How to Write Your Autobiography

Anyone can tell their story when they know what questions to ask themselves. The answers are inside you. Read a question and the answer is there. It's easy. It's fun. There are no rules. Tell your story in your own voice. Only you can.
—The Remembering Site

If Not Now, When?

Many of us enjoy scrapbooking. But some of us express ourselves much better with words. In this day of DIY, two enterprising women have developed a set of tools designed to help anyone who wants to write and publish their life memories, experiences, memoirs, or autobiography but have been too overwhelmed to get started. The Remembering Site contains over one thousand evocative, story-telling questions to help lead you through the process. Here are a few examples:

• Describe your family holidays.
  
• Did you eat lunch at school,
  or did you go home for lunch?
  
• Do you remember your first kiss?
  
• Describe your career.
  
• What was the happiest moment of your life?

Suggested Chapter Headings

First, you’ll create a literary framework on which to hang your answers to the question prompts. It’s your life story to tell, and you can choose from various chapter headings at the Remembering Site.

1. Dedication
2. Your Family and Ancestry
3. The House of Your Growing Up
4. Childhood / NeighborhoodElementary School Years
5. Life In A Small Town or A Big City
6. Holidays and Celebrations
7. High School
8. College
9. Careers
10. Romance and Relationships
11. Parenthood
12. The House You Raised Your Family In
13. Favorites
14. Food
15. Looking Back or 20/20 Hindsight
16. Heavy Questions (More…)

Faith and Remembering

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. (I Chronicles 16:11-13 NIV)

You might also want to include your personal testimony of faith, a journal of specific answers to prayer, or other amazing acts of God in your life.

What to Expect While Writing

Co-founder Sarah McCue offers the following encouragement: Answer as you're inspired; go ahead and cry; you’re going to get bored; continue at your own pace, but set a pace; take your time so your children and grandchildren will know you completely; sit loosely in the writing saddle; let your sense of humor come through. Discover what others are saying about the Remembering Site. FAQ’s are here.

Related: Your Childhood Home Meme

Mary (mother of 10) at Owlhaven says, “I’d like you all to consider writing about your childhood home… If you moved a lot, it’s fine to pick one favorite house. What I want to hear are details that were important to you as a child: your secret hideout under the stairs... the way your mother washed your hair in the kitchen sink every Saturday night."

Mary at Owlhaven also says: "On Friday, July 20th, put your post up on your blog. I’ll put a Mr. Linkie up on my blog so that you can sign in with the address of your post… I think that reading each other’s childhood memories of ‘home’ will help us as parents get a better feel for the types of things that make childhood memorable for children.” HT to Carol at She Lives.

Helpful Questions

Under the chapter heading “The House of Your Growing Up” here are a few questions from the Remembering Site to help you with Owlhaven’s delightful challenge.

• Do you have warm feelings about the childhood home you remember the most?
• What did your home look like?
• What was the color? Was it stone, wood-other?
  One story or two?
• What did you look out onto?
• What was your bedroom like?
• Did you share it with your siblings, or was it cozy by yourself?

My Autobiography: Home Interiors

Here’s a short chapter about our present home from my autobiography titled, "Berber or Shag?" Please enjoy.

Photo Credits: #1 & #2 Bingo Little, #4 Robem (Flickr)

Do you remember your first kiss?