Writing a memoir continues to be the genre of choice for many writers.
Writing Tip for Today: If you’re writing a memoir, here are some tips:
What’s Not Memoir
A memoir in written form is a lot of things, but also NOT some things. When writing a memoir, first be aware that a family history, a chronology, diary or journal is usually not what publishers consider memoir. While these things can be starters or research, a memoir must tell an overarching story.
Telling that story, a memoir generally uses First Person point of view, that is, the “I” voice. You want your reader to identify with your story in some way, so a third person (he/she) takes readers farther away from the intimacy a memoir provides.
Another common mistake in writing a memoir is beginning the story at conception or birth. If you do this, you’re forcing yourself to be aware of experiences that few of us can remember. This takes away from your memoir’s believability. At the same time, I caution writers to stay away from telling a relative’s story as if it’s your own.
How to Focus
Where should you begin? If you’re writing a memoir, begin just before events that changed everything for your life. This tipping point secures readers in time and space. It also prevents a lot of throat-clearing while readers wonder where the story is headed.
Take a chunk of your life where you were a) up against something you had to fight for, b) shows how you overcame obstacles and c) transformed you or changed you in a way readers can understand. This is classic story shape, and memoirs need to follow that pattern in general.
Create a timeline for your memoir. This may change as you write, but see if you can narrow the story to a certain period or age of your life. You can use sticky notes or a list to follow so that you write without slowing down the story or speeding it up too much. Study story construction to help you write in scenes rather than all narrative.
The more readers can see themselves in your story, the better the chances for this relationship to unfold.
Who’s a Memoir About?
This is the biggest question. Although the obvious answer is that a memoir is about you, most people want others to read it too. The trick to writing a good memoir is in helping readers relate or resonate with your experiences. The more readers can see themselves in your story, the better the chances for this relationship to unfold.
A memoir need not be about the most dramatic thing in your life, although plenty of stories do tell of surviving under great duress. If you doubt anything like that has ever happened in your life, consider the psychological and emotional stresses we all must deal with. I personally don’t enjoy reading sensational memoirs. Delve deep into the ways your ordinary life has caused you to uncover some universal truth.
Speaking of truth, writing scenes for a memoir, you’ll likely include dialogue. Don’t try to write it according to exact words spoken. Stick with the general meaning and tone, but don’t sweat reproducing dialogue. And if you’re making statements about your relatives, either wait until they’ve passed away, change their names or details or get permission in writing. Writing a memoir can and should employ at least some fictional techniques.
