Share Important Lessons With Your Readers

Summary

The web content provides guidance on writing stories based on personal experiences or those of others, emphasizing the importance of deliberate storytelling, universal themes, and authenticity.

Abstract

The article discusses the challenges and considerations of writing autobiographical stories or those about other people. It advises authors to be clear on their intentions, to find universal themes in specific life events, and to ensure that every element of their writing is deliberate and necessary. For personal narratives, the article suggests transforming real-life experiences into compelling stories that resonate with readers by focusing on lessons learned and not on personal therapy. When writing about someone else, it's crucial to determine the significance of the subject, conduct thorough research, and have the manuscript vetted by experts to ensure authenticity and respect for the subject's background and culture. The content also encourages writers to push through criticism and to write with passion, suggesting that overcoming writing roadblocks can lead to celebrating an increased ability to write.

Opinions

Writing about personal life experiences requires courage and the ability to see beyond personal therapy to provide value to readers.
It's important to extract universal themes from personal stories to create a compelling narrative that appeals to a broad audience.
Fiction based on real life can benefit from altering characters' traits to allow for more creative freedom and story development.
Criticism of a writer's work should not be taken personally; it should be viewed as feedback on the writing itself.
When choosing to write about someone else, the decision should be based on the necessity of the character to the story, not merely on potential marketability.
Writers should have a strong conviction in their ability to tell a story and should write with passion, regardless of potential disagreement or criticism.
Thorough research and vetting by cultural or subject matter experts are essential when writing about someone else's life to ensure accuracy and authenticity.
The article implies that there is much more to learn about writing authentically and encourages writers to seek additional resources and guidance.

Every Writing Decision You Make Must Be Deliberate

WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE

Writing a story based on your life, whether it be a memoir or fiction with a strong autobiographical theme, can be scary. You’re opening yourself up in a profoundly personal way. Here are some tips for building your courage:

Ask yourself why you’re writing this story? Is it because you learned an important lesson that you want to share with your readers? Are you trying to resolve an issue from your past? Children, especially, read books to find out something about themselves or the world. Approach the story from a place of strength. Your readers are not your therapists.

Find the universal in the specific. Something cute your child did may be delightful to you, but is it relevant to thousands of readers? Can you extrapolate a universal theme or message from your personal experience, and change the details to make a compelling story?

If you’re writing fiction based on your own life, try changing some of the main characters’ critical traits to stop seeing them as extensions of yourself. You want the freedom to get your characters in trouble, throw obstacles in their way, have them make mistakes.

Your characters can ultimately learn what you learned in real life, but the way they get there has to be compelling, filled with tension and surprise.

Don’t take criticism of your work as criticism of you. When you show chapters to your critique group for feedback, know that they give constructive comments on the writing, not your life. Separate yourself from the story you’re telling, and you’ll create a much stronger book.

WRITING SOMEONE ELSE’S STORY

What about if you want to tell someone else’s story? Whether a real person inspires your protagonist or writing nonfiction, here are some things to keep in mind:

Why is this person the focus of your book? Is it because your story absolutely needs this character, or are you merely choosing this character because you think it will help the sales of your book? Every writing decision you make must be deliberate, thought out, and necessary.

Are you the best writer to tell this story? Think about why you believe you are the one to write this book. If you genuinely think you are the best person to bring this story to the world, then do it. There may be people who disagree. That’s just a reality of this business. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write the book when you are feeling passionate about the story. If you are clear in your intentions, if you are passionate about this work, then do it.

Have you done your research? Have you thoroughly studied the background, culture, time, life, belief system, cultural influences, and a myriad of other aspects of the person whose story you’re telling? Elements are just as right for fiction as for nonfiction. Have you done everything you can to understand how this person thought, how this person experienced the world? Have you crafted the book with as much respect and authenticity as possible?

Have you had the book vetted by experts? In many cases, the experts are readers who are from the same culture or background as your protagonist or subject. For nonfiction, experts may also include historians, scientists, or others who have studied the same topic. Before submitting to a publisher or agent, have them read your manuscript for factual details and nuances of character, dialogue, and culture.

As you can probably understand, this is a significant topic. These are great starting tips, but to truly develop the courage to write authentically, there’s so much more to learn.

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