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Writing Your Life Story

Have you ever thought ‘I want to write my autobiography’?

Or ‘biography writing would be fun.’

Yet despite the thought you have never quite got the job started or finished because it was all to confusing, intricate and time consuming?

We live in an era when people are living longer, but families are living further apart. When long held beliefs and traditions are changed in a cyber second yet fewer people write letters to record the events. Consider this and it stands to reason that there is a yearning by so many to record their passage through life. A task that is only made easier by computers, internet and desktop publishing. But the question is, ‘where do you go if you want help writing an autobiography?’

Hopefully by having read this far into our website you will at least have the answer to that question. Here you’ve found ideas and advice on writing your autobiography online, so feel free to come back as often and regularly as you like.

The first question though before you start writing is, what form will your writing take? Yes, there is the standard memoir writing, but have you considered all the other ways you can record yours or another person’s life story?

Family History

A family history focus’ on genealogy and the family as a whole rather than on one person. It has a tendency to be a logical procession through time, listing dates and events to keep a record of who did what and when.

Autobiography/Memoir

This is a true life story about your life, or part of it. It involves writing memories, events and in essence the important events that framed your life. The major difference between this and a family history is the fact that it revolves around you only and includes more intimate details and emotions.  

Biography

A biography is the same as an autobiography only it is not written by person who lived the life.

Personal Essays

As the name suggests, this usually entails writing an essay or story about a singular event in your life.

Scrapbooking

If words aren’t your thing, how about recording a life or some of the events in it with pictures and comments.

Oral History

Also for people who aren’t big with words, record your memories on tape or cd

Journals

The events of your life can be fantastic journal writing ideas. Write down the events either as they happen or as they reemerge in your memory. The specific thing about a journal is that you add to its contents regularly, a bit like the traditional diary with each entry complete in itself.

So there you have it, hopefully these few writing ideas will encourage, inspire and help your autobiography writing, but don’t stop here click on a link, the whole website is designed to help you with writing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Much of this information comes from my workbook, 'Writing Your Life Story (but not necessarily your autobiography)'. The workbook provides in detail, a guide to writing about your life story, helping you decide which style of writing suits you best, how one style varies from another and tonnes of practical advice so you are never at a loss for words. If you would like to find out more about this workbook and how to get hold of it visit Life's Inspirational Moments.