Writing your Autobiography.....

And It Makes Me Shine · Post by **And It Makes Me Shine** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:21 pm

Having constantly said with each new generation I find "I wish I knew more about them", I would like to undertake my Autobiography. This is not some literary masterpiece, but thoughts and rambling that would explain my life and thoughts for my descendants. Has anyone any ideas where to start or any material I could read that would help me. Or has anyone else done anything similar?

Post by **joette** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 3:07 pm

I was given a book on how to write your family story & I have started to write about mine.
I have kept an on/off Journal since I was 14 so I do have some point of references.My journals will be aviable to be read by my family when I have gone.I try not to write anything too nasty in them although the younger ones have rants about the injustices of life & my mistreatment from other people.
I think a good starting point is to collect together documents,pictures,
letters,mementoes etc & have a read through.
Then there are the What,Wheres & Whens.
Also be careful if you include other people that they are either dead or have given permission to be in your story-if you publish or pass it out.You don't want to cause a civil war amongst families/friends.
Make it interesting by including "stories" observations,opinions & historical background.I know that there was a miner strike & thus a short working week in the 70's for example but younger people may not.
Decide who your audience is -family only? & then slant the story in that direction.For a wider readership you would tell a slightly different tale.
Any literate person could write their biography & with a little humour& detail make it an interesting one.
Get a hold of a book as a reference point & then do your own thing.
Also a short family tree to add as an appendix would be useful & interesting too-say four generations or so.

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:36 pm

It's a great idea and something I really must do myself. My memory is terrible so I should be keeping notes asap.

When my gran used to feed me anecdotes I used to tell her to write it all down as she had plenty of time on her hands. Now that she is gone all those memories are lost forever. One thing I have found since being interested in genealogy is that human discoveries are way better than those found any records. Finding people who have stories to tell that make a real person from a name and age is really something special.

With regards to the writing I wouldn't worry to much. The facts are all that matter and future generations wanting to read what you have written will I'm sure not be too worried about how the book is set out.

Best of luck with it.

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:20 pm

I started writing mine off and on, 2 years ago. It is taking a long time. I started with my earliest memories, before I was two years old. So far I haven't gotten past the age of 12.

I wrote it first by hand and now I am putting it on the computer. It is amazing the things that I remembered when I started it. Old pictures help, and they will be part of my "book".

I mean to paint watercolors where there are no pictures. I am also adding a preface that states that what I experienced came from my point of view, and at times the point of view I had as a child. I am not trying to pull any punches. I am also mentioning what songs were popular at the time, and what kinds of food that we ate, etc. My impressions of life in general.

In the last few months, I am trying to spend at least an hour a day on it. I am also doing research, to jog my memory about different things. This will be for my family only.

Regards

Sheila

mallog · Post by **mallog** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:55 pm

Sheila

You have just made me realise how much we have to tell. You don't realise at first how much things have changed till you look at young ones lives today. We have already spoken about washday on this board but there is so much more - telephones ( Press Button A or B) or "facilities" to start with ! I am going to give this biography thing some thought.

Mallog

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:08 pm

Hi
I have tried to keep all the birthday cards, party invites, school reports and all sorts of silly stuff. I also have all my old diaries etc. I started trying to put them into some sort of order, by using the computer and scanning stuff etc but it just got too longwinded! I reckon scrapbooking will be the best way to go, but again not really sure how or what to use! I thought this would tell the story better than my old diaries which just list things like......paid the bills, went shopping!!
Love to hear other peoples ideas for the best way to do this kind of thing
Lainey

mallog · Post by **mallog** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:58 pm

I like the sound of a scrapbook with commentary. I know we did this once as a project after a family holiday and it turned out really well and is good to look back on now. The same idea could be adapted for those of us who havn't kept good journals but want to pass on something of life in the past.
Mallog

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:53 am

Hi All

Mine is going to be something like a Scrapbook, but I will probably have several volumns. I will probably also make a DVD or CD of it besides the hard copies.

As you say Mallog, life is different now. It hasn't been an abrupt change, just slow changes throughout the years. Wash day is definitely in my book, not just my Mom's wash day, but also what she told me about her mother's wash day.

I would encourage everyone to make some kind of an autobiography.
Just know, that before you start, that it is going to be a lot of work.

Regards

Sheila

TalkingScot.com

Writing your Autobiography.....

Writing your Autobiography.....

autobiographies