How to Write about your Life

Many individuals get near the end of their life or half way through and believe they have a fairly good story to tell.

There are others who want to leave a story of their life for their grandchildren and are afraid they will not be able to tell it in a captivating way. It is about you so remember that alone qualifies for a great deal of interest as it relates to your grand kids.

Herein I explain the best way to employ the technique of writing about yourself outside of hiring a ghostwriter.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Look at your life as a history and also a ceremony and tribute. Start by thinking up some grand experiences you had during your childhood and write them down.
   
   Everyone has some favorite childhood memories no matter how simplistic. Events that meant a great deal to you will hold interest to others. Believe this and you will write accordingly.
   
   For instance, one of my favorite childhood memories was when we'd visit the grocery store each week and I'd run to the pegboard display of toys and grab one up for my Mother's approval. And each week just like clockwork she'd say no. I can remember that weekly ritual all the way down to the linoleum floor of the grocery we visited.
   
   Would something like that be interesting to your grandchildren? I belive by describing the experience within a different time makes your story all the more readable. In example, I don't know too many groceries in existence that look like the one I visited when I was a kid. Most the stores now seem to be chains or superstores. Remember the difference in era is sure to hold their interest.

2. Another favorite childhood memory is when I went to the hardware store with my Dad. Now this wasn't a store like Home Depot but rather a vast menagerie of tools, nails, bolts and other items housed in a cement block building that had the blighted appearance appropriate for the wrecking ball. Of course it was painted to some degree, and the sign had the proprietor's name on the front, but the inside resembled someone's tool shed or garage and as if the owner had been ransacked.
   
   My Dad could walk in that store and ask for any item and the owner would know right where to find it without hesitation. Everytime we left that shop the two of us would marvel at his skill. We were out of there faster than you could say Uncle and that includes paying the bill. Again, that is another favorite childhood memory.

3. I remember going downtown on the bus and getting dressed to the tens. This I found a bit Victorian and I really didn't appreciate the fussy dress. Maybe I've always had an Aquarian ascendent--however, I always liked the part where we had lunch in the subterranean area of a famous department store. Once again--another favorite childhood memory.

4. I believe as you go along in your writings you'll have tons of favorite memories to share and within an era your grandchildren are not at all familiar.
   
   Also record events of which you were not too thrilled with regard to the experience however do so with a sense of levity. For instance, I remember going to my first funeral. It was in an old funeral chapel or country house. All the older ladies laid kisses on me which I didn't at all appreciate however out of politeness I abstained from telling anyone. This was the era where older ladies still wore Victorian laced-up corrective shoes from their original era and small print floral dresses. As I get nearer the age myself I can't imagine putting on this get-up. They also wore neat capped hats over snow white hair. Some of the hats had the tiniest hint of a net vail. This hat deal I know came from the 40s however we were attending the funeral in the early 60s.
   
   Therefore, what I'm trying to convey is also mention the times in life that were new to you and which you weren't all too pleased as to the situation.

5. One time in first grade everyone in my class, as our teacher left the room boxed up everything from an indoor recess seeing it was raining cats and dogs outside. Upon her return all of us had our hands folded sitting neatly at our desks and very straight. She was beside herself at our level of obedience. Even I was a bit mystified and still am as I write this. I am forever wondering what moved us that day to be such good children when many times we were not.
   
   She too wore old-fashioned clothing and the corrective shoes of my country style aunts however thankfully she never planted a big sloppy wet kiss on my cheek as a form of greeting. This was repulsive to me no matter how much I liked the person.

6. How about pets? Who were your pets and how did you acquire them? Our one dog Whitetoe had to be sent back to where we bought him because he was just getting too monstrous in size for our yard and as a result of a number of episodes of Midwest rain was getting the entire side of our garage muddy.
   
   He was also a very friendly dog and had a tendency to jump on people. On one occasion he ran at a gallup and jumped on our workman as a form of greeting thus knocking the man to the ground. Whitetoe did not understand the relationship of his size to other individuals. Upon hearing this bit of information my Father was not all too pleased. Granted, my Dad did a great deal for Whitetoe, building him a dog house and making sure he was well-fed; however, the side of our garage looked hideous because of Whitetoe's sloppy paw prints and as a result was in worse shape than Witetoe's fancy digs. Our workman although not hurt did not like to be knocked down by our friendly canine.
   
