autobiography writing meaning

autobiography

What is autobiography definition, usage, and literary examples, autobiography definition.

An  autobiography  (awe-tow-bye-AWE-gruh-fee) is a self-written  biography . The author writes about all or a portion of their own life to share their experience, frame it in a larger cultural or historical context, and/or inform and entertain the reader.

Autobiographies have been a popular literary genre for centuries. The first Western autobiography is attributed to Saint Augustine of Hippo for his 13-book work titled  Confessions , written between 397 and 400 CE. Some autobiographies are a straightforward narrative that recollects a linear chain of events as they unfolded. The genre has expanded and evolved to include different approaches to the form.

The word  autobiography  comes from the Ancient Greek  auto  (“self”) +  bios  (“life”) +  graphein  (“to write”) = “a self-written life.” It is also known as autography .

The History of Autobiography

Scholars regard Augustine’s  Confessions  as the first Western autobiography. Other autobiographical works from antiquity include Jewish historian Flavius Josephus’s  Vita  (circa 99 CE) and Greek scholar Libanius’s  Oration I  (374 CE). Works of this kind were called apologias, which essentially means “in my defense.” Writers approached these works not as acts of self-documentation but as self-defense. They represented a way to explain and provide rationale for their life, work, and escapades. There was also less focus on their emotional lives.

The Book of Margery Kempe , written in 1438 by an English Christian mystic, is the earliest known autobiography in English. (Though it didn’t see full publication until the 20th century.) Other early English-language biographies of note include:

• Lord Herbert of Cherbury’s 1764 memoirs
• John Bunyan’s  Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners  in 1666
• Jarena Lee’s  The Life and Religious Experience of Jarena Lee  (the first autobiography of an African American woman)

Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s  Confessions was published in 1782. It paved the way for the more thoughtful, emotionally centered autobiographies seen today. Autobiography as a literary genre emerged a few years later, when British scholar William Taylor first used the term to describe a self-written biography. He did so disparagingly, suggesting the form was  pedantic . In 1809, English Romantic poet Robert Southey used the term more seriously to describe self-written biographies.

Starting in the 20th century, more young people started writing autobiographies. Perhaps the most famous example is Anne Frank’s  The Diary of a Young Girl , about her time hiding from the Nazis in an Amsterdam attic. The 21st century saw an increase in autobiographical essay collections and memoirs by younger celebrities, including:

• Anna Kendrick
• Mindy Kaling
• Gabourey Sidibe
• Mike Birbiglia
• Lena Dunham
• Chelsea Handler

Autobiographies are not immune to controversy. One notable scandal involved author James Frey’s  A Million Little Pieces . Originally billed as a memoir, evidence later emerged that Frey invented key parts of the story. This example underscores how easily authors can cross over into autofiction—fictional autobiography—and how seriously readers take authors’ responsibility to accurately and honestly market their books.

Types of Autobiographies

There are a few different types of self-written works that qualify as autobiography.

Standard Autobiographies

In the most traditional form, authors recount their life or specific formative events from their life. This approach often utilizes a chronological format of events, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. An author’s approach might include a framing device such as flashbacks, in which they move from the present to the past as they remember their lives. For example, Broadway star Patti LuPone’s self-titled autobiography begins on the opening night of  Gypsy  in 2004 before moving back in time to LuPone’s childhood. An author could take a more stream-of-consciousness style, in which one memory links to another by a common theme. Irish writer Seán O’Casey narrates his six-volume  Autobiographies  in this manner

This is a type of autobiography that is narrower in scope and focus. It places greater emphasis on particular memories, thoughts, and feelings. A standard autobiography can certainly cover some of this same ground—most do—but the memoir is more interested in individual events or defined portions of the author’s life and the emotions and lessons behind them.

Henry David Thoreau is a notable memoirist. In Walden , he reflects on his time spent living in solitude in the woods of Massachusetts and what he learned about life and nature throughout this experience. Another example is  The Year of Magical Thinking  by Joan Didion, which relates the death of her husband and its impact on her life and work. Another is  Wild  by Cheryl Strayed, wherein Strayed remembers her time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail during a period of great change in her life.

Autofiction

The fictionalized autobiography, or autofiction, is another type of autobiography. The author presents their story not as fact but as fiction. This method gives them considerable space to take creative license with events and characters, thereby blurring the lines between reality and fiction. The overall goal is less about the author wanting to obscure facts and make things up and more a matter of taking another tactic to delve into their experiences in service of self-discovery.  Taipei  by Tao Lin is a work of autofiction. The central character, Paul, mirrors Lin’s own life and experiences, from the literary world of New York City to his ancestral roots in Taiwan.

Spiritual Autobiographies

These autobiographies center on the author’s religious or spiritual awakening and the subsequent journey their faith has taken them on. Common elements include struggles and doubt, a life-altering conversion, periods of regression, and sharing the “message.” These all act as endorsements of the author’s faith. Augustine’s  Confessions , Paramahansa Yogananda’s  Autobiography of a Yogi , and Augusten Burroughs’s  Toil & Trouble: A Memoir  are all spiritual autobiographies.

Autobiography vs. Biography

Both autobiographies and  biographies  are records of real lives, but there is one major distinction. A person other than the book’s subject writes a biography, while the subject themselves writes an autobiography. In this way, an autobiography is essentially a biography of the self. The biographer’s job is typically more involved, entailing detailed research into the life of the subject. The autobiographer, however, is usually not burdened by this because they lived through the events they write about. They may need only to confirm dates and stories to accurately relate the pertinent details.

The Function of Autobiography

An autobiography allows the author to tell the true story of their own life. This is the reason why autobiographies have always been written by famous people. History tends to remember notable individuals for just one significant contribution or event and, even then, the public’s perception of it may be inaccurate. Writing an autobiography allows the author to share the real story and put it into the larger context of their life and times.

Most readers pick up an autobiography expecting some degree of subjectivity from the author. After all, the events chronicled happened to the author, so the writing will of course have a biased  perspective . There are advantages to this subjectivity, though. The reader gets the real story directly from the person who lived it, unvarnished by others’ opinions or erroneous historical data.

