How to Write Autobiographies of Yourself

Each person will have a unique autobiography.

Unlike a memoir, which focuses on one period of a person's life, an autobiography details your entire history. Some people write autobiographies to sum up their lives for their children or grandchildren, and perhaps to teach them about the lessons they themselves have learned. Included in your autobiography could be identifiable periods of national or international history that your reader can use to follow the movement of time in your story.

Instructions

1. Decide what aspects of your life you want to include in your autobiography. These could include your biggest triumphs and your most disastrous defeats. Jot them down on a piece of paper.

2. Organize all the memories into groups and then figure out a theme. Most autobiographies are centered around lessons learned in life, though you could create yours to simply tell your story in a linear fashion.

3. Make your opening sentence enticing. You could make it a statement about your life. For example, "I was never happier than when I was with my first dog" -- and then lead into a scene with your dog using the present tense.

4. Follow the opening scene with another memory that allows for a seamless transition. For example, "There was my first boyfriend in grade four, Carl Hoffman, who made me smile sometimes" -- and then transition into a scene with Carl.

5. Recollect your story while noting that you don't need to produce a linear autobiography. For example, you can describe a scene and then let your reader know how you got there. End your autobiography with a statement about your predictions for your future.

References

• Scholastic: Writing an Autobiography; Elizabeth Ramos
• Writing Smart: How to Write and Autobiography