How to write an autobiography

Your life story has value, merit, and significance. You want to share it with the world, but maybe you don&#;t know how.

Here&#;s how to write an autobiography:

Write an autobiography by creating a list of the most important moments, people, and places in your life. Gather photos, videos, letters, and notes about these experiences.Then, use an outline, templates, sentence starters, and questions to help you writeyour autobiography.

In this article, you are going to learn the fastest method for writing your autobiography.

We are going to cover everything you need to know with examples and a free, downloadable, done-for-you template.

What Is an Autobiography?

(This post may have afilliate links. Please see my full disclosure)

Before you can write an autobiography, you must first know the definition.

An autobiography is the story of your life, written by you. It covers the full span of your life (at least, up until now), hitting on the most significant moments, people and events.

When you write your autobiography, you write an intimate account of your life.

What Should I Include In an Autobiography?

If you are scratching your head, baffled about what to include in your autobiography, you are not alone.

After all, a big part of how to write an autobiography is knowing what to put in and what to leave out of your life story.

Do you focus on every detail?

Every person? Won&#;t your autobiography be too long?

Autobiography idea definition Be sure to include a few important dates so readers can understand the sequencing of the events you are describing. Read 2 additional answers. Marcus Ritosa Apr 26, Here are a couple of things you can do to learn more about yourself and your past.

A good way to think about how to write an autobiography is to use the Movie Trailer Method.

What do movie trailers include?

High emotional moments
The big events
The most important characters
Action
Conflict
Drama
Suspense

When you plan, organize, and write your autobiography, keep the Movie Trailer Method in mind.

You can even watch a bunch of free movie trailers on YouTube for examples of how to write an autobiography using the Movie Trailer Method.

When wondering what to include in your autobiography, focus on what would make the cut for a movie trailer of your life:

Most important people (like family, friends, mentors, coaches, etc.)
Significant events (like your origin story, vacations, graduations, life turning points, life lessons)
Emotional moments (When you were homeless, when you battled a life-threatening condition, or when you fell in love)
Drama or suspense (Did you make it into Harvard?

Did your first surgery go well? Did your baby survive?)

Autobiography Structure Secrets

Like any compelling story, a well-structured autobiography often follows a pattern that creates a logical flow and captures readers&#; attention.

Traditionally, autobiographies begin with early memories, detailing the writer&#;s childhood, family background, and the events or people that shaped their formative years.

From here, the narrative typically progresses chronologically, covering major life events like schooling, friendships, challenges, achievements, career milestones, and personal relationships.

It&#;s essential to weave these events with introspective insights.

This allows readers to understand not just the what, but also the why behind the author&#;s choices and experiences.

Towards the end, an effective autobiography often includes reflections on lessons learned, changes in perspective over time, and the wisdom acquired along life&#;s journey.

Example of the Structure:

Introduction: A gripping event or anecdote that gives readers a hint of what to expect.

It could be a pivotal moment or challenge that defines the essence of the story.
Childhood and Early Memories: Recounting family dynamics, birthplace, cultural background, and memorable incidents from early years.
Adolescence and Discovering Identity: Experiences during teenage years, challenges faced, friendships formed, and personal evolutions.
Pursuits and Passions: Describing education, early career choices, or any particular hobby or skill that played a significant role in the author&#;s life.
Major Life Events and Challenges: Chronicles of marriage, parenthood, career shifts, or any significant setbacks and how they were overcome.
Achievements and Milestones: Celebrating major accomplishments and recounting the journey to achieving them.
Reflections and Wisdom: Sharing life lessons, changes in beliefs or values over time, and offering insights gained from lived experiences.
Conclusion: Summarizing the journey, contemplating on the present state, and sharing hopes or aspirations for the future.

How To Write an Autobiography Quickly: Strategies & Templates

Want the quickest way to organize and write your autobiography in record time?

Autobiography sample for work

Autobiography example for students

Creative autobiography example

Autobiography example with pictures

You can literally write your autobiography in 7 days or less with this method.

The secret is to use done-for-you templates.

I have personally designed and collected a series of templates to take you from a blank page to a fully complete Autobiography. I call this the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

And it&#;s completely free to download right from this article.

🙂

In the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint, you get:

The Autobiography Questions Template
The Autobiography Brainstorm Templates
The Autobiography Outline Template

Here is an image of it so that you know exactly what you get when you download it:

How to Write an Autobiography BlueprintDownload

How To Write an Autobiography: Step-by-Step

When you sit down to write an autobiography, it&#;s helpful to have a step-by-step blueprint to follow.

