3 Main Principles of Writing an Autobiography

First and foremost, you should remember that an autobiography (that is also called a memoir) is a story about your own life. If you write the life story of another person, that is called a biography.
You will easily write a winning autobiography if you follow these 3 simple principles:

1. make it logical – choose one main idea and express it in a thesis statement to combine all memories into a meaningful whole;
2. do not be a bore – reveal some personal details and tell something that nobody but you can tell;
3. make it easy-to-read – include an introduction, main body, and conclusion; do not hesitate to use a new paragraph to develop a new idea; avoid using overcomplicated language and constructions.

When writing an autobiography, you should check it for spelling and grammar mistakes, or proofread it by Grammarly.

15 Questions for Writing an Autobiography

Even when you use the 3 above-discussed principles, you might still stumble in the middle of your autobiography. Your inspiration can betray you after you start writing a memoir. But the following 15 questions won’t let you down. This list will help you generate brilliant ideas for your autobiographies whenever you need them:

1. What famous quote can describe your life?
2. Which 3 adjectives can be used to describe you as a person?
3. Who influenced your personal development?
4. What are your best and worst childhood memories?
5. What is your family social and ethnic background?
6. What are your relations with parents and other relatives?
7. What are your main achievements in life?
8. What are the weaknesses that you would like to get rid of?
9. What are your goals for the future?
10. What places would you like to visit and why?
11. What skills would you like to develop and why?
12. What was the most memorable day in your life?
13. What was the most important lesson you have ever learned in your life?
14. What are the most important values in life, in your opinion?
15. Which fault would you never forgive others or yourself?

If you are a student, your life story might not be that long. However, these 15 questions will guide you in writing an autobiography that you can be proud of and the 3 simple principles discussed above will help you make your memoir flawless.

2. Autobiography Quiz. Write the answers to this questions in your notebook.

1. The definition of autobiography is

a.A self-written life story

b.A life story written by another person.

c.A life story made into film by the person him/herself.

d.A life story that tells the life of another person.

2. Autobiographies are important because

a.They are a way to show others they are not alone in their problems.

b.They are a good way to inspire other people.

c.They are a way for the person to continue healing.

d.All of the above.

3. A memoir is a type of autobiography, but

a.They feature the whole life of the person.

b.They focus on one event or time period of the person’s life.

c.They focus on other people instead of the author.

d.None of the above.

4. When writing an autobiography, the author should remember to

a.Use academic language and keep the ideas simple.

b.Use flowery descriptions and a lot of figurative language.

c.Use strong description, provide details, and possibly add dialogue.

d.Use other people’s thoughts and feelings to describe him or herself.

5. Reading an autobiography versus a biography of a person is

a.Not as interesting.

b.Better because we see the actual person’s ideas and reasons for actions.

c.More complicated because the person may not be able to write well.

d.Boring because the author doesn’t expose as much of him/herself.