If somewhere in your heart you think writing about yourself is braggadocio and puffery, self importance and sinful pride--all the Me, Myself and I of it–-try writing in the third person.

For example: He quit college to work and help out his family. He fell in love, got married, and went off to war. She was a dance instructor who always took jobs at the schools where her children would get the best education. From elementary school through college, they were able to drop their books in her office and visit during the day.

Or, pretend you're writing a blurb for "TV Guide" describing this week's episode. "Marcia falls in love with an island while on vacation and figures out a way to stay."

It feels funny to put down a version of your life in an "as told by" fashion. But it's another way of looking. New eyes.

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