autobiography template pdf

The Only (FREE) Autobiography Template You Need – 4 Simple Steps

Are you looking for an autobiography template? 

First things first.

What is your story? Not the shiny, air-brushed one you edit before posting on Instagram or the one you politely share during a writer’s chat on Zoom.

By your story, I mean the one with the cracks in it caused by childhood insecurities or the deep craters forged by unexpected collisions with life—the triumphs and tragedies that are forever etched into your DNA.

Yes, that story.

When you’re truly ready to write an autobiography, you’ll know it because you’ve come to a point in your life where the beauty of sharing your story has nothing to do with perfection. It’s knowing that despite the roller coaster ride that started at birth, you’ve found the courage to stay on it—sometimes holding on for dear life and other times riding with your hands up and screaming at the top of your lungs. 

Get your autobiography template here:

Need A Nonfiction Book Outline?

You’ve lived thoroughly and learned to embrace who you’ve become in the process, scars and all. 

This post will show you the format for writing an autobiography and the best way to package your story so you can provide the best reader experience possible.

This blog gives you a free autobiography template and more…

What is an autobiography.

The basic definition of an autobiography is that it’s a first-person account of your life. It differs from a memoir , which usually focuses on a single event or group of events that lead you to a discovery about yourself, your life, or some other revelation. An autobiography is a look at the total sum of your life from birth (early childhood) to the time of your book’s writing that highlights the key points that shaped who you’ve become.

Ready to start writing your autobiography? Let’s get into it…

What is the format for an autobiography? 

Just like any good story, every autobiography has a beginning, middle, and end. But before you begin filling in the sections, you want to come up with a theme for your book . Most people have too much life content to fit into one book. Selecting the parts that fit under the umbrella of a theme will make the book easier to follow. 

When coming up with a theme, think about what you want the key takeaway to be for the reader. You don’t want to give them some boring slog through your life history. If you want them to feel something, your book needs direction. That’s where your theme takes the lead. By keeping it in the back of your mind while writing, you’ll give your readers a track to stay on. Otherwise, they may lose interest and stop reading.

Once you have your theme, right down the events in your life that are related to your book’s focus. You’ll plug these into the outline as you develop it. 

Some examples of autobiography book themes are:

• Overcoming challenges
• Creating your own destiny
• The unbreakable bonds of family
• A faith journey
• Perseverance

Your theme can be whatever you want it to be, but keep your audience in mind when selecting one. Below you’ll find an autobiography template. It includes an outline with writing prompts in each section. 

Whether you are an “outliner” (someone who outlines) or a “pantser” (someone who writes by the seat of their pants), the outline has enough structure and flexibility to make both writer types happy. 

Autobiography Template: An Outline

I’ve laid out what a traditional autobiography might look like below. But to really help you get the most out of the blog post, I recommend downloading our nonfiction book outline to use alongside this guide.

1.  Introduction 

Before you share your life story, prepare your readers for what is to follow by introducing yourself and telling them what they can expect. You can cover some or all of the following:

• Why you are writing your autobiography?
• What do you hope the reader will take away from the experience?
• Any pertinent information that’s not covered in your book but that is needed for context.

2. The beginning – the early years

Since autobiographies are a condensed view of your life, you want to focus on the significant events that will move your story forward.

• Where do you want to begin your story? 
• Where does your book’s theme first show up when you look back over your life? You want the opening of your book to have an impact, so choose something that will hook your readers and bring them into your world.
• How did your formative years influence how you viewed yourself? What we experience during our childhood can affect us for a lifetime. Consider how the early events of your life developed your character.
• Who influenced you the most during your childhood?
• What defining moments do you remember?

Where (on your timeline) and how you start your story is up to you. You want it to be something strong and significant to have the most impact on your reader. Here are the first few sentences of some autobiographies for inspiration .

“Some would say the McEntires are a very set-in-their-ways, stubborn, hardheaded bunch of people. But I think that hardheadedness is what got Daddy to where he was, Grandpap to where he was, and his father, Pap, to where he was. Some might say it wasn’t all that far- but it was much further than where they started!” 

– Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots by Reba McEntire

(Nostalgia / Specific Event)

“My grandmother Nanny and I were at the picture show. I hadn’t reached two digits yet in age because I distinctly remember my feet couldn’t touch the floor of the movie house. Nanny and I were still living in San Antonio, Texas. My mama and daddy had gone ahead to California, where Nanny and I would later wind up.” – This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett

(From Birth)

“ If you know my music, you almost certainly know me as Craig Morgan. But I was actually born Craig Morgan Greer. Craig Morgan came along many years later.” – God, Family, Country: A Memoir by Craig Morgan

• 31 Best Autobiographies
• 30 Celebrity Autobiographies

3. The middle- halfway between the early years and where you are today.

If you are using a timeline to divide your story, the period that you cover during the “middle” of your autobiography depends on how old you are at the writing of your book. If you are in your golden years, your midpoint might be in your 30s or 40s. For someone like Malala Yousafzai , who wrote her autobiography at age 15, her “middle” looked very different. 

