Writing Wednesday– The day I share what I have learned on my journey to publication. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.
Writing Memoir
What exactly is a memoir? Let’s start with what it is not. It is not an autobiography which is the story of your entire lifetime. Unless you are somebody famous that has many accomplishments to your credit readers will not be interested in your entire life. It also is not a biography, which is also the story of an entire lifetime.
What a memoir is, finally clicked with me when my editor said, imagine someone is taking a walk around the block and they see your house and walk up to look into your large picture window. This day happened to be the day that “it” happened. The “it” is what changed or altered the course of your life forever. What would that person see? Whatever it is that the person would see is the beginning of your memoir. After the event there should be some brief back story, the resolution and how you arrived there and a bit about where you are now.
- A memoir is about an event, an incident, something that changed you in a positive or a negative way. It explains how you dealt with the “it,” The author questions what happened, tells the lessons learned and where you went from that moment on.
- The memoir can be written in first person from the author’s point of view. It can also be told as Narrative nonfiction which is written like fiction-in story form.
- There is little dialogue.
- The reader should learn something and their life should also be affected in some way.
- Memoirs should never be about revenge and should not be a book length rant.
- They are between 90,000 and 100,000 words.
- When writing nonfiction it helps to start with an outline.
- Make a list of any research you will need to do
- If you are writing nonfiction, you need to write the truth. Real names and places should be used unless using them will cause great harm. If you are planning on using fake names and places consider writing fiction, instead.
- If it happened to you, it is your story and you own it.
An outline starts with a brief description of your story. The description should include the beginning, the middle and the end in a concise three paragraph’s. Next, write a paragraph or two on each chapter. Name your chapters and choose a title for your memoir. Nothing is written in stone, this is just the starting point.
I find it helps to have some photo’s and personal items that remind me of the time I am writing about on my desk, while I write.
Once your outline is finished the next step is the proposal. The topic for the July 9th Writer Wednesday will be proposal writing.
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28 thoughts on “Writing Wednesday Writing Memoir”
I’ve been writing first person essays all my life but my memoir is the most challenging thing I’ve ever attempted.
It was the hardest thing for me to write too but I cannot even explain how therapeutic it was. Finishing is such a powerful feeling.
This is wonderful! Writing a memoir sounds like a great thing!
Thank you Wendy!
I love that quote by Maya Angelou! It is so true. Writing any book or story can be extremely cathartic and highly recommended! Plus in this day and age technology makes the entire process so much easier. All writers are extremely fortunate to be living now and have access to publishing. Did you read my recent blog post about it? All any of us writers have to do is do THE WRITING! 🙂
I missed the post but I am going to check it out…
I love that quote too. It hangs over my desk and helped me get a really tough book written.
I agree. It is an exciting time for publishing. I am sure the evolution will continue!
thanks for clarifying [for me, anyway] the difference between memoir and personal essay. I had been thinking I was heading toward a memoir type book but I can see now that in turning my blog posts into chapters, I’ll be writing little personal essays. Memoir, as you so helpfully point out, needs a real turning/learning point–not just observations.
I’ve been recently considering jotting down a couple of stories from my that jaded me. They wouldn’t be more than 1000 words a piece though. My fear is that it’ll portray my family members in a bad light. Really, they had the best intentions, and I know that. But those trigger memories added a harder edge to my personality.
Maybe I’ll write them and just not publish them anywhere.
Yes write them down and maybe you will change your mind.
I’ve never written a book but I want to this year. My fear of it is what’s holding me back. I can’t explain it.
This post helped me more than you know. Much more.
Thanks so much, Doreen. Truly.
You really need to sit down and write that story:)
It was very helpful to read these items and remind myself what a memoir is and is not. Great summary, Doreen. Interesting that memoirs have little dialogue. That’s something I never thought of but it makes sense.
Thank you so much Helene.
This is such an informative post, Doreen!
I’ve always been a bit confused when it comes to memoir/autobiography…
Thank you for sharing this.
I may bookmark this post for future reference… got one or two ideas…
Awesome Michelle. I hope your ideas land on paper.
Good explanation, Doreen. Indeed, many of us haven’t done things that require an autobiography.
Thank you!
I shared this on twitter; it is very helpful information to so many writers.
Thank you so much Estelle.
This is something that I hear in my head everyday…get started!!! Get started!!!
The outline is a great place to start!
I have special respect for the memoir craft. It seems like it must consume the writer in a way that creative fiction or non-fiction can’t and I already find those two pursuits heady. Also, thank you for the quote. How very true – agony it is.
It sure is!
You offer some very useful tips. I blurt out parts of a memoir in some of my articles and blogs, but I don’t know if I’ll every sit down and write an actual memoir. Good luck writing yours.
Thank you. I just finished my second memoir. I am looking forward to trying some fiction.
I took a memoir writing course several years ago. Have yet to start one but I think my time will come. Likely when my youngest leaves the nest in 5 years.
It will be so much easier with your posts to draw from.