One way this subjectivity is problematic is that the author may not possess the ability to see the story they’re telling from other perspectives. For example, they may not acknowledge any hurt they caused others, dangerous behaviors they engaged in, or the “other side” of a controversial event in which there are equally valid opposing viewpoints and experiences. Any of these deficiencies can result in a somewhat skewed narrative.

Writers Known for Autobiography & Autobiography Books

• Maya Angelou,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ,  Gather Together in My Name
• Jung Chang,  Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
• Isak Dinesen,  Out of Africa ,  Shadows on the Grass
• Carrie Fisher,  Wishful Drinking ,  Shockaholic
• Anne Frank,  The Diary of a Young Girl
• Ernest Hemingway,  A Moveable Feast
• Karl Ove Knausgård,  My Struggle
• Frank McCourt,  Angela’s Ashes
• Anaïs Nin,  The Diaries of Anaïs Nin
• Marcel Proust,  Remembrance of Things Past
• Patti Smith,  Just Kids ,  M Train
• Mark Twain, The Autobiography of Mark Twain
• Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie: An Autobiography
• Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
• Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi: An Autobiography 

Examples of Autobiographies

1. Maya Angelou,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s autobiography is the first installment in a seven-volume series chronicling the life of the legendary poet, teacher, actress, director, dancer, and civil rights activist. Given all those roles, it’s easy to see why Angelou’s life story makes for interesting reading.

This volume centers primarily on her early life in Stamps, Arkansas, and the devastating effects of a childhood rape. It also explores racism in the American South. It discuses the important role reading plays in helping young Maya deal with the sexual assault and pervasive prejudice in her environment.

2. Helen Keller,  The Story of My Life

Keller’s autobiography details her first 20 years, starting with the childhood illness that caused her blindness and deafness. She discusses the obstacles she had to overcome and the life-changing relationship she shared with her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who helped her learn to read and write. Keller also documents her friendships with several famous figures of her day, including Alexander Graham Bell, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and First Lady Frances Cleveland.

3. Vinh Chung,  Where the Wind Leads

Chung’s autobiography recalls the harrowing story of a Vietnamese refugee and his journey to make the American Dream his own. Born in South Vietnam, Chung comes of age in a changing political climate that eventually compels his family to flee the country. Their voyage takes them through the South China Sea, run-ins with pirates, resettlement in Arkansas, and Chung’s graduation from Harvard Medical School.

How to Write an Autobiography

Autobiography is a truly universal art form and is accessible to anyone, whether you're in high school or 100 years old. Exploring the process of writing an autobiography deserves an article in itself, but the process should include these steps:

• Determine your "why." What lessons do you want to impart via your story, and why are they worth sharing with a broader audience?
• Draft an autobiographical outline. It should include information about your upbringing, impactful moments throughout your life, stories of failure and success, and meaningful mentors.
• Begin with the easiest sections. Getting started is often the greatest hurdle, so begin by writing the chapters that feel most accessible or enjoyable.
• Write your first draft. Once you write the first chapters, it will feel easier to write the rest. Capitalize on your momentum and write a full draft.
• Step away. As with anything, stepping away from your work will help foster fresh perspectives when you return.
• Edit and re-write your draft. Your first draft will probably benefit from thorough revisions, as will your second draft, and maybe your third. Continue to edit and revise until it feels right.
• Ask for help. Bring in a trusted family member or friend or professional editor to help with final edits.

Further Resources on Autobiography

ThoughtCo. shares some  important points to consider before writing an autobiography .

The Living Handbook of Narratology delves into the  history of the autobiography .

MasterClass breaks autobiography writing down into  eight basic steps .

Pen & the Pad looks at the  advantages and disadvantages of the autobiography .

Lifehack has a list of  15 autobiographies everyone should read at least once .

Related Terms

• Frame Story
• Point of View

How to Write an Award-Worthy Autobiography in 5 Steps

Savannah Cordova

Table of Contents

1. make a list of life events, 2. try to recall all the details of each one, 3. write chronologically from your birth (or earlier), 4. weave in the wisdom of your older self, 5. wrap things up on a contemplative note.

An autobiography, in the simplest terms, is a full account of your life that you write yourself. Many of us have read great memoirs in recent years—bestsellers like Educated and Crying in H Mart —but autobiographies, specifically, are more elusive than you might think.

This is because a true autobiography contains every detail you could possibly include about your life, in chronological order. A memoir, on the other hand, revolves around a particular theme or time period in someone’s life, describing only select memories in service of this goal.

So, if what you’re really after is advice on how to write a memoir, I’d recommend this “memoir method” post from Joe Bunting . But if you’re ready to lay out the entire story of your life—warts and all—read on for how to write an autobiography in five (relatively) simple steps.

Since an autobiography must be comprehensive, you can start by listing out all the events that your book will include—that is, every major event of your life (and some minor ones too!).

The earliest events might be your birth, the birth of any siblings, starting school, and coming to realize aspects of your personality and long-term interests that emerged in childhood. The “middle” events might include finishing school, attending college and/or getting your first job, and the advent of any significant relationships—both friendships and romantic relationships. The later-in-life events might include pursuing any other big jobs or degrees, getting married and/or having children, moving house, starting major hobbies, and perhaps even retiring and planning for your “golden years.”

Again, be sure to include all the important events in your career or in your personal life. Obviously, anything that changed the trajectory of your life should be added to the list. However, the nature of each event will depend completely on who you are and how your life has unfolded.

Indeed, going back to the idea of including “minor” events, it may be that some pivotal moments in your life could seem “minor” from an outside perspective. For example, say that one day you happened to spot an unusually shaped cloud, and it caused you to have a revelation about your life and change course somehow. The revelation is the key thing, but don’t leave out the circumstances that led you to it—no matter how irrelevant they might seem.

To be fair, it can be tough to remember every event of importance, especially when some of them happened a long time ago. In that vein, take your time to make this list before you get into actually writing the book. It should take at least a few hours (if not a day or two) to outline everything to include in your autobiography.

If you thought you were done after simply listing out those events, think again. Not to sound like a broken record, but this process is all about being thorough; in order to succeed, you need a solid foundation from which to work. So now, at this next stage, try to remember everything about the initial events you’ve listed.