You already have the done-for-you templates that you can use to organize and write an autobiography faster than ever before. Now here&#;s a complete step-by-step guide on how to maximize your template.

Brainstorm Ideas
Order your sections (from medium to high interest)
Order the ideas in each section (from medium to high interest)
Write three questions to answer in each section
Choose a starter sentence
Complete a title template
Write each section of your by completing the starter sentence and answering all three questions

Brainstorm Your Autobiography

The first step in writing your autobiography is to brainstorm.

Give yourself time and space to write down the most significant people, events, lessons, and experiences in your life. The templates in the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint provide sections for you to write down your brainstormed ideas.

This will help you organize your ideas into what will become the major sections of your book.

These will be:

Your most significant events and experiences.
The people who impacted you the most.
The challenges you have overcome.
Your achievements and successes.
The lessons you have learned.

The &#;other&#; sections on the second page of the Brainstorm template is for creating your own sections or to give you more space for the sections I provided in case you run out of space.

As I brainstorm, I find asking myself specific questions really activates my imagination.

So I have compiled a list of compelling questions to help you get ideas down on paper or on your screen.

Order Your Sections (From Medium to High Interest)

The next step is to order your main sections.

The main sections are the five (or more) sections from your Brainstorm templates (Significant events, significant people, life lessons, challenges, successes, other, etc). This order will become the outline and chapters for your book.

How do you decide what comes first, second or third?

I recommend placing the sections in order of interest.

Autobiography idea examples Thanks for reading our article! What do you intend to teach them, and why? The former South African president wrote this stunning autobiography about his struggle against apartheid, his imprisonment, and his presidency. And the core idea of that plot can be revealed from the earliest pages.

Ask yourself, &#;What&#;s the most fascinating part of my life?&#;

If it&#;s a person, then write the name of that section (Significant People) on the last line in the How to Write an Autobiography Outline Template. If it&#;s an experience, place the name of that section (Significant Events) on the last line.

For example, if you met the Pope, you might want to end with that nugget from your life.

If you spent three weeks lost at sea and survived on a desert island by spearfishing, that is your ending point.

Then complete the Outline by placing the remaining sections in order of interest. You can work your way backward from high interest to medium interest.

If you are wondering why I say &#;medium to high interest&#; instead of &#;low to high interest&#; it is because there should be no &#;low interest&#; parts of your autobiography.

But wait, what if you met the Pope AND spent three weeks lost at sea?

How do you choose which one comes first or last?

Autobiography idea generator Last week, she told me that I write great and that my story is heartbreaking. My grandfather wants this to be something for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, so just for the family, but it's still very important work. Wakeeda Patton Feb 16, About This Article.

First of all, I want to read this book! Second, when in doubt, default to chronological order. Whatever event happened first, start there.

Here is an example of how it might look:

Order The Ideas in Each Section (From Medium To High Interest)

Now, organize the ideas inside of each section.

Again, order the ideas from medium to high interest).

Autobiography idea list: Top Posts. Then you can proceed to the usual chronological order of things. Make sure you get the facts right. They will find a moment when lots of stuff is happening- - the storm clouds gather, the city explodes, the battle is won or lost, or the sun breaks through after a terrible storm.

Within your &#;Significant People&#; section, decide who you want to talk about first, second, third, etc. You can organize by chronological order (who you met first) but I recommend building to the most interesting or most significant person.

This creates a more compelling read.

Keep in mind that the most significant person might not be the most well-known, most famous, or most popular.

The most significant person might be your family member, friend, partner, or child.

It comes down to who shaped your life the most.

So, if your &#;significant people list&#; includes your dad, a famous social media influencer, and Mike Tyson, your dad might come last because he had the biggest significance in your life.

Write Three Questions to Answer in Each Section

Ok, you&#;ve done the heavy lifting already.

You have the major sections organized and outlined.

Next on your autobiography to-do list is to choose and write down three questions you are going to answer in each section. You can write your questions down in the provided &#;boxes&#; for each section on the template outline (or on another piece of paper.

This is easier than it might seem.

Simply choose one of the sample autobiography questions below or create your own:

Why did I choose this person/event?
What does this person/event mean to me?
How did I meet this person?
Where did it happen?
When did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did it happen?
What is the most interesting part?
How did I feel about this person or event?
How do I feel now?
Why does this person or event matters to me?
How did this person or event change my life?
What is the most challenging part?
How did I fail?
How did I succeed?
What did I learn?