Whichever “middle” you choose consider the following:

• What are the defining moments during this time of your life? 
• Did they change how you viewed yourself?
• Did they change the trajectory of what you initially thought you’d do with your life?
• Who had the most influence on your life during this time?
• What are some of the challenges you faced? How did you overcome them?
• Did your worldview change during this time? If so, in what ways?

If your “middle” doesn’t fit neatly into a timeline, consider grouping your autobiography into themed sections.

The autobiography Cash by Johnny Cash groups his story into sections based on places that had special meaning to him: Cinnamon Hill, The Road, Port Rickey, Bon Aqua, and The Road Again.

4. The end—wrap-up

The end of your autobiography is the climax. It’s what you’ve been leading your reader to since the first sentence of your book. 

• Where are you in your life now? What have you learned? How has your journey impacted who you’ve become? 
• How do you want the reader to feel when they read the last sentence of your book? Inspired? Hopeful? Full? Enlightened? Satisfied? All of the above? 
• Is there any part of your life that feels unfinished or incomplete? 
• Looking back over your life, what is the greatest lesson you learned?
• Don’t forget your audience, especially at the beginning of your book. You want to hook your readers early and bring them along for the ride.
• Write an eye-catching autobiography title for your book.
• Leave out the minutia. If it doesn’t move your story along, drop it. 
• Tone matters. A good rule of thumb is to write your story like you were talking to a friend. Your story doesn’t have to be a monotone race to the finish line. Spice it up. Add some sparkle. Make sure your personality shines through. 
• It’s always about the story. Buyers pick up your book to be entertained. Regardless of how serious your story is, it should be presented in a way that makes the reader want to keep turning the page. 
• Every good story has a resolution. Good or bad, offer a resolution for each life conflict you introduce.
• As you share the final pieces of your story, use the end of your story to reflect on where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, and where you plan to go from there. Every relationship that ends can benefit from closure, and if the end of your story is not the end of your relationship with your reader, tell them where they can go to continue getting to know you.

Writing your autobiography is a courageous move, but who better to write your life story than you? If you have experiences that others will find interesting, share! You never know how your journey will impact someone else. 

If you’re serious about getting your story published, Selfpublishing.com has a team of publishing experts who can walk you through the book development process.

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Free Printable Autobiography Templates [Word, PDF] for Students, Adults

When writing an autobiography , the writer has to choose what to include. This process can be hard because there are many experiences to write about. That’s what makes it unique among the rest; it is difficult to sort out the most significant events in one’s life and write about them. It takes time, effort, and perseverance to finish this task well.

Table of Contents

What is an Autobiography?

Autobiography is the writing of a person’s life from his birth to the moment he wrote the autobiography. He tells about unknown features or achievements, how he came to good positions and what he owes. When writing an autobiography, the facts should not be ignored. In short, an autobiography is the writing and writing of one’s own life. Check out our free newsletter templates.

Autobiography Templates

Autobiography Templates are structured frameworks or outlines that provide a framework for individuals to document and organize their life stories in a coherent and systematic manner. These templates serve as a guide to help individuals gather their memories, reflect on their experiences, and create a comprehensive account of their life journey. Autobiography Templates ensure consistency, organization, and ease of writing, allowing individuals to share their personal narratives in a meaningful and engaging way.

Autobiography Templates provide individuals with a structured framework to capture and organize their life stories. By using these templates, individuals can ensure that important memories and experiences are not overlooked, and their narrative flows in a logical and engaging manner. Autobiographies serve as valuable personal documents that can be shared with family members, friends, or a broader audience to inspire, entertain, or provide insight into the richness and diversity of human experiences.

Characteristics of an Autobiography

Since we cannot know the inner state of people who write autobiographies , more detailed information about the person can be obtained with these works. We can see more clearly the difficulties he faced and the practices he made, especially on the way to success. Although writers usually write all the details about themselves, it is unfortunately complicated to be impartial.

That’s why autobiographical works are subjective works. Although they have historical features, they cannot be considered primary sources. Such works can show similarities with memories. But memories cover a certain part of life.

• It is the story of a famous person in various fields, telling his own life story.
• It is mostly told about the person himself and his immediate surroundings.
• Adhering to the facts, life should be conveyed as it is.
• Autobiographies are subjective as it will be challenging to remain neutral when describing oneself.
• Autobiographies are written in a chronological time frame.
• Autobiographies are told in the language of I, using the first person suffix.

As mentioned above, the author is expected to describe his own life impartially and objectively in autobiographies. However, it receives a lot of criticism that the author can describe himself as he wants to see. Although the critics criticize this aspect, thanks to autobiographies, we have the chance to get to know the lives of important people from different aspects. In addition, in this way, information about these people’s lives is carried into the future.

Memoir vs. Autobiography

These two types are often confused with each other. While memoirs deal with a certain part of a person’s life, autobiography deals with the person’s whole life.

How To Write an Autobiography – 3 Top Tips

First of all, let’s say that there are two different ways to write an autobiography. First, While it is an uncontrolled autobiography in which the person can freely write whatever they want about themself, the second is a controlled autobiography that the person writes by focusing on a certain subject.