Say that the average person has around 40 to 50 major life events or pivotal moments to write about in their autobiography. (If you have fewer than that, you may want to reconsider whether you’re really ready to write the whole story of your life —perhaps a memoir would better suit your purposes.) Now, brace yourself: before you start writing, you should put together at least half a page of notes on each of these points.

Sure, some events will warrant more detail than others. But this should still average out to around 20 to 30 pages to serve as the aforementioned foundation for your autobiography. And how should you expand on these events, you might ask—that is, which details should you focus on to ensure your “foundation” is truly useful?

Here are a few questions to jog your memory and help you identify what’s most important:

Which sensory details (still) stand out the most? That is, not just how each scene looked, but how it felt at the time, to the best of your recollection. For example, if you’re recounting the experience of starting school, don’t just say what your elementary school building looked like. Instead, talk about the fragrant leaves on the ground or the chill in the September air; the sounds of birds chirping and parents chatting at early morning drop-off; that first week when you skinned your knee on the playground; etc.

What were the people around you saying? Speaking of chatting, you’ll also need to recreate important “dialogue” in some scenes, just as you would when writing a novel . While you can’t take quite as many liberties as in a work of fiction, you are allowed to paraphrase what you can’t remember precisely. At this stage, just record the gist of whatever was said—you can finesse the details later.

Why was this moment important? Make sure to identify in your notes why each event or moment was so important. For many of the classic “life milestones,” it will be obvious. But try to dig deeper into exactly how each event affected you… even if you didn’t realize it at the time. Articulating this will make your autobiography all the better, allowing you to segue more smoothly between events and draw more resounding conclusions about your life.

Having written up these extremely detailed notes—basically an FBI dossier on yourself—you’re now ready to start drafting your autobiography.

You may have jotted down your notes in any order; indeed, you probably jumped around randomly as different memories came back to you. However, now that it’s time to actually write your autobiography, you should try to write it chronologically.

Why? Because if you want to refer to something that happened “in the past,” it’s best to know how you presented it to readers in earlier chapters. In an autobiography—as in life—each event depends on what came before it. If you jump around while writing, your autobiography could end up feeling messy and uneven, and you risk leaving out important elements simply because you skipped them on the list.

So as you draft, do it in order of events. Begin with the first life event on your list—likely your birth—or go back even further, if you wish. Many of the greatest autobiographies of the 20th century, like Lee Iacocca’s self-titled book and Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, begin not with themselves, but instead with their family history. Mandela’s book technically opens with the meaning of his name, but he then doubles back to describe his father and the history of his tribe, the Thembu people. And Iacocca’s autobiography begins not just with his father, but his grandfather arriving in America.

In summary: while your birth is a tried-and-true starting point, you’re allowed to briefly touch on your parents and/or family history first. That said, once you’ve established these elements, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. Dive into writing about your life, and try not to deviate from the chronology—no more family history, flashbacks, flash-forwards, or anything else that will distract you or your reader. You can still keep things interesting and “readable” by using those elements we discussed: sensory details, dialogue, and organic transitions between events.

And if you happen to remember something that would work well in a different part of the book, don’t switch gears to that part right now. Instead, just jot it down in your notes and come back to it later. You want to preserve the “flow” of writing chronologically—otherwise, again, you risk choppy prose and a subpar reading experience.

Of course, just because you’re writing chronologically, that doesn’t mean your insights in each section should be limited to the knowledge of your past self. On the contrary, one of the most valuable elements of an autobiography is the injection of present-day reflection and wisdom. Without this extra layer, your autobiography could be written by anyone .

So this is where you’ll incorporate those previous answers to the question of: “Why was this moment important?” Here’s a great example of “wisdom weaving” in the early pages of Mandela’s autobiography:

“I learned my lesson one day from an unruly donkey. We had been taking turns climbing up and down its back, and when my chance came, I jumped on and the donkey bolted into a nearby thornbush. It bent its head, trying to unseat me, which it did, but not before the thorns had pricked and scratched my face, embarrassing me in front of my friends [...] 

“Even though it was a donkey that unseated me, I learned that to humiliate another person is to make him suffer an unnecessarily cruel fate. Even as a boy, I defeated my opponents without dishonoring them.”

While the younger Mandela may not have been able to articulate (or even consciously identify) this lesson, the older Mandela understands it as a crucial moment for his moral development. Yet he explains it so smoothly that it does not take the reader out of the narrative at all—only paints a more detailed picture of the boy and man he would become.

As you’re trying to inject some wisdom of your own, here are some more thought-provoking questions to ask yourself:

How did I feel about this at the time, and how do I feel about it now?

Can I draw parallels between events at different times in my life?

How have I affected the people around me, and how have they changed me?

Is there anything I wish I’d done differently?

What do I want readers to take away from this?

If you’re struggling to articulate what something meant to you—even if you know it was important—running through these questions might help you out. Sometimes your takeaway will be a simple moral lesson; other times, it will be a more complex tangle of emotions.

Whatever you discover about yourself, don’t shy away from putting it down on the page. Your autobiography is the place to be clear-eyed and candid. If you’re not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about your life, there’s little point to writing this book at all.

As your autobiography draws to a close, you may find yourself struggling with how to end it, especially if you are still relatively young. But rather than trying to fight that feeling, the best strategy is to lean into the uncertainty and end on a note of contemplation.

Consider the following: How do you feel having completed your autobiography? What’s next for you? What are you most looking forward to—or, indeed, dreading? How will you use the lessons you’ve learned to tackle the rest of your life? Will you be writing multiple autobiographical volumes, à la Karl Ove Knausgård?

You might think the answers to these questions are best left off the page. But if we’ve established anything over the course of this guide, it’s that an autobiography should strive for comprehensiveness.

On that note, remember that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have it all figured out or if you’re unsure of what’s next. Once again: Just lay it all out on the page. Readers will appreciate your honesty, and you’ll feel much more satisfied with the final result.

Speaking of which: if you really want to write a satisfying autobiography, but feel intimidated by the lengthy process, consider working with a ghostwriter to get your story on the page. What’s great about this kind of project is that you can involve another writer as much or as little as you want. They might simply advise on structure and chip in to edit the occasional chapter—or they can conduct in-depth interviews with you and take on the lion’s share of writing. Basically, your main goal is to get your autobiography out there, and a ghostwriter can (and will) help you out.

