Tackling the task of how to write an unforgettable story of your life is complex. Autobiographical details should not be missing in writing, but neither should the technique to make the story interesting, attractive and not boring.
The objective is to know how to go beyond the paper and make the reader feel identified, or at least excited, with what they are reading. On the other hand, this objective must be achieved in a specific way and in a specific space, since we are dealing with the writing and publication of a story, and not a book. Adaptation to style and genre is, therefore, essential and represents an additional difficulty.
We share professional tips and techniques to overcome challenges and succeed in writing (and subsequently publishing) an unforgettable account of my life.
The before: the preparation to write an unforgettable story of my life
Once the author decides to write a story about his or her own life, the next step is to document that life and collect the biographical materials that will serve as a basis and starting point to later write.
Even if you believe that life has been stored entirely in your memory, the truth is that objects such as images or old diaries are of great help. It is not only about capturing on paper the present emotionality that those memories awaken, but also about transmitting the feelings that went through the person at that moment. Children’s book ghostwriter near me often walk a fine line between being creative storytellers and adhering to the author’s specific vision and guidance. Striking this balance is a significant challenge, but it is
The importance of introspection and reflection
When remembering, human beings tend to rewrite what they experienced from their current vision. So that this does not happen, it is important to review the past and the autobiographical through reflection and introspection.
Writing a story about yourself starts with self-knowledge, which involves analyzing past experiences in order to better understand and share them. Knowing this, the author must find those experiences with which he can say, testify or explain something.
Therefore, those common anecdotes or those that do not contribute anything substantial are of no use. In this exercise of introspection and reflection, those key moments must be chosen that are interesting for their content, for what they taught the writer or for how they influenced his life. At the same time, the meaning of the events that are going to be part of the autobiographical story must awaken the reader’s empathy and emotion.
These are some recommendations to travel through memories, reflect on them and choose the most appropriate ones for the story:
- By definition, what is narrated must be lived experiences: the term “autobiographical” obliges this and means that the writer must stick to what was really experienced, without “disguising” it, much less inventing it. Truth and authenticity, non-fiction, are the pillar on which the story must be based.
- Moments have to have meaning in the past and also in the present, that is, be able to contribute something.
- The facts must come from the author’s introspection and reflection, but also be susceptible to interpretation by the reader.
Collection of memories
As indicated at the beginning, memories are not only left in the mind, but also in photographs, diaries, letters or various objects that have normally been kept in the family home. Through them a person can remember not only facts, but also feelings, something essential to write a story about his life that attracts and awakens emotions in the reader.
On the other hand, objects such as old diaries often hide almost forgotten experiences or that the “past self” wrote in a way that can be rescued today.
These are some materials that help awaken forgotten memories and build a personal narrative:
- Diaries
- memory boxes
- Photographs and albums
- Cards
- Testimonials from other people
Through these traces of the past, as if they were wool and the writer, a seamstress, the story can be weaved.
Collection of memories
The during: how to structure the unforgettable story of my life
When the author has already selected the moments, it is essential to organize them and build the basis on which he will write the unforgettable story of his life.
When ordering them, two methods can be followed: chronological or thematic.
Chronological structuring vs. thematic structuring
As their names indicate, the chronological structuring is based on ordering the events as they happened in time, and the theme groups those same events according to what they are about (for example, love relationships, studies, family problems, etc.).
When to opt for one type of architecture or another? It depends on the story that is going to be told and how you want to focus the story. Let’s see how they are characterized and what are the advantages of each:
Chronological structuring
The events narrated have a purely temporal order. For this to be the case, it is advisable to work with a timeline that establishes what happened before and what happened after.
It is a structure that is characterized and beneficial by:
- Have a logical and coherent order that is easy for the reader to follow, since our brain “thinks” in temporal terms.
- Show the development of the characters, who are seen evolving throughout the story (something more complex to convey if the narrative makes continuous time jumps).
- Allow the story to be contextualized with historical facts; fundamental, since having lived in one era or another greatly influences the personality of any man or woman (for example, having lived in a town without many resources, having been a child during a period between war and peace or having witnessed of some important event).
Thematic structuring
Unlike chronological structure, in a thematic structure time passes to a safe place. The narrative jumps from one moment to another, since what structures the story is what happened and not so much when it happened.
Logically, this constitution can imply a loss of coherence with respect to the temporal order. So that this is not the case, it is key to be descriptive, focus on the most relevant events without digressing between those that are not and, even if time jumps are going to occur, establish recognizable points that allow the reader to understand the connection between different experiences.
