Where to Start When Writing an Autobiography

If you are wondering where to start when writing an autobiography, please continue reading to get some suggestions about how to tell your story.

Tell the story of your life.

Since an autobiography is "your" story, you can choose how to write it. Not everyone starts writing a story from the beginning. If this style doesn't work for you, you are free to approach the project in another way.

For some writers, the way to start telling a story is to start at the beginning and build it in a linear fashion. In the case of an autobiography, you would start with where and when you were born. You can include information about your parents and whether you are the oldest child in your family.

As you continue to tell your story, add in important or memorable events from your childhood, such as:

• First birthday you can remember
• First day of school
• Memories of friendships during your school years
• Sports or hobbies you enjoyed as a child
• First romantic relationship
• First job

With this style, you think through the events of your life in the order in which they occurred. Hopefully, one series of memories will lead into the next as you are writing your outline or composing chapters for your autobiography. You can write the story in chronological order, adding details that you want to share with your reader.

Another way to approach the idea of where to start when writing an autobiography is to use the present circumstances of your life as a starting point. This part of your life story can be used as a hook to get your reader interested in what you have to say. You can go on to explain how the events of your life and the choices you made brought you to this point in your life.

You can also approach your autobiography by focusing on an event in your life that you feel is pivotal and use it as a starting point. Examples of life-changing circumstances that form part of your life story are:

• The day you met your spouse
• Getting married
• Becoming a parent

There are other events that can be good fodder to start off your account of your life story. If they apply to your situation, here are some that you could consider:

• Surviving an accident or life-threatening medical condition
• Finding out that you have a life-threatening or chronic illness
• Hitting "rock bottom" with an addiction
• Finding religion in whatever form you practice it
• Death of an important person in your life

Your autobiography is your own story. You can structure it in any way that makes sense to you. The goal here is to share who you are and tell a story about the events that have made you the person you are today.

The goal is to share your perspective about your life and the events that shaped you into the person you are, at least so far. Only you know how you perceived the events that have shaped your life, and you are the best person to explain your thoughts and your motives as you have moved through your life.

When you are thinking about where to start when writing an autobiography, you can structure your story in the way that makes the most sense to you. As the author, you are in control of how much you want to share about your life.

• Erotica Writing Prompts
• Mystery Writing Prompts
• Creative Writing Prompts for Children

• Quickest Way to Make Money Writing
• Tips on Writing a Memoir
• How to Write a Concrete Poem
• Free Creative Writing Software
• Writing Essay on Myself

• Writing a Critical Review of a Nonfiction Book or Article
• Writing Your Life History
• Memoir Writing Web Sites
• Tips on Writing a Memoir
• Main Page