What is ‘Autobiography’ and How Is It Written?

Literary works are generally divided into fiction and non-fiction. Biography, which is one of the non-fiction literature genres, also has a sub-genre called autobiography. Although it is similar to biography and memoir, in autobiography we see the person telling his whole story both as a writer and as a character. Autobiographers are mostly prominent figures in their country or in the world.

In the autobiography, the author and the reader make a silent agreement. According to this agreement, what the author says is considered true because what is told is the author’s own life story. However, how this story is written is up to the author. He can tell his whole story with glee or with drama in the foreground. Let’s take a closer look at what an autobiography is, what its features are, how to write it, and let’s see some of the famous autobiographies.

What is an autobiography, how is it written, what are its features?

What is an autobiography?

Autobiography, also called autobiography, is a type of non-fiction literature in which the author tells his entire life story. It is considered a subgenre of biography, which is one of the genres of non-fiction literature. In the biography, the author tells the life story of a person; In the autobiography, the author tells his own life story.

While autobiography and memoir are similar in the way the author tells his own story, they are fundamentally different. In the genre of memoir, the writer tells only a part of his own life. In autobiography, the author describes his entire life. For example, the moment an actor tells about his experiences at the film festival he attends, and the same actor tells his whole life from the day he was born until his retirement is autobiography. When another writer tells all this, it is a biography.

What are the features of autobiography?

• Every autobiographical work must mention some important points.
• It is a non-fiction genre.
• It is considered a confession of the author.
• It does not need to be a fixed structure.
• Language and expression are variable.

Every autobiographical work must mention some important points:

In every autobiographical work in which the author tells his own life story, some basic information such as date of birth and place of birth must be included. Likewise, information about family members and friends in the story that will feed the flow should be shared. Academic information, educational life, works, achievements and awards that constitute important points in the author’s life should also be mentioned.

It is a non-fiction genre:

The fact that autobiography is a non-fiction genre is one of the most important features that should be emphasized. Because the fact that the stories are non-fiction means that they are real. In this respect, the author and the reader make a silent agreement. According to this agreement, the reader accepts what the author tells as true.

It counts as a confession of the author:

When we leave the literary structure aside and look at it with a more human eye, in fact, autobiography is an article in which the author tells his most intimate. He tells about the events that happened to him down to the smallest detail, and also shares all his feelings and thoughts about that event with the reader. Maybe the author describes his inner conflicts, regrets and sorrows in the simplest form.

It is not necessary to be a fixed structure:

Of course, for an article to be considered a literary work, it must be penned in accordance with some rules. In the autobiography, however, these rules are somewhat more flexible. After all, the author can tell his own life as he wishes. For example, he can share the events that affect his life with the reader according to the degree of importance, without following the chronological order.

Its language and narration is variable:

As we said, what is told is the author’s own story. Therefore, he decides how to tell his own story. It may adopt one of some basic narratives such as a dramatic style, a humorous point of view, an ironic narrative, sarcasm, self-promotion, or longing for the past.

How to write an autobiography?

• Step #1: Do a solid brainstorm.
• Step #2: Create the outline of your story.
• Step #3: Do research on your personal history.
• Step #4: Write an outline.
• Step #5: Get some rest.
• Step #6: Make corrections to the draft.
• Step #7: Write another draft.
• Step #8: Finalize your autobiography.

Step #1: Do a solid brainstorm:

First, take a deep breath and think if you really want to tell people about your life about your life. Frequently ask yourself questions such as where to start, what will you tell, whether what you are telling is really valuable. As with all literary works, you must establish a solid intellectual foundation before you start work in autobiography.

Step #2: Create the outline of your story:

You will tell your entire life story in your autobiography, but you really don’t need to tell every detail. What you need to tell are the touchstones that make up the important points in your life. You should identify all these important points and create an outline of how you will describe them.

Step #3: Do research on your personal history:

Unfortunately, the human memory is not capable of remembering everything that has happened to it. Sometimes we even forget what we ate yesterday. Therefore, before writing your life story, do a little research on your personal history. Read letters, diaries, yearbooks, notes you take. Reinforce what you remember and re-remember what you forgot by meeting with your family members and friends.

Step #4: Write an outline:

All ok, let’s get started. Sit down at the keyboard or take a pen and start writing your autobiography. Relax, you will write an outline first. This draft will both be a guide in your writing process and will allow you to check whether the intellectual foundation is solid.

Step #5: Get some rest:

Writing is tiring, tiring work. So take a few days off after you’ve written and finished the first draft. During the rest period, do not write, do not read what you have written, or even think about it. In this process, both you and your writing will be a little rested.

Step #6: Make corrections to the draft:

When you feel ready to rewrite and reflect, grab the first draft and make ruthless corrections. Don’t fall in love with what you wrote. The pen is yours, you write again. The important thing is to detect all the wrongs while doing this control and to start thinking about the right ones.

Step #7: Write another draft:

After checking and correcting your first draft, write another draft. Then again. Then again. There is no limit on writing drafts. Write, correct and rewrite again and again. In this entire writing process, you can write until the work is exactly what you want.

Step #8: Finalize your autobiography:

In all literary works, the final check is the most important step. In this step, you should put yourself in the place of the reader. Examine your work through the eyes of a reader who bought it from a bookstore and came home and started reading. Don’t worry, it doesn’t work, you can correct it and write it again. The important thing is to create a unique work.

Some famous autobiographies:

• My Left Foot – Christy Brown
• Memoirs of a Dinosaur – Mina Urgan
• Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt
• Diary of Anne Frank – Anne Frank
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig
• Mein Kampf- Adolf Hitler
• On the Road – Jack Kerouac
• Butterfly – Henri Charriere
• My Brief History – Stephen Hawking
• Glass Bell – Sylvia Plath

While the author was telling his own story as a character, we answered the questions such as what is the autobiography we read, what are its features, how to write it, and we talked about what you need to know about this non-fiction genre. You can share your thoughts about the autobiography genre in the comments.