You can also use autobiography-specific editing tools to get your draft into tip-top shape. ProWritingAid is particularly useful for elevating those sensory details we talked about, with the help of its Sensory Report. You can also use ProWritingAid to improve your pacing, sentence structure, and other elements that will turn your autobiography from good to great—not just great like “better than good,” but like Mandela-level great.

Sure, it might sound like a tall order, especially for the novice writers out there. Yet with enough time and effort (and the tips in this article), you’ll find that anyone can write an autobiography—one that not only captures their life story, but also engages readers in a profound way. If you’re willing to put in the hours, your own story could be next. Good luck!

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What Is an Autobiography?

What to Consider Before You Start to Write

• Writing Research Papers
• Writing Essays
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Your life story, or autobiography , should contain the basic framework that any essay should have, with four basic elements. Begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement , followed by a body containing at least several paragraphs , if not several chapters. To complete the autobiography, you'll need a strong conclusion , all the while crafting an interesting narrative with a theme.

Did You Know?

The word autobiography  literally means SELF (auto), LIFE (bio), WRITING (graph). Or, in other words, an autobiography is the story of someone's life written or otherwise told by that person.

When writing your autobiography, find out what makes your family or your experience unique and build a narrative around that. Doing some research and taking detailed notes can help you discover the essence of what your narrative should be and craft a story that others will want to read.

Research Your Background

Just like the biography of a famous person, your autobiography should include things like the time and place of your birth, an overview of your personality, your likes and dislikes, and the special events that shaped your life. Your first step is to gather background detail. Some things to consider:

• What is interesting about the region where you were born?
• How does your family history relate to the history of that region?
• Did your family come to that region for a reason?

It might be tempting to start your story with "I was born in Dayton, Ohio...," but that is not really where your story begins. It's better to start with an experience. You may wish to start with something like why you were born where you were and how your family's experience led to your birth. If your narrative centers more around a pivotal moment in your life, give the reader a glimpse into that moment. Think about how your favorite movie or novel begins, and look for inspiration from other stories when thinking about how to start your own.

Think About Your Childhood

You may not have had the most interesting childhood in the world, but everyone has had a few memorable experiences. Highlight the best parts when you can. If you live in a big city, for instance, you should realize that many people who grew up in the country have never ridden a subway, walked to school, ridden in a taxi, or walked to a store a few blocks away.

On the other hand, if you grew up in the country you should consider that many people who grew up in the suburbs or inner city have never eaten food straight from a garden, camped in their backyards, fed chickens on a working farm, watched their parents canning food, or been to a county fair or a small-town festival.

Something about your childhood will always seem unique to others. You just have to step outside your life for a moment and address the readers as if they knew nothing about your region and culture. Pick moments that will best illustrate the goal of your narrative, and symbolism within your life.

Consider Your Culture

Your culture is your overall way of life , including the customs that come from your family's values and beliefs. Culture includes the holidays you observe, the customs you practice, the foods you eat, the clothes you wear, the games you play, the special phrases you use, the language you speak, and the rituals you practice.

As you write your autobiography, think about the ways that your family celebrated or observed certain days, events, and months, and tell your audience about special moments. Consider these questions:

• What was the most special gift you ever received? What was the event or occasion surrounding that gift?
• Is there a certain food that you identify with a certain day of the year?
• Is there an outfit that you wear only during a special event?

Think honestly about your experiences, too. Don't just focus on the best parts of your memories; think about the details within those times. While Christmas morning may be a magical memory, you might also consider the scene around you. Include details like your mother making breakfast, your father spilling his coffee, someone upset over relatives coming into town, and other small details like that. Understanding the full experience of positives and negatives helps you paint a better picture for the reader and lead to a stronger and more interesting narrative. Learn to tie together all the interesting elements of your life story and craft them into an engaging essay.

Establish the Theme

Once you have taken a look at your own life from an outsider’s point of view, you will be able to select the most interesting elements from your notes to establish a theme. What was the most interesting thing you came up with in your research? Was it the history of your family and your region? Here is an example of how you can turn that into a theme:

"Today, the plains and low hills of southeastern Ohio make the perfect setting for large cracker box-shaped farmhouses surrounded by miles of corn rows. Many of the farming families in this region descended from the Irish settlers who came rolling in on covered wagons in the 1830s to find work building canals and railways. My ancestors were among those settlers."

A little bit of research can make your own personal story come to life as a part of history, and historical details can help a reader better understand your unique situation. In the body of your narrative, you can explain how your family’s favorite meals, holiday celebrations, and work habits relate to Ohio history.

One Day as a Theme

You also can take an ordinary day in your life and turn it into a theme. Think about the routines you followed as a child and as an adult. Even a mundane activity like household chores can be a source of inspiration.

For example, if you grew up on a farm, you know the difference between the smell of hay and wheat, and certainly that of pig manure and cow manure—because you had to shovel one or all of these at some point. City people probably don’t even know there is a difference. Describing the subtle differences of each and comparing the scents to other scents can help the reader imagine the situation more clearly.

If you grew up in the city, you how the personality of the city changes from day to night because you probably had to walk to most places. You know the electricity-charged atmosphere of the daylight hours when the streets bustle with people and the mystery of the night when the shops are closed and the streets are quiet.

Think about the smells and sounds you experienced as you went through an ordinary day and explain how that day relates to your life experience in your county or your city:

"Most people don’t think of spiders when they bite into a tomato, but I do. Growing up in southern Ohio, I spent many summer afternoons picking baskets of tomatoes that would be canned or frozen and preserved for cold winter’s dinners. I loved the results of my labors, but I’ll never forget the sight of the enormous, black and white, scary-looking spiders that lived in the plants and created zigzag designs on their webs. In fact, those spiders, with their artistic web creations, inspired my interest in bugs and shaped my career in science."