There are some points to consider when writing an autobiography. The most important of these is that the autobiography should be written within an intellectual plan. This plan should be followed throughout the article. Time is one of the most important concepts in an autobiography, which should be written in chronological order. The time when the recorded events are found should be accurately stated.

Use real documents

Autobiographies, which also have the feature of being a scientific text, should be written based on documents. The events described should be supported by real documents . When writing an autobiography, care should be taken not to use uncertain information, which will lead to controversy. The documents to be used in the autobiography should be brought together and collected within a certain scientific technique.

Be objective

When writing an autobiography, one should talk about himself and the events objectively. An autobiography, which should be written with an objective expression , can be written in two ways. The first of these is the controlled autobiography. In this type of autobiography, the person talks about their family’s past and related events. The other type of autobiography is uncontrolled autobiography . In this type of article, the person can freely write about all the events without any restrictions.

Ask yourself questions

One of the important features of autobiography writings is that it helps us know the person in every aspect. For this reason, questions should be asked to the person during the writing of the autobiography. These questions should help the reader analyze the person better. As an example of these questions, which are similar to the interview questions; How would you describe yourself, what are the criteria you attach importance to in your family and friends, and what are the features that you consider positive and negative when you look at yourself, what are the events you have experienced in the past and whose influence you cannot get rid of, who is your first love, who is the person of science, art, and politics that you were influenced by? Such questions are directed to the person so that the reader can get to know the owner of the autobiography with all the details.

In the autobiography, the events experienced in general will be mentioned, and certain analyzes can be made regarding the future. The future plans of the person to dominate the world of ideas and thoughts can also be among the topics that can be processed in the autobiography. An autobiography should be a literary piece that introduces the person objectively. It will be important for fluency to use all kinds of literary writing techniques while writing. When telling his own life story, the person should mention the details that he considers important from his life. The less confusing the reader with unnecessary details, the more fluent text can be obtained.

You may be asked for your autobiography when applying for a job or during your education. In such cases, an autobiography written in a correct, real, and fluent language will take you one step ahead. If you’re thinking about how to write an autobiography, you don’t have to worry. Writing an autobiography is not much different from the CV and cover letter concepts you are used to in business life.

Let me give you a few tips to guide you. First of all, its authenticity has been proven by documents; You can outline in chronological order what you experience in the ordinary course of your life, such as where you were born and lived, the schools you graduated from, the companies you worked for, the place where you did your military service, your family life, your achievements. Apart from these, don’t forget your favorite movies, music, habits you can’t give up, your pets, if you have them, and your hobbies.

When writing your autobiography; You can describe your life using a literary language, answering questions such as how you made decisions while taking all these steps, how you felt, what led to success, why you chose the department you are studying, why you are interested in sports, how you discovered your talent for the first time.

While writing a biography , reasons such as the desire to be understood by other parties, the desire to direct people based on experiences , and the desire to tell their own memories in their own language can be counted. In an autobiography, there may be undesirable and unspoken subjects in life. At this point, the person can apply self-censorship to his own narratives. It should not be forgotten that there may be subjects that cannot be explained in the autobiography.

How do I write an autobiography about myself?

Start by making a timeline of your life and key events. Then group related experiences into chapters – introduce your background, childhood memories, struggles, accomplishments etc. Use your voice and be candid when crafting the narrative.

What is the format to write autobiography?

The standard autobiography format has an introduction, body paragraphs organized chronologically by theme, and a conclusion. Use first-person point of view and a conversational, relatable tone. Include photos if desired.

How do you structure an autobiography?

Start with an engaging background and origin story followed by chapters ordered by time period focusing on accomplishments, challenges, personal development ties, impactful memories, etc. End with reflection.

What is an autobiography layout?

A standard autobiography layout has an interesting introduction paragraph, chronologically organized body paragraphs emphasizing important experiences, seamless transitions between life stages, and a strong concluding paragraph underscoring central themes.

What are the 7 steps in writing autobiography?

The 7 steps are:

• Plan timeline and identify key events
• Decide on themes for chapters
• Write draft paragraphs in chronological order
• Insert reflective insights and impressions
• Refine story flow and transitions
• Proofread and check for consistency
• Share with intended audience

What are the 3 parts of autobiography?

The main 3 parts are:

• Introduction: Hook reader with your background
• Body: Chronological chapters elaborating experiences tied to personal growth and identity.
• Conclusion: Importance of your journey; share wisdom gained.

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• How it Works

An Easy Autobiography Template Anyone Can Use

Are you looking for an autobiography template that will help you more easily write your life story? If so, you’re in the right place so long as you’re willing to think a little outside the box of what a “traditional” one looks like. A traditional autobiography has chapters, characters, an engaging storyline and is almost always very difficult to write. A “modern-day” autobiography has all of those elements except one – they’re incredibly easy to write and you will finish your life story at the end of your efforts – guaranteed.

What’s a modern-day autobiography?

In a nutshell, it’s an interview about your life. To write it, all you need to do is answer some questions.

