A memoir is about one or more aspects of your life, whereas an autobiography is about your whole life. Decide which you want to write.
Memoir. Choose a theme. What is a common thread throughout your life that you can write about? It could be travels from childhood to adulthood. For instance, I love trains, so I would like to write about my train journeys, and couple that with thoughts about my life and what occurred during that time. Also, the adventures I had on those journeys. It could start with holidays, then going to army training by rail. Guess where I went on KiwiRail in New Zealand?
It can also be a short time/moment that influenced your life. Perhaps, about a battle with a serious illness. I had cancer, and beat it. How? That story could be my memoir, or a part of my autobiography.
Autobiography. Where to start? From childhood, or a reverie about happenings that are linked, and people who influenced each occurrence.
- Make a list of several life experiences.
- Choose one (the theme) and expand from there.
- List important details.
- You could diagram your life, such as I did for my cancer war.
- Write an outline.
- Keep in mind the what, where, why, how, and who of the event/s.
- Contact relevant people in the story. Get their perspective.
- Write an opening sentence that hooks the reader.
- Write the conclusion with clarity. Don’t leave any loose ends.
- Link the pieces.
- Get beta readers to preview your first draft, and the second, and so on.
- Get an editor.
- Publish it.
Great outline, Deb!
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