How do you write a autobiography for a 50 year old?

Answer 1

Well, first of all, if it is about someone else besides yourself, it is a biograpy. It is only an autobiography if YOU are the 50-year old. ... If you are, then it is a little easier to get started. You can divide your life into subcategories and start going at it. Many people work through their lives from their earliest memories to their most recent... subcategories of childhood, youth, middle age, etc. are common with this sort of organization. Other people pick themes out of their lives... either many, as subcatgories-- schooling, relationships, career, parenting, etc.--or one, as an overall glue to hold the entire thing together. If your overriding passion is cars, for instance, you can write an autobiography based entirely on your experience with cars... again, either using a timeline, or some other car-based organization. I think a lot of it depends on how you see your life... what are the subcategories that you see? In my life I think of "Before College" as a part, "During College," "Mission," "After Mission," "After College," "Arizona," and "Now." I could also easily divide it into parts with the names of significant people in my life. A different story would emerge that way... but still definitely me. Places or people are good themes... or even careers, if you move around a lot... or even something like hairstyles. I think my sister could do that one easily. :) Now, if you are really doing a Biography, then the idea is still the same... but you have to interview the subject of the Biography and either use his or her categories, or get to know the subject well enough that you can determine some categories on your own. Working from youth up is always an organization that will work... but other categories are sometimes more interesting to the reader. Even if you are working chronologically, coming up with creative names for the different time periods would be a more interesting presentation than "From age 12 to age 18." :) As for the actual writing... if you can't think of anything else, try the old "My earliest memory is..." ploy. It's always a good way to start writing, even if you don't keep it as the opening line. If you aren't doing a chronological biography, you could jump into a subject. "My obsession with cars started when..." or something like that. The age of the subject doesn't really matter as much as finding the significance in the life lived so far... what has mattered to this person? What is this person's story? How has this person changed the world... and don't settle for "he hasn't" ... we all have. Sometimes in small ways... but even those small ways add up. We change the lives of the people around us, and we all matter. The trick is finding that in other people sometimes, or even in ourselves. Ask around. Talk to friends, talk to family... yours or the subject's ... ask what they love about this person, and even what they hate... ask how this person has changed their lives. Find out how *they* think their lives would have been different without the influence of this person. ... finally, be compassionate. The record of a person's life... even a person scorned or hated, should be balanced with the why. With the other side. No one is pure evil from birth to death, and no one is pure good. Show the whole character, or the writing will be stilted, and the person won't be whole in your prose. For a great example of wholeness in writing about people, try Orson Scott Card's _Speaker for the Dead_ ... it is fictional, but *absolutely* true in the way that it talks about addressing the whole person.

Answer 2

When writing an autobiography for a 50-year-old, focus on key milestones and events that have shaped their life. Start with an engaging introduction that captures the reader's attention and then highlight significant life experiences, relationships, and achievements. Reflect on personal growth, challenges overcome, and lessons learned as a way to provide insight into the individual's journey of self-discovery over the years. Consider including anecdotes, reflections, and meaningful memories to make the autobiography more engaging and relatable.