Attributes of an Autobiography

The characteristics of your autobiography should match your personal characteristics. What will give your autobiography a chance to show who you were?

Once you've chosen the appropriate way your story, you'll need to remember five autobiography values to assure yourself that what you capture is an accurate reflection of the life you lived. Remember these five values:

1. Tell Your Story Honestly.

Easy, right? Not so fast. You have to make a decision to be honest. Otherwise, you may succumb to the natural desire to inflate the occurrences of you life. Most importantly, be honest in your descriptions and your feelings.

2. Sound Like You

This is a tough one. When I write, I sometimes choose vocabulary that doesn't sound like me at all. It sounds overly stuffy or cold. It's tempting to try and sound like someone else. Someone more educated. Or someone funnier. Or less funny. Or...Or...Or...

People appreciate you. Let them see you.

3. Figure Out Why You're Writing Your Autobiography

This will help with the direction of your story. It will give all of the work meaning.

In his famous autobiography, Benjamin Franklin stated 11 reasons for recording his life:

He liked reading about his own ancestors.

He thinks that his son (and others) will enjoy reading his autobiography.

To share how he went from poverty to wealth.

He wants to explain how he succeeded and found happiness.

He remembers his life to see what he would change.

Revisiting one's life is the next best thing to living it again.

He would like for his story to persist.

He wants gratify himself.

He wishes to tell others of God's workings in his life.

Even through his success, he realizes that it could be taken from him at anytime.

Perhaps one of Benjamin Frankin's reasons struck a nerve with you. If one did, use it. If not, be sure to find your Why. This is one of the most important of the autobiography characteristics. You'll need it to work through the slow times.

4. Know Your Audience

While writing an autobiography can be a very personal experience, it's important to know that unless you destroy your work, someone will probably read it someday. Know this. Think about what you want that person to know. For Benjamin Franklin, he addressed his son. But beyond his son, Benjamin Franklin looked to a much wider audience. And he succeeded. His autobiography is one of the most read autobiographies in the world.

Who will you write for? Your son? Your daughter? Your grandkids?

5. Know Where Your Headed

How have the events of your life molded you? Do you want to show how good your life was? Or maybe how bad you had it? Do you want to share just a portion of your life? Just an event? The directions are many - choose one and go with it.

Autobiography Characteristics Summarized:

1. Don't lie to your audience (yourself or others)

2. Sound Like You

3. Figure Out Why You're Writing Your Autobiography

4. Know Who You're Writing For

5. Choose a Direction

By incorporating these traits into your autobiography, you will write your story in such a way that people will want to read it.

Now get writing!

Article Source: http://www.lifestyle-information-services.com

Learn from our discussion on Starting an Autobiography . Robert Brady's Autobiography Workshop is a fantastic tool for writing an autobiography .

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