The great advantage of this structure is that it allows the author to experiment with the narrative technique and his creativity, since he does not have to stick to a timeline.
However, the facts are organized, it is necessary to be clear about which are the most significant to give them, within the story, that importance.
Identification of key moments or turning points
Logically, to write a story that impacts it is essential to narrate only what really contributes. Anything that could distract has no place.
The reason is that, as we know, space is limited and, from a story, the reader expects concision and, at the same time, a powerful message. When the plot is that of life itself and is not fictional, it is more complex to use techniques such as a cliff hanger or suspense.
However, and although it is clear that real life does not usually have the narrative tension of a psychological thriller or a police investigation, we will agree that there are moments that mark us and that had then and have meaning now. These are the key moments on which the story must revolve, guiding us towards an ending in which everything makes sense and in which it is proven why what we experienced was a turning point.
“The legend of the great men of history is not the epitaph that you can read on their tombs, but the story that those people who knew them in life can tell you.”
– Brayan Chaparral
Brayan Chaparral
The art of storytelling: how to write an unforgettable story of my life
We continue immersed in the how, that is, in the methodology, technique and creativity necessary to write an autobiographical story. Once the architecture and the key moments on which the narrative weight of the story will fall have been decided, it is time to start writing.
Any autobiography or memoir writing, especially in short narrative format, involves some complexity. The writing must be truthful and convey emotion, ensuring that the reader can recognize the author’s voice speaking about himself. This is not always easy, since generally the virtue of writers is in narrating about other people. Furthermore, the duty to maintain the reader’s attention unwaveringly and constantly, since the genre requires it, can awaken the temptation in writing to include false elements that make their life (and, therefore, the story) more interesting.
How to maintain authenticity
In a previous section we have stressed the importance of maintaining authenticity, and we do it again.
An autobiographical story is based on its truthfulness and on sticking to real events that the author knows first-hand because he has lived them. However, sometimes the idea of approaching fiction is attractive as a way for the story to enjoy an incentive.
The recommendation is not to fall into this deception. The narrated experiences must be true, although they may be embellished with literary devices such as metaphors or comparisons. Any deception will be seen as such and will cause the story to lose authenticity.
How, then, can we ensure that the story is authentic and at the same time interesting? Here are some tips:
- Do not abuse details: not only because the brevity of the story requires it (we are not writing a novel), but because the details are where we tend to digress and want to make them more attractive. By sticking to the facts you will make them shine and interest.
- Include the negative: when one writes one’s life one sometimes tends to keep the good or even rewrite the bad so that it is not so bad. No life is perfect, so narrating one that is will only make it seem like a perfect but unreal story.
- Don’t be afraid to be subjective: without being a liar. Everyone interprets her life, especially when he writes about her. Adding past and present emotionality to the narrated events enriches the story. On the other hand, being totally objective will make you look like a chronicler, and not a writer.
- Contextualize with facts known to everyone: sometimes achieving the reader’s empathy is difficult because everyone has their own life. However, there are world events that have been able to influence an entire group (for example, a war, a crisis, the United States landing on the moon, a death of a loved one…). If you are part of that group, include that event in the narrative, as it will connect with other people who also experienced that, while at the same time it will humanize you.
Techniques to capture attention
We have an authentic story, but now it’s time to make it attract and capture the reader’s attention. To do this, the first recommendation is to remember that you are writing for someone.
Many writers convince themselves that they write for themselves, with no expectation of seeing their work published. The reality is that this is, many times, a lie that they tell themselves out of fear of rejection and failure. Any author has, even if he hides it, the desire to print a book and get it to readers (something that, on the other hand, is currently more accessible thanks to the advantages of self-publishing).
Therefore, when writing an unforgettable story of life, we must not lose sight of who will read it. If, for example, you are a person famous for something, there will be aspects of your life that are more interesting than others (those that have to do with what has made you famous).
In addition to writing for the target audience, these are other techniques that keep the reader’s attention:
- Flashbacks: Time jumps back, so common in movies, make the reader want to continue reading to return to the present again and find out how that past influenced the author.
- Flash-forwards – Instead of to the past, use jumps to the future. It will generate curiosity and anticipation in the reader, who will want to continue reading to find out what else is going to happen.
- Dialogues: although one of the rules of stories is not to abuse fictional characters, it is advisable to include some to create conversations and energize the narrative. Of course, you have to be careful when constructing these characters, since, being an autobiographical story, they will be real people who must give their permission to appear (or the author will not provide so much information as to make them recognizable if so). they want it).
