Forever Young Autobiographies

Realign writing goals: 5 things to remember to reboot writing dreams

Amazing goal attainment secrets of a life-story writing coach

Who else is enjoying the cooler months of winter?

Certainly here in Australia we have just had an ‘arctic blast‘.

But it has been the perfect excuse to curl up and do more planning, creating, polishing and publishing!

And it has also been a good time to look back over writing goals set in the new year.

So this week I’m asking: Are you on track to hit your goals or have you forgotten them?

Next let’s examine five things we can do to reset and realign writing goals for our autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story projects.

Motivational quotes: Blitz writing blues with inspirational quotes

Positive quotes every life-story writer should read

We are fast approaching the second half of the year.

And I hope your life-story project goals are still on track?

Certainly by midyear our writing can naturally start to flag.

Therefore to help you sit down and create with renewed enthusiasm I’ve collected some motivational quotes from famous and new writers.

Indeed these follow on from other popular quote articles I have published about writer quotes and inspirational quotes.

So lets take a closer look to re-energise planning, creating, polishing and publishing an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project.

Book review: Anxiousness, hope and Your Own Kind of Girl by musician Clare Bowditch

One ARIA Award winner’s memoir about dieting, breakdowns and beating anxious thoughts

This week’s book review is Your Own Kind of Girl: The stories we tell ourselves and what happens when we believe them written by Australian ARIA Award-winning singer and actress Clare Bowditch.

The memoir was released in 2019 by Allen & Unwin and has won many accolades including the Australian Book Industry Awards Matt Richell New Writer of the Year 2020.

In addition it has garnered the support of fellow musicians Bernard Fanning, Missy Higgins and Kate Miller-Heidke as well as journalists Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb, among many others.

Certainly the 352-page book has been a labour of love and decades in the making.

“This is the story I promised myself, aged twenty-one, that I would one day be brave enough – and well enough – to write,” Bowditch writes.

So keep reading to find out what the book is about, highlights and tips for those sitting down to create an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project.

Errors in print: Who else wants to get over book typos and misprints

How to deal sanely with publishing errors and bad editing in 4 steps

After decades working as a newspaper journalist and life-story writer I have seen all kinds of errors in print.

From Page 1 headlines with words misspelled to factual inaccuracies in opening sentences and gaping white holes where pictures weren’t printed.

Certainly I’ve seen errors made by others and by myself printed into thousands of copies.

Indeed the realisation of spotting a mistake after printing can make you feel ill to the pit of your stomach.

But today I’m here to tell you it is not the end of the world (yes really)!

And in fact I’m going to give you four ways to move past that ‘icky feeling’ and celebrate publishing an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project – warts and all.

Case study: The Moonsamy family’s The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family

The amazing story of how one family of Indian heritage survived life under apartheid and moved to America

This week’s case study is The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family, a fascinating compilation of life stories by Reverend Samuel Moonsamy and his family.

It tells how the family of Indian heritage, navigated the system of apartheid in South Africa – amid racial tension plus economic struggle – and settled in northern California, United States of America.

Certainly the book’s anecdotes are sometimes hilarious, sometimes serious and invariably thought provoking.

However, they ultimately aim to highlight a strong, faith-based legacy for future generations.

Recently Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Priscilla, the eldest of Rev. Moonsamy’s six children.

And she explained more about the book, how it evolved plus offered helpful tips to those keen to sit down and record their own family stories …

Print run: Decide how many books to print like a boss

Ask Nicola Q&A: What a life-story coach knows about book print run numbers + print numbers

Hello and welcome to Forever Young Autobiographies – Ask Nicola.

As a life-story coach I get many queries about planning, creating, polishing and publishing.

And in this series my answers aim to help new creators just like you!

This edition of Ask Nicola starts with the question:

I have finished writing my autobiography but don’t know how many books to get printed? Who and what should I consider before placing a print run order?

Wow, how exciting you are getting ready to print your life story – congratulations!

Now keep reading to find out how many books I suggest …

Writing characters: If you’ve already tried creating characters, don’t read this. It’ll break your heart

Quick and easy ways to character build, write character traits and show not tell

I love Mother’s Day and not just because I am one!

It is an important time of the year.

Certainly mums shape our character, especially when we are young.

And in turn they can also shape the way we care for our children and grandchildren.

So as you sit down to create an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project think about how to portray characters like VIP mums.

Next, keep reading as I show you ideas for creating characters that sparkle …

Birth stories: How to write birth, baby and pregnancy stories

Everything you need to know to write about the birth of a child or giving birth

At this time of year my family finishes a mega run of birthdays.

And coupled with Easter recently it has felt like a time of new beginnings.

As a result, this got me thinking about how we sit down to record birth stories in our autobiographies, memoirs, biographies and other life story projects.

Obviously an autobiography by its very definition requires a birth story!

But there are other births we can record such as parents, siblings, children or grandchildren.

So in this article I’m going to go over key information you might like to include when recording birth stories …

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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.