I am trying to write my life story!

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 01 Apr 2015, 04:15

Katherine E Wall wrote:Puffbear, there is another alternative to clearing out the stuff in your head, the things which have happened to you during your life. You don't have to chronicle them as fiction or non-fiction, you can, instead use the emotions they evoke in completely fictional pieces. Something like how an actor draws on some event which induced a particular emotion in order to play a part.

By exploring the emotions you have experienced (wow, alliteration), you can marry them to ideas which follow your 'what-ifs'. The outcome is still cathartic for you as an author, but you don't fall into the autobiographical fiction trap, and you can often explore even greater truths of the human existence.

Just my two cents worth.

This is a superb recommendation! I never exactly did this sort of deliberate analysis when writing my novels but like anyone else, I used some of my personal experiences, whether when involved with other individuals or visiting restaurants, bars, or other places as templates for the story line. This works especially well for me because I'm primarily focused on writing a series of modern American private detective novels set in Houston where I live.

But even if your experiences and inner thoughts are real and your story might be a swords & sorcery fantasy, you can still use your life experiences as takeoff points for the fiction. Excellent idea, Katherine!

Katherine E Wall · Post by **Katherine E Wall** » 01 Apr 2015, 12:28

When I was traveling to different nursing homes as part of my job, I went to one that housed several Holocaust survivors. At the time, I wondered what it would be like to have Alzheimer's in a facility like that with the memories of their past. Over twenty years later, I wrote a short story based on this what-if. In this case, the protagonist was a former Vietnam POW. I combined that inkling of an idea, my fear of Alzheimer's, and extensive research into the experiences of former POWs.

It is amazing where one idea, an emotion, and research can take you.

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 01 Apr 2015, 17:27

Your story impetus is exactly the way that a person's life experience might be woven into a piece of fiction, Katherine. Thanks for sharing.

dancing with hugo · Post by **dancing with hugo** » 02 Apr 2015, 09:31

I agree that writers can draw from their own lives, as long as they remember to ask themselves, "Will my reader really care about this?" It's kind of like if a husband or wife is unfaithful, is it fair to confess to their spouse? I know, "Confession is good for the soul," but whose soul? What does their spouse stand to gain from such a confession?
I have considered writing my life story many times, but each time I wonder which part of it should I write about? I have led such an adventuresome life charged with so many crazy, horrible, insane, surprising, disappointing, painful, shocking, evil, destructive, etc., experiences that it becomes mind numbing just to think about them. So, I don't attempt the overwhelming task of revealing my life to readers; they may not be the least bit interested in my confessions, anyway. Also, such a book might become physically unwieldy because of the number of pages I would need to cover everything.
At 77 I am happy to look back from my position atop an enormous pile of years and marvel at the diversity and magnitude of events in my life. And I'm not done yet. Not yet.

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 02 Apr 2015, 09:53

Same here, dancing, me at age 73. I've had some very interesting experiences, some that cannot be told (If I told you I'd have to kill you, you know the meme), some that may be interesting, but most are probably intensely boring to others. And yeah, like most folks I've done some good things in life and some things I'm not proud of at all.

I've heard plenty of notes and postings from folks who think that their life story would fascinate others, when in fact, as you say, it would bore everyone to tears, my story included. Which I previously describe as an "Aunt Edna" story.

I think that the superb suggestion made prior is to take the most compelling of your story, and weave it into a fictional work, and relate those interesting parts as coming from your primary or ancillary characters, as helping to color the background and personality of the characters. And of course, as they say "names have been changed to protect the innocent" (or the guilty!)

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 02 Apr 2015, 13:26

To Dancing with Hugo and ModernT:

I've led a horrific life which, for the first time ever, is now all roses. It has been roses for the past few years, and I realized that the last time I was happy, I was seven years old. (I'm 37 now.)

My life wouldn't bore anyone, but it would definitely horrify the reader. So what I do is write inspirational/uplifting fiction in which I can play out some of the bad stuff and make it work out in an empowering way. There have been many things too horrific to touch in my fiction, and that part becomes the fantasy for me: what if life didn't involve horrific acts and unspeakable mistreatment?

dancing with hugo · Post by **dancing with hugo** » 02 Apr 2015, 14:41

zeldas_lullaby: To each his own, or her own, in whichever case. So, whatever works for you.
I think that for me, if I've already experienced horrors in my life, I really don't want to relive them by talking or writing about them. I used to believe it was therapeutic to do so, but I came to realize that I couldn't move forward if I was always looking backward. Was it Yogi Berra who said, "Don't look back; something may be gaining on you."? Love that. Anyway, that works for me.

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 02 Apr 2015, 14:44

Heck, I agree. That's why I'm not writing my life story. The inspirational stuff I write is never so deep as to include human atrocities, but it does include deep human emotions. I think that's where I find the balance.

fabulasaule · Post by **fabulasaule** » 29 May 2016, 00:27

Do it, it's a great idea. I think most of the books come from the life stories but the ones that are based on real facts are most valuable. You read and you know: it is not fake, someone has experienced it.

DATo · Post by **DATo** » 29 May 2016, 05:28

I did this in a semi-true / semi-farcical novella. I took events from my early childhood and mingled them with things I've learned as an adult. There is nothing to say that you cannot have some fun with an autobiography. The story is in five chapters of which only one is included in the link below if you'd like to read it.

online-literature.com/forums/showthread ... it-To-Live

The premise is about my early childhood and my five year old philosophical views on what I was experiencing. What appears plausible in this story is absolutely true, what appears to be invention is obviously invention. Some things referred to which occur in previous chapters might not make sense but they are very few.

Hope this may give you some ideas for your own story [:- )

If you want to read the whole thing PM me.

vigabo · Post by **vigabo** » 04 Jun 2016, 15:51

Okay, I just have to chime in here. You are now talking about my forte: memoir. I have written 4 memoirs and I also run memoir writing workshops for my local library, as well as manage a Facebook group and website for memoir writers. So what I will share with you will hopefully be helpful and encouraging and if nothing else, will offer some clarification. When folks tell me they want to write their "life story", I realize so many are thinking "autobiography". Just so you know, autobiography is generally reserved for the famous; memoir applies to them too BUT memoir covers a limited span of time, 10 - 20 years at most. Autobiography is a lifetime, 0 - present or death. Hence, a non-celebrity, the ordinary every day person with an extraordinary tale to share can feasibly write several memoirs. But memoir usually is focussed on one primary situation ie. someone overcoming a struggle and emerging victorious in the end e.g. facing cancer and surviving; looking after a parent with dementia; reeling after sexual abuse and rising surviving etc etc. Hope this helps.

bradystefani · Post by **bradystefani** » 06 Jul 2016, 14:16

Two very very different books on memoir writing that are equally invaluable in their own ways are The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr. (She will make you dig deep to get to the root of your story, and how you survived and what it means to you today. She is also a prolific storyteller and she shares some of her strategies) and The Power of Memoir by Linda Meyers (Meyers comes at it from the psychoanalytical approach -- which is really vital for truthful meaningful memoir writing-- she focuses in part of her book on healing through the memoir writing process).. That's my two cents..