Forever Young Autobiographies

What makes a good story: Dialogue writing, suspense writing and other writing techniques

How to make your writing more captivating (AKA not boring!) in 3 steps

When I’m talking too much my husband gives me a smile and a hurry-along signal.

Indeed sometimes we all tell a story with too much background information or detail and the other person is waiting for us to get to the point.

Of course a conversation like this can be boring and so too can a life story.

So what makes a good story and what writing techniques can we use when we sit down to create to keep our audience’s attention?

Keep reading to find out … I promise to get straight to the point!

Case study: Solo travel memoir Untethered: A Woman’s Search for Self on the Edge of India

The amazing travel story of a motorbike trip from New Delhi to find the Hindu goddess Kali

Get ready for a wild ride with C. L. Stambush in this latest case study about her bold and honest self-published book Untethered: A Woman’s Search for Self on the Edge of India – A Travel Memoir.

The life story tells of her five-month, nearly 7000-mile (11,265km) solo journey in 1997 as a young woman on a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle and her quest to prove to herself she “can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone”.

Indeed Stambush had never ridden a motorbike and named her Bullet Kali after the badass Hindu goddess of rebirth, hoping to gain some grrrr.

But her mission was to discover the 51 Hindu shakti peetha temples, containing pieces of the goddess — lips, wrists, heart — believed to possess the power to transform.

However, along the way Stambush was reshaped as she encountered friendly families and ominous men, confronted culture clashes, hijras, and bandits, experienced monsoons, scorching deserts, and homicidal drivers plus crashed her motorcycle and much more.

So keep reading as the long-time traveler and journalist explains the story behind the memoir, the creative process and her tips for new writers.

Life-story format ideas: See how easily you can record family stories or a life history

Ways you ought to know to gather your family stories and family history

Easter this year was much better than Easter 2020 when most of the world was in lockdown.

Certainly coronavirus outbreaks are still occurring but the situation is improving now vaccines are being distributed.

But COVID-19 has reminded us to appreciate our freedom, health, family and friends like never before.

So this week I’m encouraging everyone to record family stories.

Because life changes so fast and we never know what we are up for next!

Therefore read on to discover super life-story format ideas.

Book review: Love, desire and biography bestseller Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

The easy way to understand the New York Times bestseller released by Bloomsbury

Three Women is a life-story collection that can’t be ignored.

It was written by American journalist and author Lisa Taddeo and published in 2019 by Bloomsbury Circus.

In short, the biography “is a record of unmet needs, unspoken thoughts, disappointments, hopes and unrelenting obsessions”.

However, notably the Sunday Times and New York Times No. 1 bestseller has garnered sweeping endorsement from authors Elizabeth Gilbert to Marian Keyes and actor Gwyneth Paltrow.

And it has won numerous prizes including the British Book Awards Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year 2020.

Indeed the 320-page book is the result of eight years of reporting by Taddeo and has much to interest readers plus those sitting down to write life stories …

How to write a story: Burning questions about inspirational stories, writing tips + writing mistakes

Ask Nicola Q&A: How to write a story for beginners who want to write well

How to write a story is the most common query I am asked as a life-story coach.

So to kick off this year’s Ask Nicola series, I’m highlighting six readers’ questions that deal with this theme!

They include how to create inspirational stories, writing tips, good writing ideas, writing mistakes, writing problems and the process of writing a book.

Certainly these questions and responses will help you plan, create, polishing and publishing an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project.

Now let’s dive in and learn how to write a story …

Case study: Daughter’s podcast with her 83yo poet laureate dad

Creative memoir of emeritus professor of English Eugene B. Redmond

This week I have a radically honest and touching case study to share with you!

It is the story of how Dr Treasure Shields Redmond started a podcast with her well-known father Dr Eugene B. Redmond, age 83.

The show, The Memoir My Dad Wouldn’t Write, began in 2018 and has no topics off limits.

“It is a limited series of conversations between a daughter and a father about the things that make us family and the items in my dad’s life that have helped to shape who he is today,” Treasure said.

“You know he has had this incredible life as a cultural worker, poet, professor, activist and mentor but he wouldn’t write a memoir.

“So this podcast is a way to get those conversations onto tape and to find out exactly what shaped this incredible, complex – and far from perfect – man that I love.”

Let’s discover more about this fascinating life-story project plus Treasure’s tips for doing something similar of your own …

Critique partner: Don’t find writing critique partners before reading this!

Amazing tips and ways to find a super writing buddy + writing partner

I used to do a lot of ocean swimming.

This involved getting up early and swimming across a calm bay behind the beach break.

Certainly I could have done this alone.

But I rarely did because I’d imagined sharks out the corner of my eye while I swam!

Instead I went with a buddy each week and loved it.

However, writing can be a bit like this too.

Certainly sitting down to write an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project can put you on edge.

Indeed sometimes you need someone by your side to take the plunge and keep going.

And that is where a writing critique partner can help …

Case study: She Writes Press memoir The Red Kitchen by Barbara Clarke

What author Clarke wants you to know about writing her latest life story

In the lead up to International Women’s Day we are this week taking a close look at Barbara Clarke’s The Red Kitchen published by She Writes Press.

The intimate memoir, due out April 6, depicts change and discovery between mum and daughter — and how it’s never too late to come of age.

Previously Clarke published an indie memoir, Getting to Home: Sojourn in a Perfect House, about the process of building a house as a single woman.

And she has also written for corporate clients, trade magazines, worked under a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, nonprofit organisations, plus local and alternative newspapers.

So let’s find out more about Clarke’s new book, the writing process and her tips for fellow life-story writers …

Writing prompts: Who else wants story prompts + writing topics in 5 minutes?

The quick and easy way to do story writing prompts and story writing topics

Last year I was helping a teacher in one of my children’s classrooms (before coronavirus hit).

And he got the students doing dance moves to a five-minute song before starting a new lesson.

Firstly this struck me because we never did such fun things in my childhood classrooms!

Secondly because the activity was a super way to jump start the kids’ energy and creativity.

But did you know you can use writing prompts in much the same way before sitting down to write an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project?

Certainly writing prompts can be a fun tool to try so let’s take a closer look …

Case study: Helping my 98yo grandmother write her autobiography

Part 1: A challenging and rewarding journey to record a special life story

It has been a year since I gave my grandma Bonnie the very first copy of her life story.

Certainly it’s a book that is close to her heart – a labour of love.

And given we marked St Valentine’s Day earlier this week, I thought it would be timely to look back on how I got started helping my grandmother write her autobiography.

Indeed, through this project I learnt much about this wonderful lady.

However, I also discovered much about planning and creating a life story.

So keep reading to find out more about Part 1 (see Part 2 and Part 3) and how you can sit down and create a similar family project …