Compile a list of your personal experiences. By listing these significant events, you will begin to think about what you want to include in your autobiography. Once you have finished your list, arrange the events into chronological order using a time line. This will help you visualize how you have progressed in your life and will add a sense of structure.
Talk to friends and family members and ask them for memorable events and quotes about your life. Quiz them to discover what they believe to be your strengths and weaknesses. Either ask them to fill out a questionnaire or record or take notes during an informal interview. Friends and family members will often prove themselves to be valuable sources of information.
Look at what lessons you have learned. To give a sense of purpose to your autobiography, you should aim to convey and share the wisdom you have gained through your personal experiences. Look through your list of events and ponder what you may have learned or how the events may have changed you as a person.
Decide on an order. Your autobiography will need to have good structure. A good autobiography should flow from one event to the next as it continues to tell your story. If you don't structure your autobiography, it will result in a disjointed read as it jumps from one random event to the next. Decide whether you are going to present your personal experiences in chronological order or focus on a certain period of your life. For example, you might concentrate on fatherhood and present your personal experience of becoming a parent.
Write your manuscript. Using a word processor, begin to compose your manuscript. Tie together the stories you have selected in the order you have chosen. Work them into a single, collective theme. This could be humorous or contemplative. Take as long as you need. It can take a long time to complete your autobiography, so remember to be patient and take breaks from writing, but persist with writing your autobiography whenever you can.
Proofread and edit your manuscript. Carefully read over your work, correcting any spelling and grammatical errors. Make sure the order of your manuscript makes sense and flows from one experience to the next. Take the time to revise the content if you have any doubts.