This week, I’ll prove that the genre to pick for your 1st novel is autobiographical fiction.
Blending aspects of your real life with a proper narrative structure is writing a novel on easy mode.
Unfortunately, most people think their life is too boring to write about.
Instead of being true to themselves, they want to:
- write other-the-top characters & plots
- rely on technobabble & explosions
- rewrite the latest movie they’ve watched
Here are the benefits of writing fiction about yourself:
You are the expert.
The most cliche writing advice is to *write what you know*.
An autobiographical novel is following that advice to the logical end. No one has better authority on your life than yourself. You will never have competition.
Write the story you have a monopoly on.
Your research is 90% done.
The research required to write most genres of fiction is daunting.
If you want to write a romance set in Queen Victoria’s court, you need to know:
- the social norms of English nobility
- Victorian dating etiquette
- the right way to mount a horse
And the list goes on…
You don’t need to research your own life. You were there! You can limit your research to things you actually *want* to understand better.
Stick to the familiar to reduce friction.
You have a head-start on characters.
You’ve known story-worthy people.
The trick is to turn them into characters. They need to have clear desires & conflicts. Combine a few interesting people into your most compelling character.
Remember to turn yourself into a character too.
You will learn about yourself.
Writing about yourself critically is great for introspection.
- Why did you make that decision?
- How did you get to your lowest point?
- Why did you keep going?
Writing about yourself can change your life.
You’re the best marketing tool.
When you’re finally ready to promote, it’ll be like the main character is giving interviews himself.
You can expand on concepts & arcs. You can connect your novel to problems other people are facing in their lives. You are the ideal ambassador for your work.
You’re not selling your novel. You’re selling a piece of yourself.
That’s gotta be worth a few bucks.