One Event as a Theme

Perhaps one event or one day of your life made such a big impact that it could be used as a theme. The end or beginning of the life of another can affect our thoughts and actions for a long time:

"I was 12 years old when my mother passed away. By the time I was 15, I had become an expert in dodging bill collectors, recycling hand-me-down jeans, and stretching a single meal’s worth of ground beef into two family dinners. Although I was a child when I lost my mother, I was never able to mourn or to let myself become too absorbed in thoughts of personal loss. The fortitude I developed at a young age was the driving force that would see me through many other challenges."

Writing the Essay

Whether you determine that your life story is best summed up by a single event, a single characteristic, or a single day, you can use that one element as a theme . You will define this theme in your  introductory paragraph .

Create an outline with several events or activities that relate back to your central theme and turn those into subtopics (body paragraphs) of your story. Finally, tie up all your experiences in a summary that restates and explains the overriding theme of your life. 

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Autobiography Meaning and Example: A Comprehensive Guide

This page covers the “Autobiography Meaning and Example.” For teachers seeking resources, check out our autobiography worksheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

Writing about oneself can be an enriching and insightful experience. An autobiography is a powerful tool that allows individuals to tell their life stories, share experiences, and reflect on personal growth. 

This article will discuss the meaning of autobiography, provide examples, and offer guidance on how to write your own.

Autobiography Meaning and Example

The following sections define autobiographies and provide an example for illustration: 

1. What is an Autobiography?

An autobiography is a self-written account of a person’s life. Unlike a biography, which is written by someone else, an autobiography gives a first-person perspective on the author’s life journey, thoughts, and emotions. It usually covers the key events, milestones, and turning points in the author’s life.

2. Example of an Autobiography

To better understand what an autobiography entails, let’s look at an example excerpt:

“My earliest memory is of my grandmother’s garden. The scent of blooming roses and the sound of her gentle humming still linger in my mind. Growing up in a small village, I found joy in simple pleasures—climbing trees, chasing butterflies, and listening to stories by the fireplace. As I grew older, I realized that these moments shaped my love for nature and storytelling, leading me to pursue a career in environmental science.”

Types of Autobiographies

Autobiographies come in various forms. Each type has its own unique approach to narrating the author’s life story.

Here are some common types:

1. Traditional Autobiography

A traditional autobiography covers the author’s entire life, from birth to the present. It provides a comprehensive overview of their experiences, achievements, and personal growth. This type typically follows a chronological order, giving readers a full picture of the author’s journey.

Example: “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” by Mahatma Gandhi.

A memoir focuses on a specific period, event, or theme in the author’s life. It is less comprehensive than a traditional autobiography and often emphasizes personal insights and emotional experiences. Memoirs are usually more reflective and introspective, allowing the author to explore the significance of particular moments.

Example: “Educated” by Tara Westover.

3. Autobiographical Novel

In an autobiographical novel, the author uses fiction techniques to tell their life story. Characters and events may be altered or embellished to enhance the narrative. This type blurs the line between fact and fiction, offering a creative way to present real-life experiences.

Example: “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.

4. Personal Essay

A personal essay is a shorter form of autobiography that focuses on a single aspect of the author’s life. It often reflects on a particular experience, relationship, or theme, providing deep insights in a concise format.

Example: “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin.

5. Confessional Autobiography

Confessional autobiographies reveal the author’s innermost thoughts, struggles, and often controversial experiences. They are characterized by their raw honesty and vulnerability, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the author’s life.

Example: “Confessions” by St. Augustine.

6. Travelogue

A travelogue recounts the author’s travels and experiences in different places. It combines elements of autobiography and travel writing, often highlighting how the journeys have impacted the author’s personal and philosophical outlook.

Example: “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert.

7. Spiritual Autobiography

This type focuses on the author’s spiritual journey, exploring their religious or philosophical beliefs and experiences. It often includes reflections on faith, morality, and the search for meaning in life.

Example: “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda.

Each of the above types of autobiography offers a different lens through which to view the author’s life. Each provides readers with diverse perspectives and insights.

Difference Between Autobiography and Biography

The key difference between autobiography and biography lies in the authorship and perspective: an autobiography is a personal, first-person narrative written by the subject, while a biography is a third-person account written by someone else, aiming for an objective portrayal of the subject’s life.

1. Autobiography:

• Written by the Subject : An autobiography is a self-written account of the author’s own life. The author recounts their personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings, providing a first-person perspective.
• First-Person Narrative : Since the author is writing about themselves, autobiographies are typically written in the first person (“I”).
• Subjective Perspective : Autobiographies often include the author’s personal reflections and interpretations of events, making them inherently subjective.
• Example : “Becoming” by Michelle Obama.

2. Biography:

• Written by Someone Else : A biography is written by someone other than the subject. The biographer researches the subject’s life and presents it from an external viewpoint.
• Third-Person Narrative : Biographies are usually written in the third person (“he,” “she,” “they”), as the biographer narrates the life of the subject.
• Objective Approach : Biographers strive to provide an objective and balanced account of the subject’s life, often relying on various sources such as interviews, letters, and historical documents.
• Example : “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson.

In short, while autobiographies are self-written, biographies are written by others about a person’s life.

Some famous examples of biographies include:

• “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson
• “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow
• “The Life of Samuel Johnson” by James Boswell

How to Write Your Autobiography

Writing an autobiography may seem daunting, but breaking it down into manageable steps can simplify the process:

• Start with a Timeline : Outline the significant events of your life in chronological order. Include your childhood, schooling, career, relationships, and any notable experiences.
• Select Key Moments : Identify the moments that had a significant impact on your life. These could be happy, sad, challenging, or triumphant experiences.
• Write in the First Person : Use “I” statements to give a personal touch to your writing. This makes the narrative more relatable and engaging.
• Be Honest and Reflective : Share your thoughts and feelings about the events you describe. Reflect on how these experiences have shaped you.
• Include Anecdotes and Details : Use anecdotes to illustrate your points and make your story more vivid. Details about places, people, and events can bring your autobiography to life.
• Edit and Revise : Writing is a process. Review your work, make necessary edits, and ensure your story flows well.

