How To Write My Life Story

Writing a life story is tough. It requires a lot of research, lots of drafts, and lots of hours spent penning your memories down on paper. Even if you’re familiar with how to write a story, it’s difficult to know where to start. Luckily, we’ve compiled this post with the best advice we could find for writing your autobiography!

We have some tips for organizing your thoughts as well as getting started. Today, however, we’re going to dive into some of the different ways you can start your life story.

Step 1. Think About Your Subject Matter

Coming up with a good life story topic is key to writing a life story that someone will want to read. A good topic can be hard to come up with, especially if you don’t know where to start! Don’t worry — we’ve got some great ideas on what to include in your autobiography. Here are some suggestions for picking a good autobiography title:

Pick something that has meaning for you on a personal level. Maybe you were a big athlete in high school or you lost your mother when you were young. If it’s meaningful to you, it’ll be meaningful to readers.

Interest your readers by writing about something unusual. Maybe you won a contest, saved a life, or are an escape artist! Pick something that will resonate with your audience and pique their interest.

Step 2. the actual writing itself.

1. Start with free writing.
Before you write anything else, before you write your research notes or your outline or anything else, write yourself a letter of intent. This is your chance to just write about anything, especially about yourself. Be precise — don’t write the first sentence as if you are writing an essay:
“My name is Jane Doe. I am seventeen years old and I’m going to become a writer.”
Use that space to warm up and practice your voice. Feel free to add or remove words from the piece as needed. Don’t worry about it being perfect or grammatically correct — it’s not going anywhere other than on your computer screen!

2. Write the life story section by section.
There are a few ways of writing a story; some writers like to write the first draft using an outline, while others like to “pants” their way through a story. We recommend writing your life story in sections; this way you can keep each section relatively short and you will be less tempted to force-fit everything into one giant piece of writing.

3. Keep it chronological!
If at all possible, it is best to keep your autobiography chronological. This allows your readers to trace your story more easily and makes the writing process easier for you, as remembering past events will be easier than trying to arrange them.

4. Write a backstory!
Take a look back at yourself before you were born. Who were you before you were yourself? What family did you come from? What was your childhood like? How did that shape the person that you are today? What were your dreams while growing up — what did you want to accomplish, what were your aspirations? What were your family values, and how did they affect your life?

5. Have you lived?
Life is so much more than just doing things — it’s about being there for the ride. Think about the times when your life changed for the better, and those times when it fell apart. How did you deal with it emotionally? What value did you gain from these experiences? Life isn’t all about the happy memories, so don’t be shy about including some of those downers as well!

6. What were your morals like?
A big part of who you are right now comes from the values that you received from others. Think about the stories and lessons that your parents told you when you were growing up — did they make an impact on who you are today? Or perhaps there was a teacher who really influenced you — think about what they taught, and how it has affected your life.

7. Do you believe in God?
What is your view on life? What is your religion? How has it affected you? When was the first time that you questioned your beliefs, and how did that moment come about? Speak to any religious leaders, and seek their advice. Life is sometimes a struggle to understand what’s right or wrong — if nothing else, read their viewpoints on moral issues.
8. Who are your heroes?
Looking for people to look up to can help inspire you to live up to their examples.

5. Write about your past relationships.
What was the best relationship you ever had? The worst? Are there any relationships that you regret? How did your relationship shape who you are today, and do you think it was a positive thing? What was it like to be in love with someone but not know if they loved you back, or worse — to know that they didn’t care for you at all?

6. Write about your dreams.
Do you remember dreaming of what your life would be like as an adult? Were you a princess, or perhaps a scientist? Did you want to grow up to be just like your mother, or did you want to be more like your father? What were some of the dreams that got hit by reality, and what were the ones that came true?

7. Write about death.
Death is one of the most important parts of life; it’s an inevitability that we all face. Write about the deaths that have made an impact on you — perhaps a parent, a friend or someone important. Or maybe you had to put down a pet. Do you wish that there was something more you could have done? Think about what death means to you now and how it has affected your life.

8. Write about love and family.
If there’s anything we learn in life, it’s how much we need others to get us through the rough times and the good times alike. What did you learn about family and love from your own family? How did it change you? Who are the people in your life that have changed who you are, and why? What lessons did they teach you about love, family, and life itself?

9. Write about education.
If you are the sort of person who learns through reading, then maybe you know that learning in school isn’t always enough. Do you remember what it was like to learn a new concept, under a teacher who didn’t fully understand it? What about the time you were bullied or picked on? How did that shape your attitude toward learning?

10. Write about things that define you.
What are some of the things that make up who and what you are today?

11. Write about ideas and history.
What are you passionate about? What kind of ideas do you have about what’s right and what’s wrong? Are there any historical figures that you admire, and why?

12. Write about your career goals.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you want to go into business or politics? What did your parents want for their children? Think about the non-profit organizations that inspire and interest you.

13. Write about respect and honesty.
Write about times in your life when you were honest with yourself, or when you faced the truth no matter how painful it was to face. Think about a time when someone else was honest with you, and what it meant to you.

14. Write about making mistakes.
What are the biggest mistakes that you have ever made? How did they affect your life? What have you learned from them, and what would you do differently if you could go back in time?

15. Write about challenges you’ve faced.
What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve ever faced, either in your professional life or in your personal life? Think about those challenges that seem so big that you feel like there’s no way you could overcome them — and think about the ones that caused a positive change in your life.

16. Write about things you used to take for granted.
Back when you were a kid, your parents used to do so much for you that it took your breath away. But being an adult means taking care of yourself — paying your own way in life and being independent. Think about what you used to take for granted growing up, and see how it affects you now as an adult.

17. Write about things you are scared of.
Fear comes in many shapes and sizes, and it can affect us all differently. Sometimes fear paralyzes us and keeps us from doing the things that we want to do. Other times it’s a motivator, giving us the adrenaline rush that helps us succeed. What are you afraid of? What are some of your biggest fears? What do you wish you were not afraid of?

18. Write about things you’ve had to let go of.
It’s hard to let go of people, places, and experiences that you love. Sometimes letting go is the right thing to do — other times it’s just as important to hold on. It’s important to learn which is which — what did you have to let go of growing up? What was the hardest for you? Do you wish that there was a way that you could hold onto it, or are you glad that it’s out of your life?

19. Write about things that make you feel embarrassed.
We all have things about ourselves that we’re embarrassed of. We’ll go to great lengths not to be embarrassed in front of others, and sometimes we find it hard to admit that we’re mortified of something private. But every human being has flaws — are there any that you feel are in themselves embarrassing? Write about some embarrassing moments in your life — good or bad, laugh or cry, powerful or pitiful — it doesn’t matter what they are.

20. Write about your identity.
Do you know who you are? Do you have any idea why people would consider you an important person in their lives? What makes you feel like you are who you are meant to be? What do your friends and family say about the kind of person that you are, and do they like what they see?

21. Write about things that surprise (or even shock) you.
What do you find surprising about yourself — good or bad? How has your life changed since you were a child? How has your perception of the world changed since then? What was that one experience in your life that made you change the way you thought about things?

22. Write about your biggest regrets.
Everyone has regrets — some small, some major. Write about the biggest regrets of your life so far, what they are, how you’ve dealt with them and what they mean to you now.

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