How to write autobiography of a book

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela There was no natural light in my cell; a single bulb burned overhead twenty-four hours a day. I did not have a wristwatch and I often thought it was the middle of the night when it was only late afternoon. I had nothing to read, nothing to write on or with, no one to talk to [ This give-and-take style may be useful if you, too, are writing an autobiography which includes difficult or traumatic elements.

This passage uses sensory details and an intimate tone to draw readers in, describing not just how the piano looks, but how it feels to play.

How to write autobiography of a book: List life events in chronological order.

All this makes for a very compelling narrative style — almost like that of a novel. If you want your autobiography to flow this way, try reading more nonfiction in this style indeed, many memoirs read quite similarly. Q: What's a good or interesting way to start an autobiography? Suggested answer First, the autobiography should have a plot and a sense of the author changing over time as a good character would in a successful novel.

It helps readers see how your past shaped who you are today. It was embarrassing, but it showed me how to laugh at myself. Example: You might start with your early childhood and progress to adulthood, or focus on specific themes like your education and career. Using Comparisons Metaphors and similes allow you to describe your experiences in creative ways by comparing them to something readers can easily understand.

Sensory details help readers immerse themselves in your experiences. Slow down for important moments to add emphasis, and speed up when the details are less crucial. Example: Take your time when describing life-changing events, and move quickly through less important moments to keep the narrative flowing. Autobiography vs. Biography The major difference between a biography and an autobiography is that an autobiography is written by the subject themselves.

Whereas, a biography is written by the third person. Here are the key differences between autobiography vs. Expert Tip If you are interested in detailed reading about the differences between autobiography and biography check out our autobiography vs. Memoir While memoirs and autobiographies share some similarities, there are several key differences between the two.

For instance, writing a memoir focuses on a specific period, experience, or theme in the author's life. In contrast, an autobiography is a comprehensive account of a person's life story from birth to the present day. Tell the reader what they're going to cover or leave the reader to gradually discover the narrative structure or shape of the story?

Reading autobiography and note-taking in this way helps you see the options for how to structure your narrative. Choose between autobiography and memoir Reading autobiography examples will help you see how authors use common narrative elements. For example, the acclaimed author Vladimir Nabokov begins Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited: The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.

Nabokov, in typically ornate fashion, breaks the 'rules' of autobiography. He uses third person to describe a ' young chronophobiac' - one who is afraid of time. We can guess this 'young chronophobiac' is Nabokov himself, and that he is using a tone of ironic detachment to imply that the act of dredging through memories - or even the idea of time itself - fills him with 'something like panic'.

The above seems more like a literary play with form an attribute Ian Jack ascribes memoir than a straightforward, chronological autobiography. Readers might indeed wonder why Nabokov calls Speak, Memory an autobiography. Nabokov does, however, proceed more or less chronologically, from before his birth, to Chapter 2 which begins: It was the primordial cave and not what Freudian mystics might suppose that lay behind the games I played when I was four.

Nabokov, Speak, Memory, p. You can work your way backward from high interest to medium interest. 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?

How to write autobiography of a book: Identify the main characters. Who

First of all, I want to read this book! Second, when in doubt, default to chronological order. Whatever event happened first, start there. Again, order the ideas from medium to high interest. 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.

How to write autobiography of a book: Create an outline. Start from the

The most significant person might be your family member, friend, partner, or child. It comes down to who shaped your life the most. You have the major sections organized and outlined.