How to Start an Autobiography

Starting your autobiography can be the hardest part but also the most crucial. Crafting an exciting and engaging beginning sets the tone for your entire story and captures the reader’s attention from the outset.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Begin with a Hook : Start with an interesting or dramatic event from your life to grab the reader’s attention.
• Set the Scene : Describe the setting and context of your opening scene to give readers a sense of time and place.
• Introduce Yourself : Provide some background information about yourself to help readers understand your perspective.

Process Writing: Steps in Writing an Autobiography

Writing an autobiography follows a definite process. Here are the seven steps to writing a perfect autobiography:

• Brainstorm : Think about the events and experiences that have shaped your life.
• Research : Gather any documents, photos, or memorabilia that can help you remember details.
• Outline : Create an outline of your autobiography to organize your thoughts.
• Write the First Draft : Start writing, focusing on getting your story down on paper.
• Revise : Review your first draft and make changes to improve the flow and clarity.
• Edit : Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Publish : Decide how you want to share your autobiography—whether it’s a printed book, an online blog, or a personal keepsake.

Examples of Autobiographies

Here are ten of the most famous autobiographies:

• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, 1947
• Becoming by Michelle Obama, 2018
• I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Christina Lamb, 2013
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, 1969
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, 1994
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley, 1965
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin, 1791
• Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama, 1995
• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, 2016
• Educated by Tara Westover, 2018

Writing an autobiography is a profound way to reflect on your life and share your unique story with others. If you take the step to start writing your life story, the process can be deeply rewarding.

Remember, every life story is worth telling! YES, it is always worth it!

Writing An Autobiography Worksheet (PDF)

Related Pages:

• Writing Lessons
• List of Figures of Speech

What is an Autobiography? Definition, Elements, and Writing Tips

What is an autobiography, and how do you define autobiography, exactly? If you’re hoping to write an autobiography, it’s an important thing to know. After all, you wouldn’t want to mislabel your book.

What sets an autobiography apart from a memoir or a biography? And what type of writing is most similar to an autobiography? Should you even write one? How? Today we will be discussing all things autobiographical, so you can learn what an autobiography is, what sets it apart, and how to write one of your own – should you so choose. 

But before we get into writing tips, we must first define autobiography. So what is an autobiography, precisely? 

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What is an Autobiography?: Autobiography Meaning Defined

What is an autobiography? It’s a firsthand recounting of an author’s own life. So, if you were to write an autobiography, you would be writing a true retelling of your own life events. 

Autobiography cannot be bound to only one type of work. What an autobiography is has more to do with the contents than the format. For example, autobiographical works can include letters, diaries, journals, or books – and may not have even been meant for publication. 

An autobiography is what many celebrities, government officials, and important social figures sit down to write at the end of their lives or distinguished careers. 

Of course, the work doesn’t have to cover your whole life. You can absolutely write an autobiography in your 20s or 30s if you’ve lived through events worth sharing!

If an autobiography doesn’t cover the entire lifespan of the author, it can start to get confused with another genre of writing. So what’s an autobiography most similar to? And how can you tell it apart from other genres of writing? Let’s dive into the details. 

What type of writing is most similar to an autobiography?

A memoir is undoubtedly what type of writing is most similar to an autobiography. So what is the difference between an autobiography vs memoir ?

Simply put, a memoir is a book that an author writes about their own life with the intention of communicating a lesson or message to the reader. It doesn’t need to be written in chronological order, and only contains pieces of the author’s life story. 

An autobiography, on the other hand, is the author’s life story from birth to present, and it’s much less concerned with theme than it is with communicating a “highlight reel” of the author’s biggest life events. 

In addition to memoirs, there is also some confusion between autobiography vs biography . A biography is a true story about someone’s life, but it is not about the author’s life. 

Is an autobiography always nonfiction?

When many people define autobiography, they say it is a true or “nonfiction” telling of an author’s life – but that’s not always the case.

There is actually such a thing as autobiographical fiction .

Autobiographical fiction refers to a story that is based on fact and inspired by the author’s actual experiences…but has made-up characters or events. Any element in the story can be embellished upon or fabricated. 

Even the information in a standard “nonfiction” autobiography should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, anything written from the author’s perspective may contain certain biases, distortions, or unconscious omissions within the text. 

So if being nonfiction isn’t a defining characteristic of an autobiography, what is an autobiography defined by? 

The key elements of an autobiography

What’s an autobiography like from cover to cover? It should contain these key elements:

• A personal narrative : It is a firsthand account of the author’s life experiences.
• A chronological structure : An autobiography typically follows a chronological order, tracing the author’s life from birth to present.
• Reflection and insight : The book should contain the author’s reflections, insights, and emotions about key life events.
• Key life events : The book should highlight significant events, milestones, and challenges in the author’s life.
• Setting and context : There should be descriptions of the time period, cultural background, and environment to help the reader understand the author’s life.
• Authenticity : The author should be honest and sincere in presenting their life story.
• A personal perspective : An autobiography is written from the author’s unique point of view.
• A strong conclusion : The ending of the book should reflect on the author’s current state or outlook.

Famous Autobiography Examples

Now that you know what an autobiography is, let’s look at some famous autobiography examples .

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947)

Perhaps no autobiography is more famous than The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Her diary chronicles her profound thoughts, dreams, and fears as she hides with her family in the walls during the Holocaust. 

Anne’s words resonate with the enduring spirit of hope amid unimaginable darkness.

The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Benjamin Franklin (1909)

Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography follows Franklin’s life from humble origins to one of America’s greatest forefathers. While originally intended as a collection of anecdotes for his son, this autobiography has become one of the most famous works of American literature. 

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (1994)

Long Walk to Freedom narrates Nelson Mandela’s epic odyssey from South African prisoner to revered statesman. This masterpiece of an autobiography is a portrait of resilience against the backdrop of apartheid – and his words are a bastion for courage and human rights. 

Now you know what an autobiography is, and some examples of successful autobiographies, so it’s time to discuss what goes into actually writing one. 

Who Should Write an Autobiography?

Celebrity autobiographies are popular for a reason – the people who wrote them were already popular. 

The main purpose of an autobiography is to portray the life experiences and achievements of the author. If you haven’t made any massive achievements that people are already aware of, an autobiography might not be for you. Instead, you should learn how to write a memoir . 

After all, what’s an autobiography worth if no one reads it?