Taking a quick step back, have a think about your favourite TV news anchor or talk show host. No matter who you think of, whether it’s Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer or someone else, the one thing they have in common is that they interview guests. Interviews are both captivating to viewers as well as being the most practical way to get interesting and meaningful information from people. That’s true for a talk show host interviewing a celebrity or a news anchor interviewing an expert for a story. A good interview is the key to their popularity and success.

Part of why we find interviews so captivating to watch or read can be explained by basic psychology. As soon as we hear a question we want to know the answer. We can’t help it – our  mind wants to close the “curiosity gap” between what we already know and what we’d like to know.

Take a minute and answer these three questions:

• What’s one memory from your childhood that makes you smile?
• What’s the most valuable thing your parents taught you?
• What do you think is the key to a successful relationship?

In answering the questions above, you’ll probably notice two things: firstly, an answer immediately pops into your head, and secondly, your answer is an honest and authentic reflection of who you are and the values you hold. Part of the magic of an interview is the way you answer a question says so much about who you are. Each answer is as unique as you are.

So what does all this mean for writing your own autobiography? To write a captivating and authentic life story you need an autobiography template with a series of questions that prompts you to discuss your life experiences and values.

This is the process we use at A Life Untold  to help people write and print captivating and professionally designed autobiographies in an easy and interesting way. Importantly, we leave the final book in “Q&A format” so anyone who reads your book feels like they’re listening in on an incredible conversation with you. There’s no major editing or rewriting – we want your voice to be heard.

Your autobiography template

While our full interview is over 100 questions, here are just 15 question prompts across different “life chapters” to get you started on the journey.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

• Name your favorite: Book, Movie, Musician, Quote, Animal, Word…
• What’s the most valuable thing your parents taught you?
• What did you love most about school?
• Do you remember any fads from school?
• Which of these words do you associate with your work: Love, Hate, Routine, Money or something else?
• What’s something that you did at work that you’re proud of?
• What’s the bravest thing you’ve done in the name of love?

FRIENDSHIPS

• How would your close friends describe you?
• What’s one quality you think is important in a friend?
• What is one thing your children have taught you?
• What was your proudest moment as a parent?

BIG QUESTIONS

• If you could share a meal with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
• What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?
• Don’t forget to include photos in your book. They really are worth 1,000 words!

Want more questions to answer? Turn your life story into a printed book with that your family and loved ones will treasure forever. Find out more about our process here .

2 simple steps, a lifetime of stories..

Record a loved one’s life story in a beautifully printed book. A truly meaningful gift for anyone special in your life.

How To Write an Autobiography 2024 (Tips, Templates, & Guide)

Your life story has value, merit, and significance. You want to share it with the world, but maybe you don’t know how .

Here’s how to write an autobiography:

Write an autobiography by creating a list of the most important moments, people, and places in your life. Gather photos, videos, letters, and notes about these experiences. Then, use an outline, templates, sentence starters, and questions to help you write your autobiography .

In this article, you are going to learn the fastest method for writing your autobiography.

We are going to cover everything you need to know with examples and a free, downloadable, done-for-you template.

What Is an Autobiography?

Table of Contents

Before you can write an autobiography, you must first know the definition.

An autobiography is the story of your life, written by you. It covers the full span of your life (at least, up until now), hitting on the most significant moments, people and events.

When you write your autobiography, you write an intimate account of your life.

What Should I Include In an Autobiography?

If you are scratching your head, baffled about what to include in your autobiography, you are not alone.

After all, a big part of how to write an autobiography is knowing what to put in and what to leave out of your life story. Do you focus on every detail?

Every person? Won’t your autobiography be too long?

A good way to think about how to write an autobiography is to use the Movie Trailer Method.

What do movie trailers include?

• High emotional moments
• The big events
• The most important characters

When you plan, organize, and write your autobiography, keep the Movie Trailer Method in mind. You can even watch a bunch of free movie trailers on YouTube for examples of how to write an autobiography using the Movie Trailer Method.

When wondering what to include in your autobiography, focus on what would make the cut for a movie trailer of your life:

• Most important people (like family, friends, mentors, coaches, etc.)
• Significant events (like your origin story, vacations, graduations, life turning points, life lessons)
• Emotional moments (When you were homeless, when you battled a life-threatening condition, or when you fell in love)
• Drama or suspense (Did you make it into Harvard? Did your first surgery go well? Did your baby survive?)

Autobiography Structure Secrets

Like any compelling story, a well-structured autobiography often follows a pattern that creates a logical flow and captures readers’ attention.

Traditionally, autobiographies begin with early memories, detailing the writer’s childhood, family background, and the events or people that shaped their formative years.

From here, the narrative typically progresses chronologically, covering major life events like schooling, friendships, challenges, achievements, career milestones, and personal relationships.

It’s essential to weave these events with introspective insights.

This allows readers to understand not just the what, but also the why behind the author’s choices and experiences.

Towards the end, an effective autobiography often includes reflections on lessons learned, changes in perspective over time, and the wisdom acquired along life’s journey.

