Pet Medicine - Writing

 Autobiography Characterictics

The number of ways to construct an autobiography is about as diverse as the number of people who write them. However, there are some simple items that you can include in your autobiography that will make it both personal and meaningful to others.

1. Be Honest

Everyone believes he's honest. Trouble is that we all tend to exaggerate our lives. Choose honesty from the get-go. Your audience will appreciate and you will respect yourself in the morning.

2. Let You Shine Through

We all experience times in our lives when we would rather be someone else. Now is not the time to try and be someone else. You want to preserve an accurate reflection of your personality.

Don't fall into the trap of wanting to sound like someone else. Just be yourself!

3. Let the Audience Know Your Why

You should have a why for writing your autobiography. In his famous autobiography, Benjamin Franklin included, as an introduction, a letter to his son. In the letter Mr. Franklin explains his Why for writing his story.

In his letter, he identified at least 11 reasons:

He enjoyed collecting stories about his forbearers.

He thinks that his son (and others) will enjoy reading his autobiography.

To help others see how he overcame his impoverished childhood and created riches for himself.

He desires to impart his secrets of happiness and success.

He wants to reflect on his life and decide on what he would change.

Revisiting one's life is the next best thing to living it again.

He would like for his story to persist.

He wants gratify himself.

He wishes to tell others of God's workings in his life.

He wants to explain that his success can be reversed.

I'm sure that Benjamin Franklin wouldn't mind if you stole one of his reasons. If nothing he wrote sounded like a good reason for you, then keep looking. I can't stress how important it is for you to find your Why.

4. Figure Out Who You're Writing For

Knowing your audience is key. It will help you focus your writing. It will help you decide what to leave in and what to leave out. Benjamin Franklin decided to expand his audience beyond himself and his son. Now his autobiography is one of the most read in the world.

Who will you write for? Your son? Your daughter? Your grandkids?

5. Know Where Your Headed

How have the events in your life led you to where you are in life? Maybe your autobiography will demonstrate how your life was shaped. Or maybe you want your autobiography to just be a collection of stories. There are many directions to choose from - choose one!

The Characteristics summed up:

1. Don't lie to your audience (yourself or others)

2. Sound Like You

3. Let the Audience Know Your Why

4. Know Your Audience

5. Choose a focus

By incorporating these traits into your autobiography, you will write your story in such a way that people will want to read it.