I want to tell my life story.

I've experienced some crazy sh*t in my life, and I want to share. I want people to know my story and if there are people out there that have dealt with the many things that I have dealt with, that they are not alone. I want to write it, in a book. But, I don't know where to begin. I'm not a good writer at all. Any tips?

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Mamapolo2016 · F Best Comment

My advice would be to read a couple of critically acclaimed autobiographies to get a feeling for how you can avoid making your story an endless, boring recitation of facts, dates and names.

I suggest The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, David Niven, and Testament Of Youth (Vera Brittain) but there are lots of good ones.

Most that I’ve read begin with an explanation about why I would even care that the author lived and/or is sharing intimate details. (Say, for instance, you went abroad to work with the Peace Corps and ended in brutal prison in a foreign country...what about your early life prompted you to do such a daring thing, what were you like before, during and after?)

A strong suggestion directly from me. Few things annoy me more than an autobiographer hints throughout the book that there is one or more things he/she did or someone else did to him/her that would positively knock my socks off ... and then I’ve gotten to the end and the BIG THING was never discussed. If you’re going to withhold things, don’t mention or even imply things.

Keepitsimple98 · 31-35, F

[@Mamapolo2016I printed this to remind myself of these things thank you!

Mamapolo2016 · F

@Keepitsimple98 I’ve done some editing in the past. If you want a critical eye, PM a chapter to me. The first chapter’s free.☺

Keepitsimple98 · 31-35, F

@Mamapolo2016 wow that would be great. Thank you!

Keepitsimple98 · 31-35, F

My I ask one more question?

Mamapolo2016 · F

@Keepitsimple98 You May ask thirty more. I happen to have an opinion surplus. 🤗

Keepitsimple98 · 31-35, F

@Mamapolo2016 I would rather start my story in my teenage years, like 14 years old. Do you think that's too late to start it?

Mamapolo2016 · F

Keep in mind this is YOUR story. You must keep it yours and tell it the way you want to, regardless of what I say or what anyone else says.

It can be as simple as ‘I was born in 1992, but the interesting stuff begins when I was fourteen, in 2006.

If earlier years have a significant bearing on or explanation of later events, it might be tricky to skip them entirely.

I’d really have to read it to see how it works.

One thing to remember: you may have a good idea of why your life has gone as it has. Your reader doesn’t. You have to be careful not to assume that things will be as obvious to your audience as they are to you. When in doubt, provide too much rather than too little. You can weed out the extra later.

It drives readers crazy when Chapter 2 ends with ‘and at the age of four I was told by my parents and doctor I had been stricken with polio.’

And then Chapter 3 starts, ‘I was chosen for the varsity track team.’

How? What happened to the kid with polio that she’s a track star now? Who or what was instrumental?

Keepitsimple98 · 31-35, F

OMG that's fantastic. Thank you!!!!