If you have made an important contribution to society, or have amassed a massive following of fans, then writing an autobiography could be a fabulous idea.

An autobiography is what allows you to claim your rightful place in history. It provides a legacy for your life, helps you to better understand your life’s journey, and can even be deeply therapeutic to write. 

But then comes the next problem: how to write an autobiography.

Tips on Writing Your Own Autobiography 

While memoirs are the books that teach life lessons, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your autobiography meaning. The best autobiographies paint a vivid tapestry of personal growth and introspection. 

You don’t just want to tell the reader about your life – you want them to feel like they are living it with you.

And it’s not just about painting a picture with your prose. A lot of thought should go into everything from autobiography titles to page count. To get started, here are five tips for writing an autobiography:

• Know your audience : Understand who will read your autobiography and speak to them while writing.
• Be candid and authentic : A life seen through rose-colored glasses isn’t relatable. You should include your failures as well as your triumphs, and humanize yourself so your story resonates with your reader.
• Do your research : Of course you know what happened in your life, but how many details do you actually remember? You may need to sift through photos, archives, and diaries – and interview people close to you. Consider adding the photos to your book. 
• Identify key themes : Identify key events and life lessons that have shaped you. Reflect on how these themes have evolved over time.
• Edit and edit again : Write freely first, then edit rigorously. Seek feedback from trusted individuals and consider professional editing to ensure clarity and coherence in your narrative. NO ONE writes perfectly the first time. 

So there you have it, you are well on your way to understanding (and writing) an autobiography. 

If you’d still like more guidance for writing your autobiography, you can check out our free autobiography template . We can’t wait for you to share your life story with the world. 

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jun 05, 2024

How to Write an Autobiography: The Story of Your Life

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

Anyone who’s lived a long, interesting life (as many of us have in one way or another!) may dream of someday turning their life into a book. However, the practicalities of how to write an autobiography can be daunting — especially to those who don’t have much writing experience.

If you feel ready to write your autobiography but aren’t sure where to start, this guide will take you from opening lines to (hopefully) publishing your autobiography for all the world to read.

1. Understand what an autobiography entails

When asked to picture an autobiography, you might think of a celebrity tell-all or political memoir. This isn’t inaccurate ; a memoir would definitely fall under the autobiography umbrella. But to be really precise, there are a few key differences between memoirs and autobiographies:

• Memoirs tend to be more thematic and focus on a  central narrative (similar to a novel), whereas an autobiography is highly factual and reads more like “classic” nonfiction.
• Memoirs focus on a specific period or theme in a person’s life, while autobiographies aim to give a complete, chronological picture.
• Lastly, many memoirs are written while the writer is still young. An autobiography, though, should be written later in one’s life — at a point where one’s life story can be told comprehensively.

An autobiography is also different from a biography in that it is always narrated by the subject. Note that we’ve said “narrated” instead of “written” because, indeed, many autobiographies are created with the help of ghostwriters!

Ghostwritten autobiographies aren’t just for celebrities, either. People from all walks of life work with ghostwriters to record their stories or simply guide them through the process.

If that sounds like you, have a look through  our vetted ghostwriters on the Reedsy marketplace . You might just find your dream collaborator!

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Should you write a memoir or an autobiography?

In other words, if you’re still young (be honest here!), and/or if the book you want to write is more a series of vignettes revolving around a central theme, you may have a memoir on your hands. If that’s the case, check out our guide to how to write a memoir for more tailored advice.

But if you’ve already lived a long, interesting life — one that you feel prepared to share chronologically and completely — then an autobiography is the medium for you.

2. Outline your life's main “beats”

You might think you don’t need to be too picky about what to include in your autobiography since it’s supposed to be a “complete” account — and you’d be mostly right! That said, even in a fairly exhaustive autobiography, it’s still useful to identify the key “beats” before you begin.

What should you include in an autobiography?

While each person’s autobiography will be unique to them, readers expect certain “beats” to be covered. To get the ball rolling, here’s a list of classic autobiographical beats to hit:

• 🐣 Your birth and family background – possibly including how your parents met, where they were living at the time of your birth, whether you have any siblings, etc.
• 📚  Your early days at school – including the friends you made (whether long-lasting or not), your academic achievements (and failures), and any critical moments related to your future goals/actions.
• 🧑🏽‍💻  Your first job – this is often enlightening for readers, particularly if it had some bearing on your later career; whether because you realized that you loved the work or, more likely, that you didn’t want to work your first job forever.
• 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩  Your first relationship – similar to your first job, this is often a major stepping stone into adulthood and understanding your priorities.
• Moving house;
• Having children;
• Getting promoted;
• Receiving an award;
• Traveling somewhere new;
• Or discovering anything significant about yourself.
• 💼  Your retirement – if applicable, this will likely be one of the last beats you cover; it might include why you decided to retire, how you are spending your time nowadays, and any plans for the future.

Remember that each beat you include should contribute to a holistic portrait of your life — whether it’s something that shaped your character or lends context to another parallel moment later on.

But not everything will be relevant. There’s no need to include random things that have no bearing on any other event or important element of your life; that said, the lucky thing about memory is that you likely won’t recall most of those things anyway!

Need some help outlining your autobiography? Check out our Biography Outline Template below — while not entirely chronological, it’s a great starting point for any aspiring autobiographical author.

FREE RESOURCE

Biography Outline Template

Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

3. Try to write in chronological order

Having come up with a solid outline, you should now feel (somewhat) prepared to start writing your autobiography… and, ideally, to start writing it in chronological order.

While many books can be drafted non-chronologically, an autobiography is not one of them. This is because each new chapter quite literally builds on the last; this is different even from a memoir, which often skips around in time and leaves out details. The best way to ensure you’re not missing anything is to write your autobiography as chronologically as possible!

How to start an autobiography

On the note of starting your autobiography, it’s pretty straightforward: begin either with your birth or slightly before, e.g., with your parents. Unlike a memoir, which can start in medias res ( in the middle of the action ), an autobiography should start ab ovo , or “from the egg.”