Example of the Structure:

• Introduction: A gripping event or anecdote that gives readers a hint of what to expect. It could be a pivotal moment or challenge that defines the essence of the story.
• Childhood and Early Memories: Recounting family dynamics, birthplace, cultural background, and memorable incidents from early years.
• Adolescence and Discovering Identity: Experiences during teenage years, challenges faced, friendships formed, and personal evolutions.
• Pursuits and Passions: Describing education, early career choices, or any particular hobby or skill that played a significant role in the author’s life.
• Major Life Events and Challenges: Chronicles of marriage, parenthood, career shifts, or any significant setbacks and how they were overcome.
• Achievements and Milestones: Celebrating major accomplishments and recounting the journey to achieving them.
• Reflections and Wisdom: Sharing life lessons, changes in beliefs or values over time, and offering insights gained from lived experiences.
• Conclusion: Summarizing the journey, contemplating on the present state, and sharing hopes or aspirations for the future.

How To Write an Autobiography Quickly: Strategies & Templates

Want the quickest way to organize and write your autobiography in record time? You can literally write your autobiography in 7 days or less with this method.

The secret is to use done-for-you templates.

I have personally designed and collected a series of templates to take you from a blank page to a fully complete Autobiography. I call this the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

And it’s completely free to download right from this article. 🙂

In the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint, you get:

• The Autobiography Questions Template
• The Autobiography Brainstorm Templates
• The Autobiography Outline Template

Here is an image of it so that you know exactly what you get when you download it:

How To Write an Autobiography: Step-by-Step

When you sit down to write an autobiography, it’s helpful to have a step-by-step blueprint to follow.

You already have the done-for-you templates that you can use to organize and write an autobiography faster than ever before. Now here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to maximize your template.

• Brainstorm Ideas
• Order your sections (from medium to high interest)
• Order the ideas in each section (from medium to high interest)
• Write three questions to answer in each section
• Choose a starter sentence
• Complete a title template
• Write each section of your by completing the starter sentence and answering all three questions

Brainstorm Your Autobiography

The first step in writing your autobiography is to brainstorm.

Give yourself time and space to write down the most significant people, events, lessons, and experiences in your life. The templates in the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint provide sections for you to write down your brainstormed ideas.

This will help you organize your ideas into what will become the major sections of your book.

These will be:

• Y our most significant events and experiences.
• The people who impacted you the most.
• The challenges you have overcome.
• Your achievements and successes.
• The lessons you have learned.

The “other” sections on the second page of the Brainstorm template is for creating your own sections or to give you more space for the sections I provided in case you run out of space.

As I brainstorm, I find asking myself specific questions really activates my imagination.

So I have compiled a list of compelling questions to help you get ideas down on paper or on your screen.

Order Your Sections (From Medium to High Interest)

The next step is to order your main sections.

The main sections are the five (or more) sections from your Brainstorm templates (Significant events, significant people, life lessons, challenges, successes, other, etc). This order will become the outline and chapters for your book.

How do you decide what comes first, second or third?

I recommend placing the sections in order of interest. Ask yourself, “What’s the most fascinating part of my life?”

If it’s a person, then write the name of that section (Significant People) on the last line in the How to Write an Autobiography Outline Template. If it’s an experience, place the name of that section (Significant Events) on the last line.

For example, if you met the Pope, you might want to end with that nugget from your life. If you spent three weeks lost at sea and survived on a desert island by spearfishing, that is your ending point.

Then complete the Outline by placing the remaining sections in order of interest. You can work your way backward from high interest to medium interest.

If you are wondering why I say “medium to high interest” instead of “low to high interest” it is because there should be no “low interest” parts of your autobiography.

But wait, what if you met the Pope AND spent three weeks lost at sea? How do you choose which one comes first or last?

First of all, I want to read this book! Second, when in doubt, default to chronological order. Whatever event happened first, start there.

Here is an example of how it might look:

Order The Ideas in Each Section (From Medium To High Interest)

Now, organize the ideas inside of each section. Again, order the ideas from medium to high interest).

Within your “Significant People” section, decide who you want to talk about first, second, third, etc. You can organize by chronological order (who you met first) but I recommend building to the most interesting or most significant person.

This creates a more compelling read.

Keep in mind that the most significant person might not be the most well-known, most famous, or most popular. The most significant person might be your family member, friend, partner, or child.

It comes down to who shaped your life the most.

So, if your “significant people list” includes your dad, a famous social media influencer, and Mike Tyson, your dad might come last because he had the biggest significance in your life.

Write Three Questions to Answer in Each Section

Ok, you’ve done the heavy lifting already. You have the major sections organized and outlined.

Next on your autobiography to-do list is to choose and write down three questions you are going to answer in each section. You can write your questions down in the provided “boxes” for each section on the template outline (or on another piece of paper.

This is easier than it might seem.

