How + Why You Should Write an Autobiography

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Many people think writing an autobiography is for celebrities. People want to know their origin story so why not. What about your origin story?

Maybe no one will read about your life. Maybe you won’t even show it to anybody. You should write it anyways. 

There are many pros to why one needs to write their own autobiography in their lifetime. Today we discuss these advantages and how they could benefit you during your life. 

What is an autobiography? 

A history of one person’s life written or told by that person. 

Not to be confused with a biography which is a written account of another person’s life. Ex: if I was to write the life of Kobe Bryant 

Why you should write an autobiography

• Helps you remember your childhood
• It is a way to process what has happened in your life
• It can be published 
• You can tell people  ‘ this is why I am like I am’ without physically telling them

How to write an autobiography 

Ok so now that I have conned you into writing an autobiography, the question you may be asking is how.

 Remember this may take a while. Depending on what you put then it is not going to be easy either. 

Materials

• Paper
• Pencil

What to do

You want to make sure you bring your paper and pencil everywhere you go. That way, in case a memorable moment happens or if you remember one then, you can jot it down. 

You are going to want to ask your parents about your birth and any memories of childhood that are interesting. 

Go to a space where you can be alone

• Write down every age that you have been until now. I suggest writing these in the individual papers that way you have more space
• Write down birth, age 1, age 2…. 
• Start making a list of everything you remember. It does not have to be clean. This is just writing things down and making notes. You will be cleaning it up and sorting it later

After your research, you can go back to your notes and start figuring out what you wish to have in your autobiography. 

Cross off the unimportant or boring information. Put a star near the ones to keep. 

Time for your first draft

A good idea is to look at others’ autobiographies or even biography to get some inspiration from how they have written. 

Of course, since it is your own writing, you can not copy anything besides how it is written

Finding the right notebook for the finished product

Now that you have successfully written all your drafts, spell-checked and made sure everything is good, you want to find a notebook. 

One suggestion for a notebook is “An Autobiography Promoted Journal by Promptly Journals”. What I love about this journal is the hardcover and the various prompts. Prompts like “What skills did you learn” or “Any regrets ” There are various prompts for each section of your life. High school, young adult, childhood, golden years… You can also add photos after every section. A must-have for your autobiography journey. You can get yours by clicking the link here

Protip– I suggest if you wish to write your autobiography on a computer then you still write it in a notebook or print it out. This way you have a physical copy. 

What you should not include in your autobiography

Your will- unless it is private. You of course do not want to publish something with information as to what you want to be done after your death

Anything about a specific person that is personal. Ask everyone’s permission if you wish to include them in your story. 

Protip- if they are important and wish not to be included then change their name and fib a little. That way they will never know it is about them 

Conclusion 

Wiring your own autobiography has many benefits to a person’s personal development. It can help bring back lost memories, it can help you understand who you are, it can help you put on paper things you wish to say…

It can take months or even years. It may never be done or perfect. With that being said, there are more pros than cons to writing about yourself. 

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