An autobiography could simply be defined as the story of a life well-lived. Some feel the author needs to be a famous celebrity, artist, or politician. However, this isn’t true. Anyone can write an autobiography. Readers gain a lot of benefit from reading about other people’s lives.
A few potential clients have emailed me worried that writing an autobiography is too self-centered. They wish to share their life story but don’t want to appear pretentious or self-absorbed.
Tony Robbins was heard to say, “Usually, autobiography is such an indulgence of the ego.”
While I can understand that viewpoint, I don’t agree. A good autobiography digs into the shadows of a person’s life and soul, uncovering the less desirable traits as well as the heroic ones. Check it out. Pull a few autobiographies off the shelf of your local library or bookstore. The successful ones will share the true personae of the author with the reader—warts and all.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Autobiographies are useful as the lives you read about and analyze may suggest to you something you may find useful in your own journey through life.”
Readers benefit from reading about a well-lived life story. If you are unsure about this point and wish to write a book, I encourage you to read a few autobiographies and memoirs. Get a feel for the genre before you embark on your writing adventure.
Honestly, there are many reasons to write an autobiography. Let’s explore a few.
Share your story with your future generations
When you reach a certain stage of success in your life, you may wish to leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren. After all, do they truly understand where you came from, what you went through, and what you learned over the last few decades? One of the best ways to share the details of this journey is to write an autobiography.
Most successful men and women wish to leave a mark on the world. Don’t you? Sure, the Boy Scouts teach us to leave no trace, but in this case, it’s helpful to leave a few footprints. Our future generations might be able to learn a few valuable lessons from your story, improving their lives and saving some heartache and valuable time.
When I visited Australia twenty years ago, I attended a tour teaching us about the amazing flora and fauna. The tour guide mentioned that the Aborigines had an incredible amount of knowledge about the healing properties of thousands of native plants. However, because of the horrid treatment they received over the last two centuries, many were unwilling to pass this information on to outsiders. While I could understand their rationale, I couldn’t help but shed a few tears for all that knowledge that would be lost forever.
Understand YOU a bit better
“I realized going back and writing and explaining in detail the difficulties I had lived actually became emotional again. It’s like therapy but sometimes therapy can be painful. But it’s part of life and part of the autobiography so I’ll have to finish it sooner or later,” Jenni Rivera
For many who write an autobiography, the authors would say that the process was an exercise of self-discovery. You’ll unearth things about yourself that you probably wouldn’t be able to tap into any other way. In addition, you might just be able to finally find peace within some of the more gnarly incidents of your past.
When I work with a client on their life story, I have noticed that they often remember more about their past. They also understand what occurred a bit clearer and can often move on as a result.
One successful entrepreneur from another continent had looked up to and respected an elder from his childhood. During the initial interviews, he’d praised this man’s actions to me. However, as we continued to delve into a few of these incidents, my client realized that this man from his past had actually been a monster. Although my client hadn’t been abused directly, he uncovered memories that pointed to the fact that others probably had suffered at this man’s hands. This changed the outlook of my client dramatically. Confronting such a harsh reality gave him peace, perspective, and understanding.
Discover your purpose in life
Do you ever feel like your life lacked purpose? I believe having a strong purpose to help others and make a mark on society is a goal that lives within each of us. We aren’t just existing here on Earth for a few years without a reason. At least I hope not! Instead, most people have something to live for. Perhaps it is to improve the quality of life for our children and grandchildren. Or maybe you wish to right an injustice. You might wish to fulfill many valuable goals as you journey through life.
If you are uncertain about your true purpose here, writing an autobiography can help you put things in perspective. It might just shed some light on the pattern of your accomplishments throughout your life and discover your purpose. From there, you can continue to contribute to that purpose and make a stronger impact on those you wish to help.
Expand your networking potential
When you write an autobiography, you’ll attract a readership interested in learning about your successful actions in life. Through this process, people will become more aware of you and your business, helping you to expand your network of contacts. As a business leader, writing your life story can’t help but increase your customer base as people will be drawn to you more.
Writing a book is a huge milestone for anyone. When you become an author it puts you in a special and elite category. As a result, people are more likely to respect and listen to you.
Hire a ghostwriter to write your autobiography
Many people sit down to write an autobiography and have no idea where to begin. “How do I make my life story an interesting read?” Completing a book is never an easy task, but most people find that writing an autobiography on their own is too emotionally challenging. In addition, you need to study and learn the art of writing.
When you pick up a book, what makes you read past chapter one? If the author does their job right, you are hooked from the beginning. You will fall in love with their style and voice and might even forget you are reading because you become so lost in the world that has been created for you.
The fact is a good memoir isn’t a collection of memories but rather follows the precise rules of storytelling. You can learn these by reading a few books but might find applying things like the Three-Act Structure to your very personal life story a difficult task. A ghostwriter will know these rules like the back of their hand and can apply them easily (and objectively) to your story.
Developing these skills takes time and a lot of practice. Sure, you can throw words on paper or ask ChapGPT to write the book for you. I’m sure people do this in an attempt to save money. However, the result will not draw in readers. While you might technically have a book with your name on it, when someone picks it up to read it, they will put it back down. This works against you.
A few humorous quotes
Autobiographies have been very popular throughout time. People enjoy reading books about the trials and tribulations of others. A few celebrities had humorous takes on this genre that gave me a chuckle:
“I’m writing an unauthorized autobiography,” Steven Wright
“I haven’t read any of the autobiographies about me,” Elizabeth Taylor.
“Autobiography is an unrivaled vehicle for telling the truth about other people,” Philip Guedalla.
If you need help with your autobiography, please reach out to me. I can either write it for you (where you get all the credit, and no one knows I was a part of the project) or I can coach you through the writing process. I promise to help you share your life story in an authentic and exciting way.
If you are interested in hiring a ghostwriter, here are a few more articles you might like:
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Ghostwriter
Interview Questions for a Ghostwriter
How to Find a Good Ghostwriter
