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This week: Writing an Engaging Autobiography Edited by: Kit  
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Putting your life into words isn't easy. That is why some who can afford it hire ghostwriters. If you want to truly make your autobiography autobiographical, though, this week's Drama Newsletter will offer some tips and point out some pitfalls to avoid.
kittiara |
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On the day I was born... well, nothing really exciting happened. Of course, my birth was of some importance to a handful of people, most particularly my mother, who didn't have too great a time of it. I refused to enter the world the regular way, and my mother still has a visible scar on her belly. Somehow, this scar does not fill her heart with joy, nor her mind with happy memories.
The reason I wrote the above paragraph is to illustrate that if I were to ever publish an autobiography, people would take one look at the first page and place it back on the shelf. I'm better at writing fiction than non-fiction. If I were rich and famous, I could employ a ghostwriter, but when you read a biography of that kind, you always know. Ghostwriters tend to use a certain style that creates a sense of distance. I can't blame them for that. They did not live the experiences, so they can never know what events truly felt like. To them, writing the book is just another job, one that they don't even get full credit for - it's not their name on the cover.
Writing an engaging autobiography is difficult because, let's face it, for many of us our day-to-day lives are boring – at least to read about. Despite there being a multitude of people on Facebook and Twitter who are convinced that we will be interested in their cups of tea, and what they had for dinner, and that Jimmy was such a good boy because he used the potty, most simply don't care about our small joys and victories, or our minor setbacks. It's the big stuff they want to know about, the experiences that are tricky to put into words.
The singer Robbie Williams found a solution to this problem. He decided to work with a writer called Chris Heath, who does actually get credit for the biography called Feel (that's how I know his name). Chris Heath spent nearly two years with Rob, went on tour with him, and created a work covering that time period. He reveals the good, the bad and the ugly in a far more engaging manner than a regular ghostwriter. It worked, because through it all, he was there. He shared in the experiences.
More recently, I read a fascinating book titled Revolution, written by Russell Brand. Revolution is part autobiographical, part spiritual journey, part political commentary. What I like about the book is its honesty. Brand resists the urge to sugar-coat his actions, his problems, his flaws. It would have been natural for him to show himself in the best possible light, but he knows who he is, and he knows what he was. His work shows an amount of (at times quite brutal) self-reflection that is rarely seen.
Based upon those two works, and several more I have read, my recommendations would be as follows – if you're going to have a biography out, make it an autobiography that is indeed an autobiography. Even if you could afford to pay someone, don't. They don't know you. They don't know what life was like for you. If that is not an option, however, at least use the Robbie Williams/Chris Heath format.
Of course, most of us will never be in a position to hire a ghostwriter or a Chris-Heath-alike, which means that it will come down to our own skills and talents. If that is the case, ask yourself, “Why would anyone want to read my story? What makes my story unique? What's my angle?” You'll often find that what people want to read about is the juicy stuff. The drama. And then, like Russell Brand, you have to put yourself out there, warts and all (disclaimer – I am not saying that Russell Brand has warts. I have never been in a position to check.)
Can you do that? Can you analyze yourself, and your life, from your own perspective and how you and it will have appeared to others? If so, your work will stand out.
Don't gloss over parts that aren't flattering. Don't pretend that what affected you, didn't. It is fine to have flaws – even Mother Theresa made some questionable decisions, and she ended up a saint. It is also fine to have emotions and crucial to show these emotions if you want to connect with your readers.
When someone opens an autobiography, they want to know you. They want to be able to relate to you if at all possible. They want to understand what drives you, how you've overcome the struggles in your life and you never know, you may end up inspiring someone who is facing those same struggles.
Robbie's biography left me feeling glad that I am not a celebrity. Russell's autobiographical work made me think that he would be a fascinating person to have a right good chat with – the kind of chat where you're trying to solve the problems of the world and figuring out the mysteries of the universe, or multiverse, or whatever. All those questions that philosophers have been getting to grips with through the ages. Despite his self-confessed flaws, he seems like a good bloke.
That shows the power of honesty. It is all well and good paying someone else to be honest about you, but it doesn't have the same effect. And if you are only partly honest, hiding your essence behind ifs and buts and maybes, covering your tracks, people will notice it. By not being honest, you are not only trying to deceive your readers, you are deceiving yourself. The point of an autobiography is that it should reflect you. All of you. If you cannot do that, you aren't ready yet.
kittiara |
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The Drama Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
Quick-Quill  - Is this the theme for these editions? I believe an indiviual must make the choice, Do I stand up for my right to free speech no matter who it offends. That being said that same person must accept the consequences of speaking your free speech. In the USA a person has protection to a degree, but the responsiblity is your own. If you know the enemy has no scruples and will retaliate do you blame the Gov for them attacking you? They dont care about your freedoms so you are stuck.
No, there was no theme for that newsletter. Well, apart from that it is about writing, of course . I just felt affected by the events that happened around the time of that newsletter, and also felt it to be quite relevant to us as creative people.
It is indeed a personal choice. I would never go out of my way to offend anyone, but I do speak my mind on matters I consider to be important. I mostly offer political commentary, and the people I tick off are people with different political views. It is inevitable in that field, so I either write about politics or I don't. I choose to, or chose to I should say, as I haven't published a piece in a while due to personal circumstances, because I feel that it is important to stand up for people, especially for people with disabilities, people with physical and mental health problems, and vulnerable members of society. Everyone must decide for themselves what is important to them, and weigh the risks.
~~~
willy  - Your advice that readers can ignore what they don't agree with is wrong, they should be encouraged to judge items on how well they are written and to welcome a different take on issues.
A lot of the time I would agree. However, I have readers who will never agree with my views. We're political opposites. And some of these readers read my work and resort to insults and abusive messages, and I wonder why they don't just move on when they see my name? There's no point to them getting worked up about my words...
~~~
Jeff  - If we allow negative criticism to dictate what we create, no one would ever create anything because there's always going to be someone who disagrees with what you've created. I know a lot of successful writers and artists who don't trust themselves not to get discouraged over criticism and negativity, so they don't even read reviews or comments about their own work, or they have a friend comb through and present them with filtered feedback that weeds out all the unproductive negativity and focuses on the feedback that actually has value and relevant criticism.
I've had more than one long-lasting "pity party" over a particularly strong reaction to something I've written, but the thing I've come to realize is that if you're not offending someone, you're probably not putting yourself out there enough. And that for every person who vehemently hates what you've written, there will probably be someone out there who loves it just as passionately.
Those are wise words . I do like it when people challenge me. Or when they offer constructive feedback. I love to debate, and I love to learn. I've had my pity parties, sure, but it's helped me develop a thicker skin, and helped me to appreciate that there's still loads of room for me to grow as a writer. There always will be. I think that, right now, I'm still rather mediocre.
Nasty negativity is never nice, of course. Sometimes I can take it, sometimes it's daunting. You are absolutely correct, though. If I write something and I make someone smile, or brighten their day, or if it helps someone, it's been worth it. That keeps me going. .
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Drama Newsletter Team
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Drama: February 11, 2015 Issue [#6824]
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