Questions are the perfect way to write quickly and clearly.

I LOVE writing to questions. It&#;s how I write these blog posts and articles.

Choose a Starter Sentence

Sometimes the hardest part of any project is knowing how to start.

Even though we know we can always go back and edit our beginnings, so many of us become paralyzed with indecision at the starting gate.

That&#;s why I provided sample starter sentences in your How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

Here are the story starters:

I began writing this book when&#;
Of all the experiences in my life, this one was the most&#;
I&#;ve been a&#;
My name is&#;
Growing up in&#;
It wasn&#;t even a&#;
It all started when&#;
I first&#;
I was born&#;

Keep in mind that you do not need to begin your book with one of these story starters.

I provide them simply to get you going.

The key is to not get bogged down in this, or any, part of writing your autobiography. Get organized and then get writing.

Complete a Title Template

At the top of the How to Write an Autobiography Outline is a place for you to write your book title.

Some authors struggle forever with a title.

And that&#;s ok. What&#;s not ok is getting stuck. What&#;s not ok is if coming up with your title prevents you from finishing your book.

So, I provided a few title templates to help juice your creativity.

Just like the story starters, you do not need to use these title templates, but you certainly can. All you need to do is fill in the title templates below and then write your favorite one (for now) at the top of your outline.

Presto! You have your working title.

You can always go back and change it later.

How to Write an Autobiography Title templates:

[Your Name]: [Phrase or Tag Line]
The [Your Last Name] Files
Born [Activity]: A [Career]&#;s Life
The Perfect [Noun]: The Remarkable Life of [Your Name]

Examples using the Templates:

Christopher Kokoski: Blog Until You Drop
The Kokoski Files
Born Writing: A Blogger&#;s Life
The Perfect Freelancer: The Remarkable Life of Christopher Kokoski

Write Your Autobiography

You have your outline.

You have your title, templates, and sentence starters. All that is left to do is write your autobiography.

However, you can use tools like Jasper AI and a few other cool tricks to craft the most riveting book possible.

This is the easy way to remarkable writing.

Check out this short video that goes over the basics of how to write an autobiography:

How To Write an Autobiography (All the Best Tips)

Now that you are poised and ready to dash out your first draft, keep the following pro tips in mind:

Be vulnerable. The best autobiographies share flaws, faults, foibles, and faux pas.

Let readers in on the real you.
Skip the boring parts. There is no need to detail every meal, car ride, or a gripping trip to the grocery store. Unless you ran into the Russian Mafia near the vegetables or the grocery store is perched on the side of a mountain above the jungles of Brazil.
Keep your autobiography character-driven.

This is the story of YOU!
Be kind to others (or don&#;t). When writing about others in your story, keep in mind that there may be fallout or backlash from your book.
Consider a theme: Many autobiographies are organized by theme. A perfect example is Becoming.

Each section of the book includes &#;becoming&#; in the title. Themes connect and elevate each part of the autobiography.
Write your story in vignettes (or scenes). Each vignette is a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end. Each vignette builds. Each vignette should be described in rich sensory language that shows the reader the experience instead of telling the reader about the experience.

Each vignette is immersive, immediate, and intimate.
Include snippets of dialogue. Use quotation marks just like in fiction. Show the dialogue in brief back-and-forth tennis matches of conversation. Remember to leave the boring parts out!
Choose a consistent tone. Some autobiographies are funny like Bossy Pants by Tina Fey.

Others are serious such as Open by Andre Agassi. Your story (like most stories) will likely include a mix of emotions but choose an overall tone and stick with it.
Don&#;t chronicle, captivate. Always think about how to make each section, each chapter, each page, each paragraph, and each sentence more compelling.

You want to tell the truth, but HOW you tell the truth is up to you. Create suspense, conflict, and mystery. Let drama linger until it becomes uncomfortable. Don&#;t solve problems quickly or take away tension right away.

How Do I Format an Autobiography?

Most autobiographies are written in the first person (using the pronouns I, me, we, and us).

Your autobiography is written about you so write as yourself instead of pretending to be writing about someone else.

Most autobiographies are also written in chronological order, from birth right up to your current age, with all the boring parts left out. That doesn&#;t mean you can&#;t play around with the timeline.

Sometimes it&#;s more interesting to start at a high moment, backtrack to the beginning and show how you got to that high moment.

Whatever format you choose, be intentional, and make the choice based on making the most compelling experience possible for your readers.