- Descriptions: although always without abusing them or diving into details, descriptions help to empathize, especially when they evoke feelings.
Techniques to capture attention
The emotion in the story
What is memorable is what moves us, something that applies even more to autobiographical stories. To check it, you just have to think about those texts about someone’s life that you have read and that have remained permanently in your memory. With complete certainty, if they have done so it is because, during reading, they managed to reach your heart.
Consequently, if you want to write an unforgettable story of your life, it is essential to move the reader.
How to convey feelings and emotions without falling into melodrama?
Although it may seem easy, to move the reader it is not enough to narrate or describe feelings. Something more is needed, otherwise it could fall into melodrama or exaggeration. An example would be the story that makes a tragedy out of every event, no matter how minor it may be.
Instead, the objective should be to transmit what really moved you and in a natural way. As an author, focus on creating a genuine connection with the reader, awakening feeling in them, but not forcing it.
To do this, prioritize being subtle but significant. Sometimes the emotion is better conveyed with a short, sensory-laden phrase (for example, “a solitary tear slid down her cheek”) than with an overloaded and well-worn metaphor.
Another recommendation is to build emotional tension throughout the narrative, without major effects. It is better that the reader can be infected with the emotionality from beginning to end rather than that, suddenly and without justification, an event overwhelms feelings.
“Biography is the only true history.”
–Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Review and editing of the writing of the autobiographical story
Any text that is written must be proofread, especially if it is to be published.
In this review, not only grammatical or style errors must be corrected, but also aspects of literature, such as the lack of narrative rhythm or the abuse of certain resources.
The importance of review and feedback
The best way to test an autobiographical story is to read it many times and, above all, ask other people to read it.
When writing about one’s own life, the result is usually exciting and interesting because it is familiar to us, because we have lived what is narrated and it is easy for us to connect with it. However, what we need to know is whether other people outside the story also perceive it this way. It is therefore a good idea to ask a friend or acquaintance to read it and tell us their impressions.
At this moment we are not looking for a critical reading, but rather a real opinion from a reader like the one who, in the future and once published, could reach our story. Of course, any suggestion or comment made to us must be listened to and considered as a possible change.
Tips to polish and perfect the story
In addition to listening to the suggestions of the first “test” readers, the text must be refined so that it can shine. Think of your task as that of a sculptor who must polish the stone to let the art come out. As? Following some tips:
- Make sure the dialogue and descriptions are meaningful and speak to your life. After all, it is an autobiography, not a biography of another person.
- Check if you are telling something with more words than necessary and if reducing the length of the text could make it more concise and, at the same time, exciting.
- Be very clear about the purpose of your story (explain an event, share a learned experience…) and check that the entire story pursues that objective.
- Don’t let your voice as an author conquer your voice as a person. To give honesty to the text, try to combine both voices (for example, using words that your person “I” would use, although your author “I” might not).
- Use a word processor at the height of the story. Although the traditional Microsoft Word may work at first, when you are perfecting the text, make sure you do it on another platform that incorporates better spell checkers or even the possibility of starting to layout the text.
Although you, as the author, can carry out these revisions, it is advisable to use (or hire) a proofreader to professionally verify aspects such as spelling, grammar, stylistic adequacy or even the historical contextualization of the story.
Of course, the verification of a story cannot be just one, but it is necessary to carry out several. Only then can one realize that the entire text is coherent, attractive and exciting.
Conclusion: writing an unforgettable story about your life is leaving an unbreakable legacy
Writing a story about your life can be a nice exercise in introspection and a song to the past, but, as we have seen throughout the article, it can also result in a text that is worth sharing.
Being witnesses of other people’s lives, their learning, their mistakes and their experiences enriches us. At the very least, it enriches our literary knowledge if the story is of quality (something easy to achieve if you have followed our advice). However, an autobiographical story can also enrich us on a more personal level if the author has managed to convey his feelings. Again, something easy to do if you’ve gotten this far after reading this article.
However, to “transmit” it is necessary for the story to reach the hands of readers, something possible even for independent authors thanks to platforms available on the Internet such as Collabra Spain.
Our professional online printing services are accessible in every way, as they allow you to make short runs and at a good price (for example, a small book of less than 100 sheets costs just 5 euros). Additionally, we also offer advice throughout the entire process, from cover design to advice on the step-by-step printing and administration of aspects such as the ISBN.
Share your life through an unforgettable story and thanks to Collabra!
