Choose your subject. Ideally, your subject should be someone whose life deeply interests you. The first look at writing an autobiography. Based on the etymology, we can infer that an autobiography refers to the type of self-written word document dedicated to oneself. Though it’s greatly apart from its neighboring term “biography,” many are still prone to misinterpretation. An autobiography, most often published as a book, is the story of someone's life written by that actual person themselves.Their life stories can be ones of struggle and hardship, but also of triumph and resilience. Here follow several examples of inspiring autobiographies worth reading, plus a sample short autobiography essay, to perhaps prompt you to write your own story. Brainstorm your autobiography. The structure of an autobiography is somewhat obvious; it starts at.

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

How to Write an Autobiography

1. What is an Autobiography?

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

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

2. Memoir vs. Autobiography

Before you start any kind of writingprocess, it is important to know what kind of a book it is you are wanting towrite. There is no way to know how to write an autobiography if you can'tdistinguish the two. Memoir and autobiography are often plumped into the samegenre, because they are both about someone's life.

But they are two genres of their own. Sohere's the difference:

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

Knowing the difference will save you timeand energy. It will also help you to shape and plan your book (if that's yourstyle).

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

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

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

That means all significant events frombirth 'till now.

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

3. Read

A great way to learn how to write anautobiography is to read. A lot. Reading other autobiographies will give you anidea of which direction to go in and how this genre is structured. It can alsohelp you to develop your style and tone of voice, and to pinpoint which writingtechniques you find most effective. All good tools to have in your writingtoolbox.

Here are a few examples of autobiographiesyou might want to read:

• My Autobiography, Charlie Chaplin (1964)

• The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin

• Long walk to freedom, Nelson Mandela

• The story of my experiments with truth, Mahatma Gandhi

• The story of my life, Helen Keller

• The autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley, Malcolm X

• An Autobiography, Agatha Christie (1965))

• The confessions of St. Augustine, Augustine of Hippo

• Scar tissue, Anthony Kiedis, Larry Sloman

• Open: An Autobiography, Andre Agassi

• Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

• Autobiography of a yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda

4. When to Write an Autobiography

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

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

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

Many biographies are written later on inlife, when experience has been gathered and there are many exciting moments todraw from. But this isn't always the case.

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

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

That said, an older, more experiencedwriter may have an easier time writing an autobiography, simply because theyhave more material to draw from.

5. Theme

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

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

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

The main theme, of course, is the person'slife. But that is not enough to sustain interest across time. So bear in mind asecondary theme that ties it all together.

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

6. How to Pick a Theme

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

One way of picking a theme is to choose anaspect of your personality that you feel is awesome and make that your solefocus. Maybe you're great at maths, for example. Perhaps you made it to theworld championships on mathematics or something. That would be a story worthtelling.

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

A third would be to consider the thingsthat are most important to you in your life and to make a reference to these asyou work your way through each significant event mentioned in your book. (Thisworks especially well if you are writing an autobiography for those who knowyou.)

7. Exceptions

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

From that sense, everybody should writeone!

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

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

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

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

8. How to Plan

“Look for the times when your life changed the most, and when you changed the most, those are the times of peak drama in your life.”

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

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

When considering how to write anautobiography, it seems to be the most natural of all genres to plan. This isbecause within it's very construction there is a presumption of what it will beabout: events in your life. From this sense, it is already set up for you. Insome ways, this makes writing a lot easier. On the other hand, the risk thateasy planning poses, is boredom. For the reader or yourself. The challenge thenbecomes, how to make these life events interesting and stand out. But we'll getto that a bit later on...

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

9. Writing Schedule

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

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

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

Everyone has their own writing style, includingthe way they schedule (or don't schedule) their writing habits. So don't everlet anyone tell you how you should be writing. It's up to you.

10. How to Start an Autobiography

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

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

11. Go Digging

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

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

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

12. Fill Up Your Senses

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

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

13. Write a letter

If you're struggling to start writing, youcan try writing a letter to yourself or to other members of the family from thetime. This is a very personal way of connecting with the past. Remembering yourconnection to your characters will help your writing to flow more easily andmean you have material to draw from before you even start writing.

14. Emotions

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

It can be a difficult balance. You need tocare enough about your subject matter to write it. But you don't want youremotions to take over to the point where style and the content of your booksuffers.

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

If you are finding it difficult, thenconsider writing out as many different viewpoints of the event as you possiblycan. This will open up how you see it and may even lead to an inspiringrevelation for both you and your book.

15. New Insights

One of the benefits of learning how towrite an autobiography, is that, as you develop as a writer, new insights willlikely occur.

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

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

16. Take Care

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

17. Know Your Why

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

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

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

18. Tone of Voice

An important aspect of telling your storywill be your narrative style and tone of voice. This completely depends uponwho you are writing for and the purpose of your book.

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

Writing Autobiography Samples

This also depends a lot on what kind ofperson you are, and you will want your attitude and personality to be reflectedin your writing. This should happen naturally, but don't be afraid to write asif you are talking or to use a recording device and write up your account ofeach chapter afterwards.

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

19. First or Third Person?

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

First person is the generally acceptedviewpoint for most autobiographies, because it is your story, and you arethe one writing it.

20. Conflict

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

Example Of Autobiography About Yourself

21. Story Arc

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

It simply can't be a long list of eventsand then an ending. They have to all meld together cohesively in order to havesome sort of an impact on your reader.

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

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

You can start by making a note of your corebeliefs and who you feel you are as a person before you begin. But don't besurprised if, as you write, you reveal a value you hold that you had neverespecially acknowledged. This is a true gift to the reader, to leave them with yourwisdom or knowledge.

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

22. Comedy and Funny Anecdotes

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

23. Where to Begin?

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

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

24. Consider Your Reader

Don't rest on your laurels. This canespecially be a risk if you are writing only for friends or family. Justbecause someone knows you, it doesn't mean your story will automatically becomeinteresting to them. It will likely make it more interesting than if you were arandom passerby, true. But this is not something to take for granted.

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

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

25. How to Make Events More Colorful

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

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

• 1. Keep a notebook with you at all times for when you remember particular details about a person or place. Details will always give your story more originality and color.

• 2. Show don't tell - this is always relevant to any kind of writing and autobiography is no exception. Try adding in things you saw, smelt, tasted or touched within the scene. Avoid making a statement and describe what happened in the moment, instead.

• 3. Add metaphor or simile- when describing a character or a vivid memory, don't just describe how it looked on the surface. Unless this is not at all your writing style, you can enjoy emphasizing how something made you feel through descriptions that include metaphor. (use ext link for how to use metaphor) For example, 'she was as fit as a fiddle'.

• 4. Avoid common descriptive words - words such as 'nice' and 'good' should be considered with great caution once you have reached the third draft of your book.

26. Consider Your Reader

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

This can especially be a risk if you arewriting only for friends or family. Just because someone knows you, it doesn'tmean your story will automatically become interesting to them. It will likelymake it more interesting than if you were a random passerby, true. But this isnot something to take for granted.

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

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

27. Length

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

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

28. Consider Privacy/Confidentiality

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

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

29. Editing

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

Writing Autobiography Template

Writing Autobiography Examples

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

30. Proofreading

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

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

31. Autobiographies on the Shelf

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

And that's what makes them so appealing.

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

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

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

Writing Autobiography Rubric

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

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

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