Why would it be a struggle?

Every time I sat down at the computer, I perspired. What I have anything of value to write? Would what I wrote have any lasting value to anyone? How could I convey what was in my memory in a convincing way?

I wish my professor had provided me with an easy fill-in-the-blank/true-false/multiple-choice book for my autobiography. At the least, it would have been a great memory stimulator. And at the most, it would have provided me with a pretty complete personal history.

K.I.S.S. or Keep It Simple Stupid

If you’re like me, I’m sure you make things more difficult than they should be. Keeping it simple is especially true when trying to sort through the events of your life. Anything you can do to simplify this difficult autobiography-writing process will greatly increase the chances of finishing your work and leaving behind a worthwhile legacy.

Memorygrabber

Memorygrabber is the ideal tool to ease to writing pain.

Michael Boyter, a family history buff, created Memorygrabber as an improvement on other tools he had encountered over the years. All too often, the tools contained a question followed by pages of blank space for you to write your answer.

I can see why he would want to improve these tools; I would quickly grow bored and frustrated.

So here’s what I like about using Mr. Boyter’s Memorygrabber:

1. He uses many different methods to draw the memories out:
   • Complete the Sentence Exercises
   • Fill In The Blank Methodology
   • Mental “Walk-Throughs” – revisit places from your past: the home you grew up, your high school, your first home, your grandparents home.
   • A Quick-Response Questionnaire – A snapshot of your life right now.
   • Life Timeline Construction
   • A Daily Journal Template – get daily journal ideas and save time.
   • Self-Interview Formatted Questions
   • Online Resources Directory
   • List Creation Drills – favorite ways to relax, first experiences, etc.
2. He suggests different ways to capture your memories:
   • Journal
   • Photo albums
   • Software
   • Video and audio recording
3. He dispels all common excuses for getting started:
   • “I don’t know where to start!”
   • “I’m not a good writer!”
   • “I have nothing interesting to say!”
   • “I’m just a regular Joe. Autobiographies are for celebrities!”
4. Memorygrabber works great for yourself or for others: parents, grandparents, siblings, friends.

Have you ever just sat around the living room reliving memories with your family. I often find myself remembering things I had long since forgotten. Memorygrabber recreates the living room family discussion.

Experience has shown that it works great with parents, yourself, and even children. Even school age kids will enjoy recreating recent memories they have had in school. What a treasure it would be to have these memories stored safely away to be given to them at some time in the future.

Or can you imagine your kids asking what grandma and grandpa were like. Now you can pull out grandma and grandpa’s own memories and recollections.

Life is short. We never know when it’ll be our time. You’ve got interesting stories that your family for generations to come would like to hear or read about. Write your autobiography with Memorygrabber.

Here are some screenshots of some of the pages from Memorygrabber (click on them to enlarge):

Other ideas to get you started:

• How to Start an Autobiography
  
• Autobiography Characteristics
• Benjamin Franklin Autobiography: 7 Reasons He Wrote His Story – This article is especially helpful in determining your own reasons for writing your autobiography.
• If You Don’t Write Your Autobiography, Nobody Will!
• My List of Lists – For me, writing Life Lists has been a powerful memory stimulator.

]]> http://autobiographyworkshop.com/2008/04/04/memorygrabber-fill-in-the-blank-autobiography/feed/ 0 http://autobiographyworkshop.com/2007/08/18/benjamin-franklin-autobiography-7-reasons-he-wrote-his-story/ http://autobiographyworkshop.com/2007/08/18/benjamin-franklin-autobiography-7-reasons-he-wrote-his-story/#comments Sat, 18 Aug 2007 13:56:24 +0000 Bob Brady http://autobiographyworkshop.com/?p=20 Much has been written about the Benjamin Franklin autobiography. With good reason, it stands as a stellar example of autobiography writing.

In fact, the autobiography of Ben Franklin is widely praised for both its contribution to literature and its historical value. Companies have been formed based on his teachings: FranklinCovey comes immediately to mind (remember the Franklin planner?).

Even in his greatness, Benjamin Franklin remained down to earth and approachable. Perhaps Benjamin Franklin’s simple approach to life is what makes his autobiography so readable and appreciated by millions of readers.

Luckily for us, he left an outline of why he wrote his life story. He doesn’t tell his story to show how marvelous he is. Instead, his reasons for writing show his humility.

He provided the following motives for jotting down his life’s history:

1. He’s always derived “Pleasure in obtaining any little Anecdote or my Ancestors.”

He likes finding stories about his own ancestors. He even notes that he often traveled to obtain these stories.

