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Developing and Structuring an Autobiographical Story

Copyright © 2009
Diane Howard, Ph.D.

Here are some brief guidelines for writing an autobiographical story,
yours or someone else's:

Starting:

Identify a Climatic Turning Point

Find the Beginning of the Story by identifying a problem or conflict
that started a process that developed toward the turning point

Developing the Story:

Begin with a crisis in the characters’ wants, which are counteracted

Reveal a problem that builds over the course of the presentation to the climatic conflict and turning point

Identify where the problem or tension is for the character

Include scenes of crisis and significant action that lead to the climactic turning point



Structuring the Story:

·        Include in the overall story the following: a beginning, foreshadowing, discovery, incidents, crisis, and denouement

·        Build rising action, a climax, and falling action in each scene and in the overall story

·        Identify the high stakes for the character

·       Focus on the motives, objectives, desires, or wants of the character

·        Trace the denouement, after the turning point with development of major life lessons

·         Conclude the story with a resolution that conveys, summarizes, confirms significant life lessons

Writing and presenting autobiographical stories can promote healing and internal, positive motivation in the storyteller and in audiences.

When observers identify with role models in stories, they can become significantly more motivated and productive.

Reference:
Howard, Diane. Autobiographical Writing and Performing:
An Introductory, Contemporary Guide to Process and Research in Speech Performance.
[Online] Available http://www.dianehoward.com/publication.htm, 1999.

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