringes of romantic life with reality. Like postmodern writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges, and Italo Calvino, the stories of Tuten skip between truth and imagination, time and place, without warning. He has done the same with his autobiography, where readers are eager to move through fanciful stories about train rides, circus bears, and secrets to a happy marriage; all of which give readers glimpses of the real man.

Example #4:  My Prizes (by Thomas Bernhard)

Reliving his success of his literary career through the lens of the many prizes he has received, Thomas Bernhard presents a sarcastic commentary in his autobiography, “My Prizes.” Bernhard, in fact, has taken few things too seriously. Rather, he has viewed his life as a farcical theatrical drama unfolding around him. Although Bernhard is happy with the lifestyle and prestige of being an author, his blasé attitude and scathing wit make this recollection more charmingly dissident and hilarious.

Example #5:  The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (by Benjamin Franklin)

“The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” is written by one of the founding fathers of the United States. This book reveals Franklin’s youth, his ideas, and his days of adversity and prosperity. He is one of the best examples living the American dream – sharing the idea that one can gain financial independence, and reach a prosperous life through hard work.

Through autobiography, authors can speak directly to their readers, and to their descendants. The function of the autobiography is to leave a legacy for its readers. By writing an autobiography, the individual shares his triumphs and defeats, and lessons learned, allowing readers to relate and feel motivated by inspirational stories. Life stories bridge the gap between peoples of differing ages and backgrounds, forging connections between old and new generations.

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Biography Vs Autobiography: Similarities and Differences with Examples

Do you ever get confused between biography and autobiography? If so, you're not alone. These terms are used interchangeably, but each has its own unique approach. In this blog, we'll discuss biography vs autobiography. After reading this guide, you'll be able to make the difference between an autobiography and a biography. 

What is biography?

Here is a simple definition of biography: 'A biography is a detailed account of an individual's life written by someone else. The author is not the subject of the story. It is also referred to as a bio.' A biography can be about someone who is alive or deceased. It highlights essential moments and happenings in the life of the person in question. This genre essentially incorporates a person's extensive data, including given name, origin, birth date,occupation, and connections. Creating an exceptional piece requires perusing diverse materials such as records, manuals, memoirs, pictures, and interviews. Effective biographies come in writing; however, they can also take other forms such as music, movies. If the targeted subject is dead, then the writer has to do an immense amount of research. You may need to interview the people who knew that person or read already written biographies about that person. But if the person is alive, the writer can interview the target person several times to know about their life experiences.  Biography writing seems like a tiresome job. But you can ease this task by reading our latest guide on professional biography writing . 

Purpose of Biography

The primary goal of biography writing is to tell the readers about the subject's life from childhood to adult life and the rest of the years. Additionally, the biography tells a story of how the person learned life lessons and navigated through the challenges. The person's biography should give a clear picture to the reader about the subject's personality, traits, and how they interact with the world. You must cover all the essential features of biography.

Definition of Autobiography

The story about a person's life written by that person himself or herself is called an autobiography. The literal meaning of the word auto is 'self.' It covers all the elements of the biography but is narrated by the writer himself. Anyone can write their life story as an autobiography. Moreover, the author is himself the subject of the biography.

Purpose of Autobiography

The basic purpose of an autobiography is to portray the author's accomplishments and experiences of life. The majority of autobiographies are written from the author's perspective later in the person's life. So, the first person account is used to tell the author's story.  An autobiography usually starts with the early childhood years. Then, covers information about the person's brought up place, their education years, career, challenges they faced and how they tackled them. These are the key features of autobiography. It is created from the person's diaries. Moreover, the story may have flashbacks and flash forwards, but it must follow the chronological order. Describe the person's life occasions in a sequential manner from early life to their current years. 

Important Aspects of a Strong Autobiography

The primary features of autobiography are as follows:

• The facts are always told in the first person.
• More in-depth and personal than a biography.
• Goes into great depth about the character's life.
• It also explains the motivation behind the main character's behavior.

