Forever Young Autobiographies

How to start writing: The ultimate guide about planning to write life stories

What a life-story writer knows about making a writing plan

My children received a new kite for Christmas.

They love to watch its colourful tail dance in the wind when we go to the beach.

But when it’s time to go home the kite tail and string is usually one giant tangled, sandy mess!

This looks like a mission impossible but with patience everything is fixed and again flying high.

Taking the first step to plan an autobiography, memoir, biography or life-story project of your own or for a loved one can similarly feel like a task for the too-hard basket!

However, knowing how to start writing isn’t difficult with a bit of planning.

To celebrate the beginning of a new year (and decade!) I’ve compiled an ultimate guide of pre-writing tips.

This guide is part one in the ‘ultimate series’, which includes the ultimate guide of life-story tips for new writers, the ultimate guide to polishing your writing and the ultimate guide to publishing a life story.

So jump in and get set to make 2020 the year you finish a life story and let it soar!

Best of 2019: Writing tips + writing advice articles you read most this year

Best 2019 highlights on writing quotes, setting, how to write a book title and Mike Higgins’s memoir

The end of the decade is looming and so too are the holidays!

I’ll be spending time with my family and recharging for a new year full of writing.

To sign off from the website for a few weeks I thought I would leave you with the best of 2019 articles and a Your Family Story System end-of-year deal.

These 2019 highlights have been drawing hundreds of readers because they are helpful, valuable and inspiring!

Check them out during the next few weeks while you relax and enjoy the holiday season.

These best of 2019 stories will help you plan, write, polish and publish your autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project.

Let’s take a look …

Best books of 2019: Must-read books about life stories to enjoy this summer

The quick and easy way to pick a new non-fiction book and get reading

“Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvelous adventures anyone can have.”

I totally agree with this quote by author Lloyd Alexander.

A great book will take you to another world plus inspire and heighten your own writing.

This week I’m sharing my summer must-read list of autobiography books for 2019.

I’ve aimed for a shortlist diverse in authors, topics and accolades.

Plus I am giving away a copy of One Life by Kate Grenville to kickstart one person’s reading year.

Let’s get started …

Visual writing: Become a visual storyteller with visual writing techniques

Amazing secrets of visual story writing to use in your book

My son recently turned four and was given a new box of Lego.

He loves Lego and can play with it for hours.

With only a few coloured blocks he can create a “firetruck with an in-built helicopter landing pad” or a “police car on a flying train”.

These might be basic, abstract constructions but the point is he doesn’t need many blocks to get his imagination cranking!

Likewise readers use our words to visualise the stories we write about in our autobiography, memoir, biography or life-story project.

We want to transport our audience back in time to understand and ‘see’ our memories.

But how to do this well and without writing a tome?

Today I highlight some key visual writing ideas to keep in mind as you plan, write, polish and publish your book.

Case study: Nicola Gray’s New Humans of Australia

What every life-history feature article writer ought to know about recording migrant and refugee stories

Unique life stories are all around us and we only have to open our eyes and ears to learn from them.

This has been a goal of Nicola Gray, founder of social media and web platform New Humans of Australia.

Gray has a background as an English language teacher and college manager working with international students and refugees.

In 2016 she was inspired by the popular Humans of New York website to start her own life-story project.

“I wanted to ‘humanise’ refugees and other kinds of migrants by telling their migration stories,” Gray said.

“I wanted Australians to see how much struggle goes into migrating to a new country and how often migrants succeed.”

Gray has compiled two New Humans of Australia books and has a readership of about 120,000 on her Facebook page.

Read on to find out more about New Humans of Australia and how Gray approaches each story…

Ask Nicola Q&A: How to copy edit + CPR for revising and editing

How to copy edit: CPR for revising and editing your own work. Woman in palm-tree print tank with sunglasses comically looks up at a bright yellow lifeguard tower and its red first aid cross symbol. Photo by Leonardo Rossatti from Pexels.

Surefire proofreading tips to make your writing sing

Hi and welcome to Forever Young Autobiographies – Ask Nicola.

I get lots of questions about writing life stories for family and friends.

And in this series I aim to pull out some of the queries I receive and give you a peek into how I help writers just like you.

Today’s Ask Nicola answers the following question:

I’ve finished a rough draft of my book. What do I need to focus on when I polish and revise my writing?

How to get your own book printed without going crazy!

3 simple steps to deciding paperback vs hardcover + book trim sizes + types of paper

Getting ready to publish your book can feel amazing.

You are on top of that writing mountain that has taken you months, if not years to climb.

The end is in sight!

While you will be excited to finally hold your book in your hand there is one last step: publishing.

If you decide to hand write, home print or email your life story to family and friends – terrific!

But if you want to use a book printer, like I’m doing for my grandmother’s story, printing is one last learning curve you need to scale.

A printer does just that – prints.

They typically won’t guide you through all the different printing options from sizing to paper and cover type.

That’s all up to you to decide.

In this article I go over how to get your own book printed by highlighting some of the key printing terms, explaining what they mean and why you need to know them.

Book review: Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee

Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee, Allen & Unwin, headshot Goodreads.com

Amazing Allen and Unwin memoir by a Queensland courts judge’s associate

Australian memoir Eggshell Skull has been on my reading list for a number of reasons.

Author Bri Lee writes about working in many Queensland cities and towns where I have lived.

And as a print journalist for many years I know the courthouses she refers to and also some of the cases.

But I’ve also been eager to read Eggshell Skull because it has been winning awards since it was published by Allen & Unwin in mid 2018.

It was shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards in non-fiction, winning the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and also won the 2018 People’s Choice at the Nib Awards for research in writing, plus the 2019 ABIA for Biography of the Year.

The publisher describes the work as “a haunting appraisal of modern Australia from a new and essential voice”.

Keep reading to find out more about Lee’s first book and be inspired to start writing your own life story …

Book covers: How to create a memorable cover design

What a print designer knows about front cover design and book cover layout

First published October 19, 2017: This article has been updated and improved.

It’s a funny thing but often the front page of a newspaper is the last page to be sent to the press.

Frequently it is left to the end, right before deadline, for breaking news.

But after working on thousands of page ones as a newspaper designer over the years, I know page one is prime real estate: it is the paper’s ‘shop window’.

The same can be said for your autobiography, memoir, biography or life story project.

A great book cover will intrigue and interest your readers to turn the page.

Here are three key points to keep in mind when you are designing your ‘page one’.

Writing break: The secret weapon of writing tips

Quick and easy writing advice to write a better book

This past year I’ve been getting back into surfing.

Usually the first half of my surf goes well.

Then I start to get physically tired and stuff up.

When this happens my trick is to take a break or try again tomorrow.

The same idea can be applied to your writing, whether you are working on an autobiography, memoir, biography or life-story project.

Taking a writing break is my secret writing tip for good writing.

Here’s why you need to take a writing break today!