Autobiography vs Biography: Key Difference & Similarities
5 min read
Published on: Sep 18, 2019
Last updated on: Feb 27, 2023
5 min read
Published on: Sep 18, 2019
Last updated on: Feb 27, 2023
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Autobiography and biography are the common formats to tell a story. Writing an autobiography is different from a biography, although both describe the character of the story of one's life.
Both autobiography and biography have different characteristics. So it is important to understand the difference between them to ensure you are writing within the correct scope.
This blog will discuss autobiography vs. biography to help you understand the key differences and similarities between them.
An autobiography is a description of a person’s life written by that person. As the writer is the main character, autobiographies use the first person narrative throughout.
The aim of writing an autobiography is to describe the achievements and life experiences of the narrator.
The autobiography format typically starts with early childhood and chronologically lists down the life experiences. These include information about a person’s childhood, career, life choices, achievements, and the difficulties they faced.
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
You can also refer to some more autobiography examples online if you want to get inspiration and write about your life.
A biography is the story of a person’s life written by someone else. Usually, people write biographies about a famous personalities.
Since the writer is telling the story of someone, that’s why biographies are written in a third-person perspective.
Like an autobiography, biographies also cover the entire subject’s life. So, it is important to include details about birthplace, education, childhood, relationships, etc.
His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis and Einstein: The Life and Times by Ronald William Clark
The key differences between autobiography and biography are discussed in more detail in the following points.
A memoir is similar to an autobiography. It is also the story of a person’s life written by that person.
The main difference between autobiography vs memoir is that a memoir focuses on reflecting and establishing an emotional connection. It not only presents the facts but also provides a personal and intimate story about the major happenings in their life.
The key difference between memoir and biography is that a memoir gives a complete immersion of the subject’s voice. But a biography provides full contextual information that reads like a novel but is non-fiction in nature
Want to know more about autobiography vs biography vs memoir meaning and the key difference and similarities? Here is a comparison chart for your help.
| Autobiography | Biography | Memoir |
| It means an account of the author’s life story | It means an account of a person’s life story by someone else | It means an account of personal experience or event |
| As it is a self-written story thus authorization is not required | Authorization is not mandatory | Authorization is not mandatory |
| Express or Inform | Inform | Express |
| First-person | Third-person | First-person |
| It is based on emotions and thoughts | It is based on facts from different sources | It is based on personal thoughts, feelings, and reactions |
Hopefully, the above guide helps you understand the difference between an autobiography and a biography.
For a successful autobiography, you need to tell your story in a way to make your readers feel in your place.
Writing a captivating autobiography is not an easy task. You need to plan your time, read books for inspiration, and search for information about various writing styles and formats.
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An autobiography is authentic because it is written by someone who lived the life. They tell how the person felt. Autobiographies are good because they make you feel like you are there, living your life with them.
Self biography is called an autobiography. It is a written account of your life. It can be an account you write while alive or after death. You can also use autobiographical work to talk about other people's lives, like in a biography.
Memoirs are about a specific time in your life. Autobiographies tell us about the whole life of an author. They start when the author was young, and then they cover their entire life. They include events, places, reactions, movements, and other things which happened to them.
There are no rules for how long an autobiography should be, but it is usually between 200 and 400 pages. This will keep your book in line with what most readers want books to be. And it can help you get traditionally published or help with marketing for your self-published book.
The biography follows a five-paragraph structure. You are supposed to have an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
WRITTEN BY
Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)
Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.
Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.
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