Common Elements of Biography and Autobiography

Here are a few elements that are common in both types of written formats:

• The purpose of both is to portray a person's life.
• Both are nonfiction because they deal with real-life events that occur during the subject's life.
• Both follow the same chronological order, starting from their early life to the various life stages.
• They include personal insights about the subject's life.
• Both genres may use multiple sources like newspapers, interviews, diaries, photographs and other documents to provide context and in depth narrative.
• The key elements, such as growth, character development, and transformation, are discussed in both. 

Recommended Reading : How to write a biography essay with tips, sample & outline

What is the difference between biography and autobiography?

Along with the similarities, there are also some notable differences between them. The basic difference between autobiography and biography is that autobiography tends to be more subjective in nature. That's why they are written by the subject themselves. Let’s explain the difference between autobiography and biography in detail.

Autobiography Vs Biography Examples

Biography example.

• Name: Alexander Hamilton Author name: Ron Chernow Alexander Hamilton is one of the most fascinating founding fathers of America, and Ron Chernow tells his story in great detail. Chernow traces Hamilton's transformation from an orphan into a political genius by fusing in-depth research with a narrative style. The book clarifies Hamilton's political beliefs and his pivotal role in the development of the US financial system (Chernow, 2004).
• Name: The Life of Samuel Jhonson Author name: Boswell Boswell delves deeply into the life of Dr. Samuel Johnson, his mentor and friend. The biography portrays Dr. Johnson's life, character, unique traits, and intellectual prowess in a fascinating way (Boswell, 1791). Boswell's vivid portrayal brings Johnson to life for the readers, making this one of the best biographies in English literature.
• Name: The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets Author name: Dr. Samuel Jhonson Some of the 17th and 18th century's greatest poets, such as Alexander Pope and John Milton, are discussed in Dr. Johnson's work. In addition to critiquing the works, he delves into the authors' private lives and the geopolitical context of their eras (Johnson, 1781). Johnson's research is very significant because it takes a combined historical and biographical approach.

Autobiography Examples

• Name: The Diary of a Young Girl Author: Anne Frank It is a unique story of a little Jewish girl. Her name is Anne Frank. This book told the story of her and her family's escape from Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. She spent two years in hiding, and her diary writings provide important insights into the dread, hope, and resiliency she faced (Frank, 1947). Frank's autobiography posthumously acts as both a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity and a reminder of the injustices of the past.
• Name: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Author: Maya Angelou This moving autobiography traces the early years of Maya Angelou, from being the first black streetcar operator in San Francisco to facing racial discrimination in the South. With incredible grace and courage, Angelou depicts her path of self-discovery and overcoming catastrophic events, including personal pain and racial prejudice. Her narrative of tenacity conveys a powerful message about discovering one's voice (Angelou, 1969).
• Name: Night Author: Elie Wiesel The autobiographical story " Night " by Elie Wiesel describes his and his father's experiences in Nazi concentration camps during WWII. This devastating story explores the loss of innocence and the fight to hold onto faith in humanity in addition to detailing physical suffering and cruel acts. It is proof of the human spirit's ability to persevere in the face of unimaginable evil (Wiesel, 1960).

Bottom Line

It's often challenging to distinguish between an autobiography and a biography. Although there are some significant distinctions between the two genres, you should be aware of them if your aim is to write in any of them. While both biographies and autobiographies are valuable sources of information and amusement about historical personalities (or current figures! ), they serve different purposes. We can enhance our media knowledge and gain a better understanding of the author's aim and appropriate approach to the material by being aware of the distinct objectives of each.  We really hope you find this information useful. You can get in touch with experienced writers who are highly qualified and have years of experience in providing biography writing services .  Take your time and make sure you are creating an engaging narrative that makes the reader feel as though they are right there with you when writing your own life story.

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• multi-volume

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