How to Write the Story of Your Life [Paperback]

Frank Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1989

How to Write the Story of Your Life shows writers how to mine the depths of their experience to write an engaging and saleable memoir. Frank P. Thomas gives readers the instruction they need to write the stories of their lives, including: The five Rs essential to the completion and publishing of a life story; research, remembering, 'riting, reading and reproduction Hundreds of memory sparkers to get readers started Organizational techniques for developing a writing plan and how to work with photos and documents Memories and the author's expert guidance are all writers need to leave a legacy for generations to come.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Frank P. Thomas had a long career in journalism, public relations and teaching.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books (August 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898793599
• ISBN-13: 978-0898793598
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well organized; great prompts, November 10, 2000

By 

Dawn "NJHeart2Heart" (Parsippany, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write the Story of Your Life (Paperback)

This is a great read for those interested in writing their life story. Mr. Thomas goes from early childhood through retirement, so having been born in the 1970s, some of the information did not apply personally. However, it is still well worth the reading. He has specific prompts, and works with small "chunks" of life. Entwined are guides to good writing, and other aspects of writing a great story.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Dated "Memoir Writing for Dummies", February 15, 2007

By 

H. Laack - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Write the Story of Your Life (Paperback)

Had Thomas written this a decade or so later, it would have been a great inclusion in the "For Dummies" series. He uses lots of lists and fills his chapters with idea starters for anyone interested in documenting his or her own life for posterity. Given that many who seek to write their own memoirs will not have any real writing background or training, Thomas provides a good range of basic writing hints as well.

The author includes literally hundreds of questions that would be good joggers for those having difficulty thinking of anything "worthwhile" to write about themselves and could also be a resource for anyone seeking to learn more about their own family's oldest generation. Unfortunately, the book's sample memoirs and even some of these questions seem dated (not surprising, given that the book has been in print over 20 years!). Of even more concern is the lack of updating to current technology; computers are essentially non-existent, so his hints on things like first drafts and final format for publishing are irrelevant.

For the price, this is a good book to have just for the idea starters, but it will need supplementing with more recent texts for anyone interested in writing memoir from start to finish.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read, December 14, 2007

By 

Cinnamon - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write the Story of Your Life (Paperback)

Still reading, but, it's a pretty easy read. Was recommended by my Uncle who used this book to help him write his own life story which has been published. After reading my Uncles book, I was really impressed in how he put it all together, and he attributes it all to reading this book, which gives me the confidence to do the same. After all, we all have a story to tell, do we not?