Simply choose one of the sample autobiography questions below or create your own:

• Why did I choose this person/event?
• What does this person/event mean to me?
• How did I meet this person?
• Where did it happen?
• When did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• How did it happen?
• What is the most interesting part?
• How did I feel about this person or event?
• How do I feel now?
• Why does this person or event matters to me?
• How did this person or event change my life?
• What is the most challenging part?
• How did I fail?
• How did I succeed?
• What did I learn?

Questions are the perfect way to write quickly and clearly. I LOVE writing to questions. It’s how I write these blog posts and articles.

Choose a Starter Sentence

Sometimes the hardest part of any project is knowing how to start.

Even though we know we can always go back and edit our beginnings, so many of us become paralyzed with indecision at the starting gate.

That’s why I provided sample starter sentences in your How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

Here are the story starters:

• I began writing this book when…
• Of all the experiences in my life, this one was the most…
• I’ve been a…
• My name is…
• Growing up in…
• It wasn’t even a…
• It all started when…
• I first…
• I was born…

Keep in mind that you do not need to begin your book with one of these story starters. I provide them simply to get you going.

The key is to not get bogged down in this, or any, part of writing your autobiography. Get organized and then get writing.

Complete a Title Template

At the top of the How to Write an Autobiography Outline is a place for you to write your book title.

Some authors struggle forever with a title. And that’s ok. What’s not ok is getting stuck. What’s not ok is if coming up with your title prevents you from finishing your book.

So, I provided a few title templates to help juice your creativity.

Just like the story starters, you do not need to use these title templates, but you certainly can. All you need to do is fill in the title templates below and then write your favorite one (for now) at the top of your outline. Presto! You have your working title.

You can always go back and change it later.

How to Write an Autobiography Title templates:

• [Your Name]: [Phrase or Tag Line]
• The [Your Last Name] Files
• Born [Activity]: A [Career]’s Life
• The Perfect [Noun]: The Remarkable Life of [Your Name]

Examples using the Templates:

• Christopher Kokoski: Blog Until You Drop
• The Kokoski Files
• Born Writing: A Blogger’s Life
• The Perfect Freelancer: The Remarkable Life of Christopher Kokoski

Write Your Autobiography

You have your outline. You have your title, templates, and sentence starters. All that is left to do is write your autobiography.

However, you can use tools like Jasper AI and a few other cool tricks to craft the most riveting book possible.

This is the easy way to remarkable writing.

Check out this short video that goes over the basics of how to write an autobiography:

How To Write an Autobiography (All the Best Tips)

Now that you are poised and ready to dash out your first draft, keep the following pro tips in mind:

• Be vulnerable. The best autobiographies share flaws, faults, foibles, and faux pas. Let readers in on the real you.
• Skip the boring parts. There is no need to detail every meal, car ride, or a gripping trip to the grocery store. Unless you ran into the Russian Mafia near the vegetables or the grocery store is perched on the side of a mountain above the jungles of Brazil.
• Keep your autobiography character-driven . This is the story of YOU!
• Be kind to others (or don’t). When writing about others in your story, keep in mind that there may be fallout or backlash from your book.
• Consider a theme: Many autobiographies are organized by theme. A perfect example is Becoming . Each section of the book includes “becoming” in the title. Themes connect and elevate each part of the autobiography.
• Write your story in vignettes (or scenes). Each vignette is a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end. Each vignette builds. Each vignette should be described in rich sensory language that shows the reader the experience instead of telling the reader about the experience. Each vignette is immersive, immediate, and intimate.
• Include snippets of dialogue. Use quotation marks just like in fiction. Show the dialogue in brief back-and-forth tennis matches of conversation. Remember to leave the boring parts out!
• Choose a consistent tone. Some autobiographies are funny like Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. Others are serious such as Open by Andre Agassi. Your story (like most stories) will likely include a mix of emotions but choose an overall tone and stick with it.
• Don’t chronicle, captivate . Always think about how to make each section, each chapter, each page, each paragraph, and each sentence more compelling. You want to tell the truth, but HOW you tell the truth is up to you. Create suspense, conflict, and mystery. Let drama linger until it becomes uncomfortable. Don’t solve problems quickly or take away tension right away.

How Do I Format an Autobiography?

Most autobiographies are written in the first person (using the pronouns I, me, we, and us).

Your autobiography is written about you so write as yourself instead of pretending to be writing about someone else.

Most autobiographies are also written in chronological order, from birth right up to your current age, with all the boring parts left out. That doesn’t mean you can’t play around with the timeline.

Sometimes it’s more interesting to start at a high moment, backtrack to the beginning and show how you got to that high moment.

Whatever format you choose, be intentional, and make the choice based on making the most compelling experience possible for your readers.

How Long Should an Autobiography Be?

There are no rules to how long an autobiography should be but a rough guideline is to aim for between 200 and 400 pages.

This will keep your book in line with what most readers expect for books in general, and will help get your book traditionally published or help with marketing your self-published book.

How To Write a Short Autobiography

You write a short autobiography the same way that you write a long autobiography.

You simply leave more out of the story.

You cut everything down to the bones. Or you choose a slice of your life as you do in a memoir. This often means limiting the people in your book, reducing the events and experiences, and shrinking your story to a few pivotal moments in your life.