   After we sent Whitetoe back to the people from whom we had purchased him, my Mother received a call from I believe the White County Sheriff (however, I'm not too sure on the county). I do know it was a rural setting in the southern portion of the state. He was informing us Whitetoe was there. This was at least fifty miles away from where we resided. We weren't at all surprised the bounding pooch found his way on foot and so far away to this agricultural area: he was just so full of pep and enthusiasm.
   
   Naturally, we had to explain he wasn't our dog anymore and evidently the kennel where we returned him had yet to take the tags off. I to this day believe the happy-go-lucky Whitetoe was trying to find his way back to us; he merely headed off in the wrong direction. Anyway I believe there was someone in that country setting who wanted him and that would have been the perfect place the way he liked to run around and jump.
   
   So there again, find areas in your life history where you can relate to the reader fun stories about your pets. A canine is bound to pull the most unbelieveable stunts.

7. Also, you should put together a chronology for yourself of when you were born; a little history about your parents and their background. It should be tailored similar to when you read biographical histories of individuals with more famous backgrounds. This gives the reader an idea of the histories of the people who produced you.
   
   For instance, what was your Father's occupation? What did your Mother do for a living? Were they married forever or did they have more than one partner during your tenure with them? Whatever you do present this information in good taste. You want to present the entire episode of your family in the best light possible.
   
   In example, my Dad was a white-collar worker and moved up through the ranks of a small wood finishing company. I remember pictures of him with his bow tie sitting at his desk with a pipe looking very distinguished. This was when the bow tie was fashionable. He had a secretary who drove a better car than him although he drove a very nice car, and he came home each day for lunch to dine with my Mother.
   
   One lunch period I accidentally spilled milk all over his shoes and socks right before it was time for him to return to work. It was funny because he wasn't all too pleased with this surprise so I and my sister were little enough we took to hiding underneath the kitchen table.
   
   My Mom being our ally came to our defense as we crawled out of underneath the table and used her as a shield. We were very sorry we had caused such a mess. She reminded him it was an accident although it had caused him a great deal of surprise and he reasoned as much. Naturally we weren't in trouble for a simple mistake but it was funny to think I once was little enough to hide behind someone I eventually grew to be slightly taller.
   
   Again, this is another example of a very simple childhood memory. Also, I've provided detail about what my Dad did for a living. You can also indicate whether your parents were in the service and other highlights of their life.
   
   The best way to address your parents' backgrounds is to do it first, before starting your story.
   
   If you want some exposure how to do this properly then I suggest you read a couple of biographies of famous persons and see what I mean.

8. Of course you can get even more involved however what I've described I think will be enough in order for you to start writing with regard to your life. How about the day or night you were born--what was it like? Do you know? I know the night my Mother went into labor it was a snowy winter night. I can just see the two of them making their way to the hospital in the car with the snow coming down.
   
   Also when I was born I had a tendency to bite the nurses. I never bit my parents however.
   
   You see include things like this. Again add some levity to your story.

9. You'll want to record your life through school and then your work life. Also your dating life, your married life and when your children were born.

10. I suggest you break your life story up in stages so that you can easily manage the manuscript.
    
    A suggested outline is as follows:
    
    1) Information about your parents: Don't go into too much detail here--just enough information so we get a sense of them. You don't want to start the story of your life and we know nothing about the other players.
    
    2) Also you'll need to provide information on your siblings. What order did they arrive in this world comparative to you?
    
    3) Include favorite childhood memories; family vacations
    
    4) Next you'll want to talk about school life and schools you attended.

11. 5) Address your work life during school and afterwards.
    
    6) Write about your married life and prior dating life if it is relative to the story. You don't want to get too graphic here. Keep everything presentable especially if this is for family. Everything needs to be proper and in good taste. You are not a famous person writing a tell-all book. Your book just needs to be a general history of your life. You needn't spill the beans about everything. Keep things above board.

12. Devise your history as one would for any book. There should be a Table of Contents, a Preface, Chronology; Key Events in your Life such as Marriage and Births within the chronology.
    
    Also you may refer to my outline in order to devise your table of contents. And most of all, have fun writing your book. Convey your story as if you and your grandchildren or whomever you are writing the book were sitting in front of a fireplace with an amber fire in a cozy nook on a frosty winter's eve.

Tips & Warnings

• Think of your life as a scrapbook of sorts of significant events presented in a chronological fashion--this may make writing about it much easier.

[DiscountTickets]

on 7/2/2009 Yea, you're right, this is exactly the way to write about your own life, I will try this soon. Thanks for sharing.