- 1). Tell the truth. Using some literary license for the effect of your writing is acceptable, but embellishing or exaggerating your experiences will make your story non-autobiographical. If you intend to present your story as an honest account of events in your life, you should write it as truthfully and as close to what really happened as possible.
- 2). Get your ideas in order. Spend some time brainstorming about the events and people you want to include. Think about the theme and tone of your story, plus exactly what you want the reader to take with him. Make a list of the people you want to include and why, along with a list of the characteristics that make them unique and important in the story.
- 3). Consult people in your life to refresh your memory about events. You may not be the most objective person when it comes to recounting the past, as memory can and often does distort the truth. Meet with or call the people you intend to include in your story and ask them to recount the events from their perspective.
- 4). Create an outline with each event in order. Outlining gives your story a solid structure and flow, allowing events to unfold and lead up to the plot climax. Write small paragraphs for each main heading of your outline and make notes for all subheadings.
- 5). Establish a tone and a voice for your story. Decide whether you will write in the first or third person, and if the story will have a conversational or literary writing style. Think about the mood you want to set and how you can use your characters, events and setting to create it.
- 6). Fill in your outline and write your story. Follow your outline the way you wrote it the first time, then decide if putting your events in a different order will strengthen your story. It is not always necessary for events to unfold in chronological order.
- 7). Use a thesaurus to avoid repeating words. Use a recent edition of a thesaurus, in copy or online, for moments when you catch yourself repeating the same words or phrases.
- 8). Print your story double-spaced to edit and proofread. Proofreading is essential for catching small typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
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