o Identify an individual or family crisis experience in your life. You may be able to identify one immediately or you may have to give this some thought.
Remember, a crisis experience is individual and unique for each person and family. If you don't identify an experience immediately, reflect on your life's experiences to this point. Think of times when you were impacted by a crisis, a major stressful event (negative or positive), or a significant change or transition.
o Once you've identified your topic, it's time to "dissect" your experience into eight parts (A, B, C, X, AA, BB, CC, XX factors). Apply both Hill's ABC-X and McCubbin's Double ABC-X Models to explore and analyze your own individual and/or family crisis experience. You will need to be knowledgeable about both models. Carefully read and re-read the corresponding chapter and Power Point on the models.
o Individual and family crisis experiences are often complex. Allow yourself enough time to develop the outline and, later, write a draft, set it aside for thought, and then resume work on a final draft.
If you are finding it difficult to organize a step-by-step analysis of the crisis, remind yourself - what is the major issue? - and stay focused on that as the central point as you develop the paper. There will likely be multiple issues in the complex layers of the experience - you are encouraged to include those in the writing, as well. Just remember the major issue in order to keep your paper well-focused and on track.
In addition, most (if not all of you) will include discussion of other people (e.g., family, friends) in your paper. That's perfectly fine and welcome. As you discuss the involvement of others in the crisis experience, just keep in mind that you and your experience are the main points of focus (that's what makes this an autobiography).