This is one of the biggest benefits of writing chronologically: you always know where to start, and indeed, what should come next. Here are two strong autobiography openings to give a sense of how yours might sound:

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

When I was born, people in our village commiserated with my mother and nobody congratulated my father. I arrived at dawn as the last star blinked out… I was a girl in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children.

Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca and William Novak:

Nicola Iacocca, my father, arrived in this country in 1902 at the age of twelve — poor, alone, and scared. He used to say the only thing he was sure of when he got here was that the world was round. And that was only because another Italian boy named Christopher Columbus had preceded him by 410 years, almost to the day.

Though each opening takes a different tack — Yousafzai’s autobiography begins with her actual birth, while Iacocca’s begins even earlier, with his father’s arrival in America — both serve as effective starts to their respective books and set the tone for what’s to come.

4. Include plenty of detail

In case we haven’t drilled down on this enough, let’s reiterate once more: an autobiography should be a complete overview of your life from beginning to end. That means that as you get into properly writing it, you should include as much detail as you can remember.

Taking one of our previous suggested beats — “your first job” — as an example, here are a few questions you might ask yourself to recount your memories in more detail:

• How did you get your first job?
• What made you want to work there?
• What was the environment/atmosphere like — physically and emotionally?
• What was your greatest accomplishment at this job? Your greatest failure?
• What did you learn from working there? How did it affect your later career?

As you can probably tell from these questions, the natural corollary to the advice of “be detailed!” is to also be honest . Don’t shy away from your failures or regrets — an autobiography without mistakes is not an autobiography, but rather a puff piece.

Examples of strong biographical detail

For those wondering how to inject detail into their writing, here are two examples from great autobiographies that do exactly that. Each takes a different approach to engage readers — perhaps you can pick up some descriptive techniques to suit your own life story.

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 [...] After a time in solitary, I relished the company even of the insects in my cell, and found myself on the verge of initiating conversations with a cockroach.

This passage’s evocative details — the single lightbulb, Mandela’s loss of his internal clock — convey the crushing loneliness of solitary confinement, yet also add levity with the bit about cockroaches.

This give-and-take style may be useful if you, too, are writing an autobiography which includes difficult or traumatic elements. Don’t shy away from the hard parts, but don’t let solemnity overpower your personality and voice!

Becoming by Michelle Obama

When you’re little, a piano can look like it has a thousand keys. You’re staring at an expanse of black and white that stretches farther than two small arms can reach. [...] The keys on Robbie’s piano had a subtle unevenness of color and shape, places where bits of ivory had broken off over time, leaving them looking like a set of bad teeth.

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. 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).

📚 Looking for more examples of brilliant biographical writing? Check out this list of The 30 Best Biographies of All Time to inspire you.

5. Do research to fill in the gaps

No matter how carefully you rack your brains, you won’t be able to recall every detail of your life. That’s where research comes in! Here are a couple of things you can do to learn more about yourself and your past.

Interview friends and family

While you’ve likely retained the core of each important life memory, some details will still elude you. For these, you might call on friends, family members, and anyone else who was in your life at the time — interviewing them should help flesh things out in your autobiography.

You might try a few different interview strategies, depending on what you’re hoping to achieve:

• Ask specific questions based on what you can’t remember/don’t know (e.g. “Whose wedding was that again?” or “Why did Dad quit that job in Pasadena?”);
• Ask your subject to recount everything they can about an event (e.g. “Tell me how you remember our high school graduation”); or
• Ask them if they have any key memories of you which they would like to talk about.

The first interview style will be the quickest, but the latter two might yield more interesting results. If you’re prioritizing thoroughness, we’d highly recommend calling up a few old friends or close family members, sitting down, and recording your interview for a few hours.

Do “traditional" research if needed

Having written as much as you can, and interviewed other people to add their stories, you might still find yourself missing information. If applicable, this is where you could turn to “traditional” research — that is, looking up relevant records and documentation, or even taking a field trip or two to previous neighborhoods.

It’s up to you how far to go with this; just don’t go mad, and try to avoid any rabbit holes that tempt you to write an entirely new book. (Then again, that could always be your next project! Check out our post on how to write a nonfiction book to learn more.)

6. Give your draft a discerning edit

You’ve finally finished a detailed draft — congratulations! Even if you don’t do anything else with your autobiography, your friends and family will be wildly impressed, and your descendants will have a fascinatingly thorough record of your life.

But if you want to publish your autobiography — or even if you suspect it hasn’t turned out quite as expected — you’ll now need to enter the editing stage. There are a few different types of editing to consider for your autobiography, including:

• Structural editing to heighten the impact of your key beats;
• Line editing to improve the syntax, flow, and clarity of your sentences; and
• Fact-checking and proofreading to ensure your book doesn’t contain any errors.

Again, it’s up to you how extensively you want to edit your autobiography. If you’re doing it yourself, we’d suggest going top-to-bottom — first structural editing, then line editing, then proofreading — to avoid unnecessary work. ( Check out this post on how to self-edit your book for key tips!)

And if this all feels overwhelming, you can always work with a professional editor to get your autobiography in tip-top shape . Autobiography and memoir specialists can help turn your work into an Iacocca-worthy masterpiece.

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7. Format and publish your autobiography

Now comes the really fun part, if you so choose it — formatting and publishing your autobiography for everyone to read!

Biography fans out there will know that auto/biographies often contain a selection of personal photos within the text. If you’re envisioning this, it will require specialty formatting; you’ll either need to intersperse photos throughout the text or format your book with a “photo section” in the middle (the more common option).

You can do this with free book formatting tools like Reedsy Studio . Or if you’re not confident in your formatting abilities, consider hiring a professional typesetter to help !

As for publishing, many autobiographers choose to self-publish their books to get them out as quickly as possible, and to have more control over the process. However, if you’re interested in selling your autobiography to a publisher — a reasonable option if you are a businessperson, and especially if you already have a decent following — we’d suggest this post on how to write a non-fiction query letter to get you started.

Whatever path you take, whether you decide to publish it or not, writing the story of your life is an incredibly enlightening endeavor. If you're interested in novels instead, check out this advice from NYT bestselling author Caroline Leavitt ! We hope this guide has helped you on your journey; indeed, as autobiographical writing teaches us, the journey really is the greatest reward.

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