I have just finished writing three articles on helps for writing an autobiography: Getting Started, Autobiography Characteristics, and the importance of writing your autobiography.
Remember: Writing is most important!
Start now.
Don't get caught up on the mechanics. Those will come as you write.
Pick up a pen. Now.
On what topic should you write?
Write about anything:
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Your first boyfriend or girlfriend.
Your favorite high school teacher.
Bands you have seen in concert. Weird Al? Kenny G? Ozzy? MC Hammer?
The morning bus ride. How early did you have to get up? Did you have to wait in the snow in the states worst snowstorm in recorded history?
Your first car. For me, it was a VW Bug. Rust and primer. But the babes loved it.
About your kids.
Why you prefer Best Foods Mayonnaise to Kraft Mayonnaise.
First kiss. Who was it with? Was it a double dare? Was it a first love?
Talents. Do you play piano? Can you paint? Whistle really well?
Easy enough, right? Write something now.
Sadly, a lot of folks don't write because they're embarrassed by their perceived lack of writing skills. They're afraid of the rules.
You have to have rules. If we didn't, no one would write anything that anyone could read. Think of the rules more as guidelines. A map as you will. You know where you're headed. There are a bunch of ways to get there.
Say it out loud first and then write it. The writing will more closely match your speaking style. It will be more natural.
Don't worry about spelling things correctly. If you're writing on the computer, the spelling checker will pick up most of your mistakes. If you're writing in a journal or a piece of paper, just keep writing. If you're writing ideas that you will transfer to an autobiography later, don't fret over misspellings. You can catch them later.
At first, you're just writing for you. Don't pretend like someone is reading over your shoulder. You will feel inhibited and insecure. Don't do it.
Most writers, even the gifted ones, right crummy first drafts. Don't be afraid to write poorly at first.
Get lost in the writing, in the ideas, and the experience.
If you go blank, make a list. (I touch more on this in a subsequent article.) Lists are magical. Look at the list above. I'm sure ideas have already started.
The important thing is to write.
Visit our discussion on Starting an Autobiography . Robert Brady's Autobiography Workshop is a motivating resource for writing an autobiography . Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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