Do you want to write a life story or an autobiographical novel, and need a methodology to write this book? How to write a biography?
1 Know the objective of your book
Leave a testimony to one’s children, grandchildren, a trace of a past that has disappeared, a lesson for future generations, a revelation, an explanation You don’t go through life for nothing; that’s your conviction. You’ve lived with dreams, goals to achieve, you’ve succeeded or failed in your quest, and today you have enough perspective to understand the reasons for all of this. This is the teaching you want to pass on, to enable others to understand, succeed, and achieve their own goals. Again, it all depends on the reader in question, depending on the objective you have set for yourself. A grandson will be curious and happy to know more about his grandfather’s life, and if that were your only objective, we bet that it will be achieved more easily than if you aim for a larger number of readers among those you don’t even know.
2 Define the theme
A life story shouldn’t be a linear description of all your actions, of all the anecdotes that have happened to you in life. It must be concise and, above all, perfectly aligned with the objective set beforehand. The desire to rediscover one’s roots when adopted. You will retrace your journey through the lens of this research. Your goal will likely be to leave a trace of your family history, but also to share your experiences with your readers who have experienced the same life situation. Firefighter, die or perish. A firefighter may want to share with his readers his most impressive interventions, the amusing or epic anecdotes of his career. His goal will be to bear witness, explain his profession, inspire vocations, raise awareness of the risks incurred by these soldiers, and testify to their dedication and commitment. You should aim to write a life story for a specific type of reader, for your target audience. Don’t try to please the greatest number of people.
3 Define the plan for writing a life story
Since the goal of an autobiography is not to write about your life in the manner of a diary, you will need to sequence it, write it in the form of episodes. Narrative diagrams will then be very useful. To do this, you will need to list all the events that have taken place during your life and that have a link, a common point with the objective pursued by your story. It will therefore not be a question of telling the reader everything or of simply lining up dates in chronological order without mentioning the link that unites the events between them. Each episode should correspond to an important element of your personality or your life. One after the other, each of these episodes will reveal who you are and how you evolved to become the person you are today.
4 Gather material for your life story
Listing the events that are etched in your memory is the first task to complete. Write them down chronologically, thematically, whatever. Write them all down, without censorship; you can sort them later. If your memories are not sufficient, you can also decide to get closer to the other protagonists of your story, those who shared with you the events that you are going to relate.
5 Find the right distance
Writing one’s biography involves the author; that’ss a truism. But this involvement inherent in this form of writing also includes the risk of a very strong subjectivity that can sometimes distance the reader, preventing them from finding themselves in the events described as they are perceived and experienced by the author. As with any novel, the reader needs to identify with the story. The author’s involvement should not prevent him from conveying messages of universal value. This is how he will engage his readers with his story.
6 Keep it concise
Now that you have made a list of the events in your life that relate to your message, you will have to sort them out. You will have to cut out and select the moments experienced that are linked to the objective you are pursuing: to teach, to transmit, to share, to bear witness, to explain… For example, in an autobiography around the theme of personal development following a career change, you will have to keep in the story what relates to it: initial training in law school, disappointed hopes of the legal profession, hellish daily life in a big city, low self-esteem, superficial recognition only due to the prestige of the dress… VERSUS what has become your essential, such as nature, the absence of stress, time to live, love of animals, and simple things… Of course, there may be secondary plots such as the meeting with a character, a picturesque arrival in a mountain village… but in all cases, these secondary plots must serve the main plot: happiness far from the expected social success.
7 Biography is not truth
Of course, you will be recounting part of your life, eepisodesand personal events that have happened to you. But you will transcribe them as you perceive them. This obviously involves a large amount of subjectivity. People who have shared your life, experienced the same events as you, will undoubtedly have a different experience, a different feeling, perhaps even an interpretation than yours. It is therefore your story, and not the truth at all costs. Furthermore, since autobiography is a genre related to the novel, there is plenty of room to let your imagination run wild. Starting from your own experience, perhaps embellishing it, interpreting certain facts with the sole aim of defending your own point of view, your own unique feelings. All of this is perfectly permissible, provided it always serves the purpose.
8 Monitor literary form
As we just said, autobiography is one of the genres related to the novel. So write as you write a novel, according to the same codes, respecting the same rules. Indeed, you will have to interest your audience, captivate them, and retain their interest throughout the novel. To do this, refer to the techniques for writing a novel: initial situation, trigger, twist, problem resolution, and final situation. Work on your characters, locations, details, and rcreatenarrative tension. Make your character interesting, and confront him or her with one or more antagonists (the famous “stunts”). Create character sheets, and be precise in the descriptions.
9 Make narrative choices
It will be up to you to make choices regarding the narration, the use of “I” or “he.” You must also work on the style. There must be a quality of form that serves the content, the story told. Work on the links, the events, create meaning, make connections, bring depth, ensure coherence, and deliver a message. Depending on the episodes selected, make appropriate divisions of the story into chapters, into parts. Finally, you will have to choose whether to write the episodes chronologically or thematically.
10 Apply a writing methodology
It’s the same as for any other writing project. Find a comfortable, pleasant place to work, where you won’t be disturbed. Find the tools that suit you: computer or paper/pencil. Work regularly and for a long enough time to make progress on your project. Make an action plan. Set a time limit. First, write from the heart, instinctively. Put your whole self into it. Without censorship. Let your feelings flow, let your pen flow at the rhythm of your inspiration. This is how you will best touch your readers. Spontaneity is often a source of emotion. Once you’ve written your first draft, reread it, have it reread, correct it, and rewrite certain passages based on the comments you’ve made to yourself or that others have given you. This time, write with your head and technique. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Get out of your way. And remove everything superfluous, everything that isn’t essential to your message. Write a text that flows smoothly and clearly. Here, too, this is the best way to win over your readers.