How to write an autobiography, or any book about your life, even if you are not a writer
You do not need to be a writer to put your life on paper. You need a reason, a reader, a list of stories and a way to get them out of your head. For most people, talking is the easiest way. Here are seven steps from deciding what kind of book it is to a revised draft.
On this page
1. Memoir or autobiography? Do not worry about the label
The usual rule says an autobiography covers a whole life, in order, and a memoir covers one part of it. Scribe Media's article on memoir vs. autobiography argues there is no real difference: no book covers an entire life, and the other supposed distinctions do not hold up either. Its advice is to choose based on what will be most interesting to the reader, because readers care whether a book is entertaining, helpful or enlightening, not what it is called.
So call it whatever you like. The decisions that matter are the next three.
2. Decide who it is for
Every choice in the book follows from this. Two common answers:
- Your family. Children, grandchildren and those not born yet. They will want names, places, family stories and what you learned. They will forgive a slow chapter.
- Readers who do not know you. They want a story that moves or teaches them, and they will stop reading when it drags. Every chapter has to earn its place.
Write one sentence: "This book is for ___, so they can ___." Keep it where you can see it.
3. Choose the stories that serve the book
Scribe's guide to writing an autobiography makes the key point: the stories you include should support your overall goal. Start by listing every story you might tell, as one line each. Then keep the ones that serve your sentence from step 2. A story you love that does not fit can go in a separate family file; it does not have to be lost.
If you are stuck for stories, a list of life story interview questions will shake them loose.
4. Turn the stories into chapters
Group the stories into chapters. Two shapes work for most life stories:
- By period: childhood, leaving home, the work years, family, later life. Easy to follow and easy to plan.
- By theme or turning point: each chapter built around one lesson, decision or relationship. Better when your reason for writing is what you learned.
You do not have to start at birth. Opening with a turning point and then going back is common, as long as the reader always knows when they are.
5. Tell each chapter out loud
Most people tell a story better than they write one. Take one chapter at a time and talk it through for an hour or so, either alone with a recorder or with someone asking you questions. Being interviewed often works best for life stories, because a good listener asks for the details you would skip.
- How to talk your book out covers the whole method, from outline to draft.
- How to have someone interview you covers choosing and briefing the person asking.
- Dictating, being interviewed or typing helps you pick which way suits you.
- The recording setup guide covers rooms, phones and backups.
Writing someone else's life, such as a parent's? The same steps work with you asking the questions. See questions to ask your parents and questions to ask older people.
6. Transcribe and turn talk into prose
A transcript is not a chapter yet. Spoken stories wander, repeat and leave out what the speaker takes for granted. Get each session transcribed (the transcription options guide compares software, human services and doing it yourself), then shape it: cut the false starts, put events in order, add the details a reader needs and keep your voice. How to turn a transcript into a chapter walks through the five edits.
7. Revise, and do not rush it
Scribe's autobiography guide warns that you may be tempted to rush through revisions to reach the final product, and says not to cut this stage short. Read the whole draft through once before changing anything. Then check each chapter against your sentence from step 2, and ask one or two people from your intended audience to read it.
Start here: write your "This book is for ___, so they can ___" sentence, list ten stories, and record yourself telling the first one this week.
Common questions
What is the difference between an autobiography and a memoir?
Less than people think. The usual rule says an autobiography covers a whole life and a memoir covers part of one. Scribe Media's article on the question argues there is no real difference: no book covers an entire life, and readers care whether a book is entertaining, helpful or enlightening, not what it is called.
How do I start writing an autobiography?
Decide who the book is for and what you want them to take from it, then list the stories that serve that purpose. Group them into chapters, and start with the chapter you most want to tell, not necessarily with your birth.
Can I write a book about my life if I am not a writer?
Yes. Most people tell their stories better out loud than on a blank page. Record yourself telling one chapter's stories at a time, alone or with someone asking questions, then turn the transcript into prose.
Does an autobiography have to be in chronological order?
No. Many life stories are told in order, but you can also organize chapters by theme or open with a turning point and go back. Choose whatever makes the story easiest for your reader to follow.
Should I write about my whole life?
Usually not. Pick the stories that support the reason you are writing. A story you love that does not serve the book can go in a separate family file instead.
Sources: Scribe Media, What's the Difference Between a Memoir and an Autobiography? (no real difference; no book covers an entire life; choose what will interest the reader) and How to Write an Autobiography (stories should support your goal; do not cut revision short); both read October 29, 2026. The steps, examples and other guidance were written by Scribe Media for this guide. Published by Scribe Media.