I've been asked to share in a church group the topic "writing your own autobiography". Since I have kept journals since I started college at BYU at age 20, I had lots of material over the years for my own biography which I wrote in 2000 as a printed book and a CD that is like a private webpage just for my family members . Thought I'd share some ideas I came up with for my presentation. So blogging is good but how about taking the next step and writing an autobiography of your own life?
Why Write your Autobiography?
1. To leave your testimony/faith and beliefs for your posterity to guide and strengthen them
2. To leave a record of your life, your challenges and trials and triumphs and how you dealt with them
3. Share the wisdom you gained the hard way, advice for your posterity from your experiences
4. Express your love and concern for each of your descendents
5. For catharsis for yourself-understanding what you've learned and gained at whatever period of life you are in.
How to do it
1. Collect your journals and diaries, photos and momentoes to include in your history
2. Write an outline/time line of your life-then fill in the details
3. Use a software program like "personal historian" to jog your memories or any number of books available on that topic
4. Write a little each day, keep paper with you at all times
5. Have a purpose for your writing, who is your audience? Why are you writing?
6. Make time, do it now, we aren’t getting any younger, my dad died at age 29 without a journal
7. Don’t sugar coat your life story but don’t dwell on the ugly parts-show how you gained or learned from those experiences, forgive and let go of anger.
8. Don’t edit till you have a rough draft-write freely, then edit, add photos and get feedback from others.
9. Doesn’t have to be chronological, just different life experience or themes, be creataive
10. Do it, start today/ask others for support and help
Publish as a printed pamphlet or CD, or just blog on the internet-that's a good start?