Autobiography idea list

Autobiography idea maker

Autobiography idea builder

How Long Should an Autobiography Be?

There are no rules to how long an autobiography should be but a rough guideline is to aim for between and pages.

This will keep your book in line with what most readers expect for books in general, and will help get your book traditionally published or help with marketing your self-published book.

How To Write a Short Autobiography

You write a short autobiography the same way that you write a long autobiography.

You simply leave more out of the story.

You cut everything down to the bones. Or you choose a slice of your life as you do in a memoir. This often means limiting the people in your book, reducing the events and experiences, and shrinking your story to a few pivotal moments in your life.

How To Start an Autobiography

The truth is that you can start your autobiography in any number of ways.

Here are four common ways to begin an autobiography.

Autobiography idea Try Again. What does your book solve? Writers should read this to witness how Boom weaves a historical narrative into her life story. I'm told by many to begin writing about my life.

Start at the beginning (of your life, career or relationship, etc.)
Start at a high moment of drama or interest.
Start at the end of the story and work backward
Start with why you wrote the book.

Good Autobiography Titles

If you are still stuck on titling your autobiography, consider going to Amazon to browse published works.

You can even just Google &#;autobiographies.&#;

When you read the titles of 10, 20, or 50 other autobiographies, you will start to see patterns or get ideas for your own titles. (HINT: the title templates in the Autobiography Blueprint were reverse-engineered from popular published books.

Also, check out the titles of the full autobiography examples below that I have included right here in this article.

Types of Autobiographies

There are several different kinds of autobiographies.

Each one requires a similar but slightly nuanced approach to write effectively. The lessons in this article will serve as a great starting point.

Autobiography Types:

Autobiography for School
Autobiography Novel
Autobiography for a Job
Short Autobiography
Autobiography for Kids

Therefore, there is actually not just one way to write an autobiography.

Memoir vs.

Autobiography: Are They The Same?

It&#;s common to feel confused about a memoir and an autobiography. I used to think they were the same thing.

But, nope, they&#;re not.

They are pretty similar, which is the reason for all the confusion. A memoir is the story of one part of your life. An autobiography is the story of your full life (up until now).

What Is the Difference Between an Autobiography and a Biography?

An autobiography is when you write about your own life. A biography, on the other hand, is when you write the story of someone else&#;s life.

So, if I write a book about the life of the President, that&#;s a biography.

If the President writes a story about his or her own life, that&#;s an autobiography.

What Not To Include In an Autobiography

Autobiographies are meant to be a snapshot of our lives that we can share with others, but there are some things that are best left out.

Here are three things you should avoid including in your autobiography:

1) Anything That Readers Will Skip

Your life may not be filled with non-stop excitement, but that doesn&#;t mean you need to include every mundane detail in your autobiography.

Stick to the highlights and leave out the low points.

2) Character Attacks on Others

It&#;s okay to discuss conflicts you&#;ve had with others, but don&#;t use your autobiography as a platform to attack someone&#;s character.

Keep it civil and focus on your own experiences and how they&#;ve affected you.

3) Skipping Highlights

Just because something embarrassing or painful happened to you doesn&#;t mean you should gloss over it in your autobiography.

These are the moments that shape us and make us who we are today, so don&#;t skip past them just because they&#;re uncomfortable.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your autobiography is interesting, honest, and engaging.

How To Write an Autobiography: Autobiography Examples

I have always found examples to be extremely instructive.

Especially complete examples of finished products. In this case, books.

Below you will find examples of published autobiographies for adults and for kids. These examples will guide you, motivate you and inspire you to complete your own life story.

They are listed here as examples, not as endorsements, although I think they are all very good.

The point is that you don&#;t have to agree with anything written in the books to learn from them.

Autobiography Examples for Adults

A Promised Land (Autobiography of Barack Obama)
If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won&#;t) (Betty White)
It&#;s a Long Story: My Life (Willie Nelson)
Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography (Rob Lowe)
Becoming (Michelle Obama)

Autobiography Examples for Kids

This Kid Can Fly: It&#;s About Ability (NOT Disability) (Aaron Philips)
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid (Mikaila Ulmer)

Tools to Write Your Autobiography

Here are some recommended tools to help you write your autobiography:

Final Thoughts: How To Write An Autobiography

Thank you for reading my article on How to Write an Autobiography.

Now that you know all of the secrets to write your book, you may want to get it published, market it, and continue to upskill yourself as an author.

In that case, read these posts next: