I love writing, and am interested in writing a book on my life....?

Question

How do I go about it, and where would I start from? e.g. earliest childhood, or other????

Answer 1

You can start from wherever you like! Every author has a different technique for writing, and you need to do whatever works best for you.

Have you tried writing an outline? For some people, having an idea of what order things will go is crucial. Try brainstorming a list of all the important events and stories that you want to write about, and shuffle them around until they are in an order you like.

As for the actual writing, there's no rules about that either! Many authors like to write the endings to their books first, while just as many don't know what is going to happen until they get there. It is a little different when you write about your own life, but the same rules still apply. Just start writing, it doesn't matter where. Maybe it'll be the last scene in your book, maybe it'll be somewhere in the middle.

The editing process is really the time to make sure things are in the correct order. Even fiction authors move around entire scenes and chapters to make the book flow better. So don't worry about where to start right now-- just pick a memory that is bright in your mind and start writing!

If you haven't read them yet, check out these books for help in your writing:

1) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser-- This is an excellent reference for any kind of writing. It will make your emails, essays, stories, and other writing clearer. I recommend this to everyone who wants to improve their writing skills.

2) "Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott-- This is slightly more geared towards fiction writing, but can be helpful when you are attacking ANY large project in your life. Definitely a must for creative writers, students, or people who are looking for an entertaining book on writing.

3) "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. You didn't mention if you want to improve your writing for school, work, or if you are a creative writer. This definitely targets creative writing, and focuses on the practice of writing. I write a lot of poetry and am working on a novel, and this is incredibly motivational to me.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Before you waste your time, you need to be sure that your life is interesting enough that someone else (other than your mom and dad) would want to read about it. Have you done anything interesting? Pitched for the Yankees? Traveled to outer space? Met the Queen of England? If your answer is "No, I have not really done anthing interesting in my life" then you should find a better way to spend your time than writing a book. For example, you could volunteer to work in a food-bank.

If you really believe that you have some pretty interesting things to write about, then start with those. Don't bore the reader with a bunch of blabber about your childhood.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Hopefully you have had an interesting life,otherwise there is not much point to writing about your life...unless it is only for you own pleasure and not to publish...

Answer 4

I don't think anyone else could, or even should, answer this question for you. Your book is your very own signature and only you have the vision of your creation.

Make it a good one.