Everyone who has a fascinating story to tell is often interested in sharing the memories and their experiences with the world, and that what brings about the autobiography concept. There are many tips on how to write an autobiography, but the best of all is for you to handle it like an excellent story or narration.
Autobiography means that the book will have you as the protagonist, the central conflict, and of course, a collection of characters all through. The essence of the characters is to keep the readers engaged as they leaf through the pages.
You have to consider the specific central idea or theme that remains very dominant in your daily life. It is this theme that you are going to weave your tale around. If you want to make the story pop very well, you will have to add some spice and energy to your writing. You cannot adopt a bland and tasteless pattern of writing. Here are steps you can take when it comes to writing your biography:
Sketching Your Entire Life
Commence your journey by carrying out detailed and comprehensive research about your life. You can establish a timeline, and in doing so, you get to add all the most relevant events and dates to it. This structure will give you a good overview and outline that will serve as the foundation of the entire story.
This is the stage during which you take your time to do all the brainstorming that you can do. You should even go ahead and write all the main points that you can remember. You should not leave out any issue that you can recollect even if you think it is unnecessary for the book.
You do not have to begin your biography with your birth, like many others. You can add some history of your family’s right to tracing your roots. Jot down details about your ancestors and parents and how they existed. By adding these details concerning your ancestors, the readers will understand how you evolved into the kind of person you are.
The next section of your life sketch can include your teenage and all the fantastic experiences you had as a teenager. You can make the story to be a lot spicy and tantalizing for the readers by including details behind why you made the decisions you took as a teenager. This is an excellent way to immerse all your readers into your life experience while growing up.
For those who attended colleges, details regarding your education must be included at this point. Discuss your days in the primary and high schools to the universities, polytechnic, or colleges. After that, you will write about the career you built and its relationships over time. Write about the children you have, and do not forget to include some of the most life-changing events you have faced with your family.
Place the Major Characters
A fantastic autobiography has the most colorful and engaging characters, and these include enemies and allies in the plot of your life story. Ask yourself who the characters in your life are and even the roles that people like your parents played, alongside your spouse or lover and other relatives. Do not limit your search to your immediate relatives alone; consider others who have also influenced your life positively.
These major figures that have had a positive impact on your life should be mentioned. These include people like mentors, coaches, teachers, and senior colleagues who have had a lot of influence on you and your career. You will take time to conclude on those you are going to feature as your role models.
An exciting twist can be added to the characters when you include figures like your ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends as they make for very brilliant stories. Remember those who have been enemies in your life and make sure you add them. Your account cannot be attractive if you do not add conflicts to the overall plot.
Whip Out the Most Outstanding Stories
Since your life’s story is going to be a lengthy one, you have to be specific on what you are going to consider as priority stories. Start with a manuscript by penning the most exciting stories and create a mosaic of your life. Some of these stories include your childhood in which you will explain whether it was one full of love or trauma drawing on your experiences with parents or when you come of age.
The period you fell in love with is another suspense-filled story that you can add to it. The juicier your love story, the better for you. Remember to throw in your mid-life crisis that you experienced during your 30s and 40s and how you managed the phase.
If you faced any adversity or significant challenge in life, narrate it and add how you got solutions. This way, your biography is not just going to be interesting to your readers; they will also learn efficient lessons in the process.
Utilize Your Voice
It is not called an autobiography for anything. Your readers are going to be attracted to your book to have an idea of what your life is from your perspective. Make sure that you are authentic and use your voice. Do not be unduly strict or formal in your tone as that is going to bore your readers.
Write in a way that the readers are going to trust you and feel comfortable with you. Write as if you are addressing a trustworthy pal or a friend. If you are spiritual, express it. If you are a very funny or charismatic person, make sure that this reflects in your writing. Do not hold anything back; just be yourself, and let everything flow with ease.
Be Human
You do not have to leak every secret in your life, but writing your biography opens up some revelations for your readers. Drop details on things that others do not know about you. Do not mask your flaws, and do not underrate your strengths. Remember not to promote or downgrade yourself overly. If you have made mistakes in life, explain yourself, and do not try to come off as a saint or an angel – be human, and your readers will love your biography.
