Why Should I write My Autobiography? No-one Would Read It

No one has lived a life quite like yours, and lots of people all over the world will find it fascinating. Follow these tips on how to get started and find out why you've got a lot more to give than you might think.

Even if you've lived what you consider to be a normal, uneventful, even boring life, I can tell you that there are aspects of your life that will be of interest to many other people. Your children and grandchildren will be delighted to hear about your life as well as other close relatives!

It's the events you have lived through and the way in which you and those around you reacted to them that makes your story so fascinating. It's the response to situations and the emotions that accompanied them that people love to read about.

Another aspect is that if you are of any age you will most likely be writing about times that the majority of people have not lived through and don't remember. Your descriptions of people, places occasions and even everyday occurrences will be of consuming interest to many people.

So why wait any longer? Here's what you should do:

1. Record as many events in your life, both big ones like births, marriages and deaths, and smaller ones like your first trip to the zoo or the theatre, or maybe that first childhood kiss with the girl/boy next door. Can you remember the days before central heating? Talk about them. About the freezing cold bedrooms in winter, the hot water bottles, Jack Frost patterns on the window panes and so on.

2. Emotions and reactions. Describe your emotions and reactions and the way your family and other people reacted to the events you're describing. Have you or any of your family been in a war situation. Tell us how you felt when someone you loved had to go to the front line. How did people left behind cope with it? What was the atmosphere like when the loved one came home? Or maybe didn't come home.

3. Describe everything! The pram or buggy you were pushed around in as a toddler, the houses you have lived in, the towns and streets you have lived in, the clothes people wore, the food you ate, the weather during a particular event. Descriptions bring a story to life.

Start by making notes, either using a lined pad or a computer, and as quickly as possible jot down things you can vividly remember in date order. The idea is to get an overview with the highlights that are foremost in your mind, then later you can go back and add more or flesh out the items you've jotted down.

An alternative to the time-line approach is to break up your notes into sections. For example: Early childhood, School, Holidays, Leaving home, Marriage, Career and so on. You might find it easier this way to concentrate on one section at a time. But don't forget to record as many dates and times as you can remember.

Bear in mind that you won't write your biography at one sitting. Keep your notes or Word document somewhere you can find them easily so that every time another memory pops into your head you can quickly jot it down.

Is your life story going to make a best seller? Don't laugh because it is possible. If you've lived any kind of life that was unusual, or if you had a remarkable family or upbringing, then you could have a winner on your hands. Remember Gerald Durrell and "My Family and Other Animals"?

The fact of the matter is, you do have plenty to give, and frankly one of the main beneficiaries of your labours will be you! Just see if I'm not right.