Forever Young Autobiographies

Book review: No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani

No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani and translator Omid Tofighian, Pan Macmillan Australia. Portrait photo of Behrouz Boochani by Hoda Afshar.

What everyone should know about a Kurdish-Iranian refugee’s time in Manus prison

Imagine a writer forbidden paper and pen.

Wouldn’t this be tortuous enough let alone being held prisoner for more than six years on remote islands?

This was the case to befall author Behrouz Boochani in 2013 but amazingly he discovered a way to write.

Using smuggled mobile phones the Kurdish-Iranian refugee wrote No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison via long text messages and with the assistance of translator Omid Tofighian.

The Pan Macmillan Australia book won Australia’s 2019 National Biography Award plus numerous other prizes.

As life-story writers we can learn much from this unique and historical story…

Life-story interview: How to set-up an interview + family interview tips

The easy way to get an interview and capture family stories

First published November 30, 2017: This article has been updated and improved.

The recent Christmas holiday season was a terrific time to catch up with family and loved ones.

Getting together for a meal, barbecue or beach trip is an amazing opportunity to share memories: from the newly minted to well-heard favourites and forgotten gems.

If these captured your interest why not keep the momentum going by making it a goal this year to tee up a life-story interview with a loved one such as a parent, grandparent or dear friend.

Keep reading for my top tips and suggestions from the Your Family Stories System to do just that …

Why write: Why is writing important and why do we write

How to find your reasons to write and finish a powerful life story

We are surrounded by other people’s stories our whole lives.

I especially noticed this when I started working as a print journalist, exposed to dozens of life stories every shift: tragic, happy, dramatic or miraculous.

Now, as a mother of two young children, I find myself reflecting on the lives of my parents, grandparents and others.

I look to their lives for inspiration, wisdom and a heart-warming or entertaining story!

These were some of the ‘why write’ reasons that prompted me to help my dad’s mum write her life story.

Identifying your own whys can similarly inspire you to start, write and finish an autobiography.

Here are three top ‘why write’ reasons to help focus your mind and expectations before sitting down to begin a life-story project.

Life in pictures: Make a life-story scrapbook album in 3 easy steps

Secrets for using a photo series to creatively tell a life in pictures

First published November 2 2017: This article has been updated and improved.

When I was a photojournalism student at art school I had a lecturer who told our class to shoot an assignment with a 24-hour deadline.

This was to compile a photo series of our city’s Anzac Day memorial parade.

My classmates and I were positioned up and down the procession, some hanging off buildings Spider-Man style and others trying to hitch rides on parading army trucks!

We took hundreds of photos that we whittled down to tell a complete story of the day.

Over the course of our lives we similarly collect hundreds of memories that can be pared back and polished to tell a complete and precious life story.

Certainly this can be written in book form but also creatively done as a photo series or scrapbook album.

Keep reading for tips on how to record a life in pictures for yourself or a loved one.

I promise you won’t need to hang off any buildings in the process!

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?