How To Start an Autobiography

The truth is that you can start your autobiography in any number of ways.

Here are four common ways to begin an autobiography.

• Start at the beginning (of your life, career or relationship, etc.)
• Start at a high moment of drama or interest.
• Start at the end of the story and work backward
• Start with why you wrote the book.

Good Autobiography Titles

If you are still stuck on titling your autobiography, consider going to Amazon to browse published works. You can even just Google “autobiographies.”

When you read the titles of 10, 20, or 50 other autobiographies, you will start to see patterns or get ideas for your own titles. (HINT: the title templates in the Autobiography Blueprint were reverse-engineered from popular published books.

Also, check out the titles of the full autobiography examples below that I have included right here in this article.

Types of Autobiographies

There are several different kinds of autobiographies.

Each one requires a similar but slightly nuanced approach to write effectively. The lessons in this article will serve as a great starting point.

Autobiography Types:

• Autobiography for School
• Autobiography Novel
• Autobiography for a Job
• Short Autobiography
• Autobiography for Kids

Therefore, there is actually not just one way to write an autobiography.

Memoir vs. Autobiography: Are They The Same?

It’s common to feel confused about a memoir and an autobiography. I used to think they were the same thing.

But, nope, they’re not.

They are pretty similar, which is the reason for all the confusion. A memoir is the story of one part of your life. An autobiography is the story of your full life (up until now).

What Is the Difference Between an Autobiography and a Biography?

An autobiography is when you write about your own life. A biography, on the other hand, is when you write the story of someone else’s life.

So, if I write a book about the life of the President, that’s a biography.

If the President writes a story about his or her own life, that’s an autobiography.

What Not To Include In an Autobiography

Autobiographies are meant to be a snapshot of our lives that we can share with others, but there are some things that are best left out.

Here are three things you should avoid including in your autobiography:

1) Anything That Readers Will Skip

Your life may not be filled with non-stop excitement, but that doesn’t mean you need to include every mundane detail in your autobiography.

Stick to the highlights and leave out the low points.

2) Character Attacks on Others

It’s okay to discuss conflicts you’ve had with others, but don’t use your autobiography as a platform to attack someone’s character.

Keep it civil and focus on your own experiences and how they’ve affected you.

3) Skipping Highlights

Just because something embarrassing or painful happened to you doesn’t mean you should gloss over it in your autobiography.

These are the moments that shape us and make us who we are today, so don’t skip past them just because they’re uncomfortable.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your autobiography is interesting, honest, and engaging.

How To Write an Autobiography: Autobiography Examples

I have always found examples to be extremely instructive. Especially complete examples of finished products. In this case, books.

Below you will find examples of published autobiographies for adults and for kids. These examples will guide you, motivate you and inspire you to complete your own life story.

They are listed here as examples, not as endorsements, although I think they are all very good.

The point is that you don’t have to agree with anything written in the books to learn from them.

Autobiography Examples for Adults

• A Promised Land (Autobiography of Barack Obama)
• If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won’t) (Betty White)
• It’s a Long Story: My Life (Willie Nelson)
• Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography (Rob Lowe)
• Becoming (Michelle Obama)

Autobiography Examples for Kids

• This Kid Can Fly: It’s About Ability (NOT Disability) (Aaron Philips)
• Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid (Mikaila Ulmer)

Tools to Write Your Autobiography

Here are some recommended tools to help you write your autobiography:

Final Thoughts: How To Write An Autobiography

Thank you for reading my article on How to Write an Autobiography.

Now that you know all of the secrets to write your book, you may want to get it published, market it, and continue to upskill yourself as an author.

In that case, read these posts next:

• Can Anyone Write A Book And Get It Published?
• The Best Writing Books For Beginners 2022 (My 10 Favorites)
• Why Do Writers Hate Adverbs? (The Final Answer)
• How To Write a Manifesto: 20 Ultimate Game-Changing Tips

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Autobiography Outline Template

It’s challenging to write an autobiography without a plan. If you lack an outline, you’ll find it hard to remember key details that should feature in the autobiography— your facts will lack order, and some may be lost. If you want to avoid this occurrence, it’s essential to create an autobiography outline. This will ensure you don’t miss out on any crucial events, people, or details. Besides, it’ll make your writing process fast and efficient. If you want to make the process much easier, you should use an autobiography outline template.

This document will ensure you capture all the relevant details.

How to write an autobiography outline

• Develop a central theme for your autobiography
• Start with a brief introduction of your autobiography. Highlight the reason for writing the copy and what you want the reader to learn.
• Create subheadings for your autobiography. If possible, they should be in a chronological order starting with your birth, infancy, and terminating in your adulthood.
• Under each subheading add several vital points
• Add some flesh to your points i.e., include dates, places, individuals, etc.