2. He “imagin[es] it may be equally agreable [sic] to you to know the Circumstances of my Life.”

Benjamin Franklin feels that others may derive some pleasure in reading his story.

3. “Having emerg’d from the Poverty and Obscurity in which I was born & bred, to a State of Affluence & some Degree of Reputation in the World, and having gone so far thro’ Life with a considerable Share of Felicity, the conducing Means I made use of, which, with the Blessing of God, so well succeeded, my Posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own Situations, & therefore fit to be imitated.”

He succeeded in his life. He wants others to know his rags-to-riches story.

4. “[T]he next Thing most like living one’s Life over again, seems to be a Recollection of that Life;”

If given the chance, Benjamin Franklin states that he would live his life over again. But since that is impossible, for him, the best thing is remembering his life.

5. He expresses his wish “to make that Recollection as durable as possible, the putting it down in Writing.”

It’s not good enough to keep the story in his mind. Or even to pass the story on in the oral tradition. He wants it to persist for generations.

6. “I shall indulge the Inclination so natural in old Men, to be talking of themselves and their own past Actions, and I shall indulge it… perhaps I shall a good deal gratify my own Vanity.”

Benjamin Franklin wants to talk about himself. It’s been said that people like talking about themselves: their accomplishments, their successes, their struggles, and their failures. Benjamin Franklin was no different.

7. Lastly, “I speak of thanking God, I desire with all Humility to acknowledge, that I owe the mention’d Happiness of my past Life to his kind Providence, which led me to the Means I us’d & gave them Success.”

He acknowledges God in his life. He attributes his success and happiness to God’s favor.

One can write an autobiography for any one of the reasons Benjamin Franklin mentions. He provides an excellent autobiography template.

The number of ways of constructing an autobiography are about as diverse as the number of people who write them. However, there are some simple items that you can include in your autobiography that will make it both personal and meaningful to others.

1. Be Honest
Before you start writing, you need to decide to be honest. This sounds simple, but it’s amazing how easy it is to either embellish the description of events or inaccurately describe your feelings about a given event. Even leaving some things out can be a form of dishonesty. This means that you may have to address things in your autobiography that are painful or awkward for you to address.

2. Find Your Voice
This is a tough one. When I write, I sometimes choose vocabulary that doesn’t sound like me at all. It sounds overly stuffy or cold. It’s tempting to try and sound like someone else. Someone more educated. Or someone funnier. Or less funny. Or…Or…Or…

Don’t fall into the trap of wanting to sound like someone else. Just be yourself!

3. Your Why
You should have a why for writing your autobiography. In his famous autobiography, Benjamin Franklin included, as an introduction, a letter to his son. In the letter Mr. Franklin explains his Why for writing his story.

In his letter, he identified at least 11 reasons:
1. He enjoyed collecting stories about his ancestors. In fact, he sometimes traveled to find the stories he wanted.
2. He thinks that his son (and others) will enjoy reading his autobiography.
3. He wants to tell his rags-to-riches story.
4. He wants to explain how he succeeded and found happiness.
5. He wants to reflect on his life and decide on what he would change.
6. Next to reliving one’s life, recollecting one’s life is the best thing.
7. Make the autobiography “durable.” He wants it to persist.
8. He wants to indulge himself.
9. He wants to satisfy his vanity.
10. He wants to acknowledge the hand of God in his life.
11. He wants to explain that his success can be reversed.

Perhaps one of Benjamin Frankin’s reasons struck a nerve with you. If one did, use it. If not, be sure to find your Why. This is one of the most important of the autobiography characteristics. You’ll need it to work through the slow times.

4. Know Your Audience
While writing an autobiography can be a very personal experience, it’s important to know that unless you destroy your work, someone will probably read it someday. Know this. Think about what you want that person to know. For Benjamin Franklin, he addressed his son. But beyond his son, Benjamin Franklin looked to a much wider audience. And he succeeded. His autobiography is one of the most read autobiographies in the world.

Of course, your autobiography probably won’t be read by millions. But who will read it? Your children? Your grandchildren? Their children? Think about that.

5. Choose a Direction
How have the events in your life led you to where you are in life? Maybe your autobiography will demonstrate how your life was shaped. Or maybe you want your autobiography to just be a collection of stories. There are many directions to choose from – choose one!

Autobiography Characteristics Summarized:

1. Be Honest
2. Find Your Voice
3. Find Your Why
4. Know Your Audience
5. Choose a Direction

If you include these Autobiography Characteristics, you will write a successful autobiography, no matter what final form it takes.