How to Write a Book About Yourself

People write memoirs or autobiographies for a variety of reasons. Some do it to record their history for their children or future generations; this can be a powerful way to preserve the past. Other people feel that they have a story interesting enough to sell and write with the intent of publishing their works. Regardless of why you want to write your memoirs, it can be challenging to write something so personal.

Instructions

1. Read other people's memoirs and autobiographies. This is the best way to get a sense of the variety of styles of autobiographies or memoirs. Visit your local library and pick out several that pique your interest. As you read them, make notes as to what you like and dislike about the book--from the writing style to the layout. You will find that a memoir reads like a novel with a central theme and an autobiography is more detailed and takes place over the majority of a lifetime. Decide which style suits you best.

2. Make a time line of your life. Even though we've personally experienced our whole lives, it can be hard to pin down exactly when certain events happened. It's best to start by making notes of the events you are absolutely sure of. These could include birth, weddings, children, graduations or other major life events. Later, when you speak to family members, you can ask them to fill in details and specific dates for other events you may not remember as clearly.

3. Interview family and friends. They may remember details that you don't or provide a colorful anecdote about a certain event. It also helps to get their perspective on events of the past, which are sometimes remembered differently. Family can also provide details of your early childhood.

4. Make an outline. Outline your story from beginning to end. Start with the major events and then fill in the details with the stories, people, places and topics that you want to cover. Break this out by chapters or sections. Later, when it is time to write, you will be fleshing it out more thoroughly and, because of your outline, you won't forgot important information.

5. Write first, edit later. It's tempting when writing to go back and read everything, tearing it apart, looking for flaws, misspelled words, strange phrasing and more. Resist this urge. It interrupts the flow of the writing and can overwhelm and bog you down. Once you've got a completed first draft, you can begin the editing process.

6. Include positive and negative events. All of the things that have happened in your life have contributed to who you are today. Be sure to give fair coverage to both the good and bad in your life so far. However, remember that whether you are writing for your family or the general public, someone will probably be reading what you wrote. When writing about another person, be sure that you'd be comfortable with their reading what you've written.

7. Edit your work. Now that you have a first draft, go back and take out meaningless details that add nothing to the story, add in events you forgot, look for errors in spelling and punctuation, and make sure your voice is consistent throughout. You are most likely writing in the first person, so make sure that you do not slip into other perspectives during your narrative.

8. Publish...or don't. If you are planning to publish your work, now is the time to prepare a proposal and find an agent. If you are writing for your family or future generations, make sure that you preserve your work in a way that will stand the test of time. You can have your book bound at a local copy shop as well as make multiple copies for gifts.

Tips & Warnings

• Double and triple check facts, figures and dates--especially if they pertain to historical or public events.

References

• 9 Tips for Writing your Autobiography
• Tips on Writing a Memoir

Resources

• Memoir Writing Tips