Autobiography Outline Templates

Tips for writing an autobiography outline

• Develop the main concept. An excellent autobiography should be focused on a central theme. It could be overcoming hurdles, love, perseverance, etc. A central theme creates continuity of the story of life.
• Organize your story. Your autobiography should have a flow. It should start at your birth, and other events should follow chronologically. Some writers may opt to create the autobiography based on significant events or themes in life. No matter your format, the outline should make the autobiography organized.
• Use writing tools. If you‘re finding difficulties in writing your autobiography, it’s wise to use a template. The template may be in the form of a series of questions that you’ll answer. Additionally, it’s essential to use a thesaurus, dictionary, and word processing tools to make sure you tell your story in the easiest way possible.
• Keep the autobiography interesting. Make sure your story has got a flow. One event should lead to another; this will make it interesting for your readers. You need to work on your sentences and phrases to make sure the flow is uninterrupted.
• Comprehensive research. Before writing your autobiography outline, it’s important to embark on research to make sure you’ve captured all the relevant details. If possible, you should include a bit of your family history and significant events that preceded your birth. These details should remain factual.

Related Autobiography Outlines

Autobiography essay outline format.

An autobiography essay outline format should contain the basic parts of any essay. You should start with an introduction, then the body and finally a conclusion. The introductions should feature a thesis statement, while the body should comprise several paragraphs or chapters. The autobiography should terminate in a powerful conclusion. The entire copy should be a captivating narrative centered on a specific theme.

My autobiography outline

My autobiography outline is a case when one shares their personal story. In your own words, you are able to detail to your reader’s important happenings in your life in a way that the reader can share and understand your feelings. This autobiography outlines special events in one’s life, and how they how, they have changed his view of life.

Basic autobiography outline

The basic autobiography format is the usual format that an autobiography should follow. The outline starts with an introduction, early life, education, career life, and the current state and ends with a conclusion. It describes life as a journey with a beginning and an end. All the critical events in one’s life are captured in between the introduction and conclusion.

Autobiography outline for adults

An autobiography outline for adults is a comprehensive format that captures events in one life. It elaborates the journey of life and significant challenges and achievements in the life of the individual. It’s more detailed since the person has already covered a considerable portion of their life.

How did our templates helped you today?

Opps what went wrong, related posts.

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Autobiography Templates in PDF

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Outline Templates

Autobiography Outline Template – 23+ Free Examples and Formats

Writing an autobiography is a big deal, and creating an autobiography outline template can save you lots of frustration. The purpose of writing an autobiography template before writing the book is that it will serve as a reference of your important life events. Although it may seem like a time-consuming extra step, taking the time to write out an autobiography outline sample will ensure structure, flow, and can ultimately be a life saver.

An autobiography template outline is necessary to create a well written book. Suppose you started to write the book and already have several pages written. As you are reading over your work, you realize that there are gaps in the story and there is also a lot of irrelevant content. Bam! The blank outline template saves the day. With the main topics, events, sub-topics, and sub-events already in place, you do not need to stop the flow of writing. In fact, all you need to do is look back at this template, see where your story started to get off track, go back to this spot, and resume writing. How wonderful!

Writing an autobiography outline:

• Write the title: Of course, this can be changed as you go through the process of writing the book, but have a working title for the time being.
• Next, write a few sentences (under the title) explaining why you are writing the autobiography. This will help you determine the focus of the book.
• Now comes the fun part. Create a series of chronological headings for the main chunk of the autobiography outline. Write out important childhood memories, pivotal life events, places you lived, etc…
• Under each major heading, create subheadings. Include ages, dates, other people, and expand on each event.

Here are some samples and templates to help you with your task.

5 Paragraph Autobiography Outline (Word Template)

Free Download

Autobiography Outline Free Word Format

Autobiography Outline Example

Sample Autobiography Outline

Life Tree Autobiography Outline Template for Word Doc

My Autobiography Outline (Write your own autobiography)

Sample Autobiography on Yourself

Autobiography Outline for Students

Autobiography Template for Students

High School Autobiography Outline Template

Autobiography Outline Template for Middle School

Autobiography Outline for Adults

Autobiographical Essay Outline Template

An autobiographical essay outline format will come in handy for anyone writing their own autobiography. An autobiography outline should be used by everyone that is writing – kids, high schoolers, and even adults. Even a basic autobiography outline can help you stay on track, stay organized, and save lots of time.

Bare Bones Autobiography Outline Template

Teacher Education Program Autobiography Outline

Autobiography Outline for a Scholarship Application

Autobiography Outline Questionnaire Format

Autobiography Outline for Adoptive Parents

Literacy Autobiography Essay Outline in PDF

Cultural Autobiography Outline Example

How to Write Your Own Autobiography (PDF Guide)

How to Write an Autobiography

Biography Vs. Autobiography (PowerPoint)

Tips for writing an Autobiography outline:

• Purpose – Really sit down to think about why you are writing your autobiography. This will give your thoughts a general focus and you will be able to formulate whether you want your writing to have a persuasive, reflective, or any other type of tone.
• Write out your timeline – Conduct research on your own life. Write out the most important dates, events, and memories. This is the brainstorming phase, so write down everything you remember.
• Pull out the best stories – Highlight the most important stories and begin drafting your manuscript by writing out these main stories. You will weave these main stories together to create the big picture.

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