How To Start Writing Your Great American Success Story in 2020

“I have written this book because 100 years from now, there probably will be no other trace that I have lived on earth. Our great grandchildren will most likely not know our names, they will have minimal interest in our having lived, or in what we did during our stay on this earth.” Herb Peyton, Founder of Gate Petroleum and author of New Boy, his autobiography.

The United States is full of great American success stories. From native sons who grew up in poverty to immigrants who came here with very little, they have built businesses that have provided them with livelihoods and enriched their communities. Unfortunately, many of their inspiring stories will be forgotten because they have never been written down.

2020 is upon us. Many people have resolved to lose weight, get in shape, and take better care of themselves. Some have resolved to write the books they have been thinking about for years. Lots of great businessmen and businesswomen would like to leave their marks in the form of books and literature, but they don’t know how to go about it. There are several ways to organize a business-oriented autobiography. Here are three straightforward ways to do it.

Chronological. The writer records his life history, from childhood through to the present. (In some cases, writers trace things back to the lives of their parents and grandparents.) They write about their upbringing, their schooling, and their first jobs. From there, they move along to college education, military experience, and their beginnings on a career path or in business endeavors. It’s not necessary to write the book in order. You can write the parts that come easily at first and then put them together in order later

Topical. Some authors organize their work by topics, concentrating on the subjects they care most about. For a businessperson topics could include technology, customer service, and willingness to take on risk. A topic that may sound boring to some can become very interesting in the hands of someone who cares deeply about it.

The beginning and the end. Another way to write a book is to write the introduction (what the book is about), then write the conclusion (a summary of what the writer hopes readers will come away with), and then fill in the middle. The introduction and conclusion will likely change by the time you finish the middle, and that’s OK. This method is simply a way to get started. 

It’s effective to concentrate on stories that have a point to them and it will be very helpful if the stories are also entertaining. When Jesus told parables, those little stories taught lessons but they were also entertaining to listeners. Writers can start with the stories that they enjoy telling. If you have stories that you’ve told dozens of times, those would be a good place to start. 

Writing a book isn’t easy. Even a short book of 20,000 words could take hundreds of hours to write. Devoting time on a regular basis will be required. If you don’t have a half-day per week, or better yet two to four half-days per week, to put into a book project, you might want to put it off until you can devote the time to it. Also, to produce a good book will require lots and lots of rewriting. 

The reward for your hard work is that you will, at the very least, leave something behind that your grandchildren will be able to read some day. If it’s a good book with helpful information and it catches on, it might even help people – perhaps lots of people.