I didn’t realize it until I wrote it down just now, but the word “autobiography” has six syllables. That’s a LOT of syllables. That’s more syllables than “archipelago” or “dodecahedron.” All those syllables aside, this is a word you can absolutely say. Just break it down into little pieces, and put the most emphasis on the fourth syllable (AHGG).
aw – toe – bye – AHGG – ruh – fee
Pretty easy, huh?
I know that you can not only say the word “autobiography,” but you can write one, too. But first things first. What IS an autobiography? That’s simple. It’s a story about you, by you. It’s your story, in your own words. And this week, we want you to write one.
I’ll go first:
My name is Matthew, and I was born at the base of a dormant volcano in Pasto, Narino, Colombia, South America. When I was 8 months old, I moved to Baltimore with my mom and dad. When I was two, I moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When I was five, I was cast as Christopher Robin in a community theater production of Winnie the Pooh. When I was 12, I moved to Kansas City and ate a lot of footlong sandwiches. When I was 18, I went to college in Massachusetts. It was really cold in Massachusetts. I learned how to play the guitar and started writing songs. Eventually, I started writing stories. After college, I moved to North Carolina for a while before moving back to Massachusetts, where it was still really cold. I met Robbi and decided I really, really liked her. I moved with her to Savannah, Georgia so she could study illustration. Then we moved together to Baltimore, so we could work for a design firm and cheer for the Orioles. A few years later, we moved to a barn in Chestertown and started making books. And kids. Now I’m 38 years old and changing a whole lot of diapers.
Now it’s your turn. Tell us your story. Where you live. What you do. What you love. What is hanging on the wall of your room. There are no rules to writing an autobiography. Since you’re the author, you get to decide.
ALSO: We would love it if you would send us a self-portrait to go along with your autobiography. A self-portrait is a drawing of you, by you. If you don’t feel like drawing yourself, maybe send a picture of yourself so that everyone can see what you look like.
I’ll share my self-portrait with you next Tuesday, when I post all your autobiographies. Which means, you need to send them to me by Monday afternoon. Unless you live in California, Hawaii, or Japan, in which case, you need to send them to me by Monday morning.