Writing+Your+Memoir

The most important thing about a memoir is that it tells a good story. So you're actually combining aspects of fiction and essay BUT you're not fictionalizing, or making up facts. The events you're describing really happened. Writers have gotten into trouble for being dishonest in their memoirs--Lillian Hellman was a famous example. You can't write about your life and tell lies. But you can add elements of fiction to your memoirs to turn them into good stories. Memoir, of course, is based on the memory of events and people who are real. However, a great memoir borrows fictional techniques and structures such as plot, characters and dialogue. It concentrates on telling a story. Remember that the best memoirs have an apparent theme, then a deeper or larger one. For example, Terry Tempest Williams wrote Refuge about the breast cancer in her family but also wrote about disappearing bird species. She connected her story, suffering, to another larger story. Even if you have a great memory the best memoirs require research. Talk to your family members about their memories. Look at old photos. Also read old magazines, books, movies, listen to music, and view collectibles from the era that you're writing about. Besides, this kind of research is just plain fun. I think for a longer piece the more research the better. Frank McCourt kept notebooks and notes for years on his book before he wrote. He was trying to remember street names, neighbor's names, etc. Strong details help to give your reader a sense that these things really happened. You can use your life as a starting point--however you want to weave in other themes is up to you. There are also a number of 'Timeline' books that are very helpful for remembering. Timeline books are listed by year and describe the highlights, discoveries, news stories, deaths, etc. Another danger of memoir and essay writing is the shopping list approach. One way of avoiding it is not shape your story based on chronology. You can start at another point besides the beginning. This will also provide more of a 'hook' like fiction. Try to look at ALL sides of your memory. The more emotionally intense the subject, the more you have to let it 'cool' before you edit it. Get some distance and ask yourself how much you really want to reveal. Remember, if you're writing a memoir to choose the most important and interesting time in your life--it's not your complete history. Remember again that first it has to be a story. And although Shakespeare told us to 'give sorrow words' it can't be so full of boo-hoos we want to slit our wrists after reading it. Suffering and sorrow can somehow be transformed into something uplifting or illuminating. To make your memoirs interesting for others to read, follow these guidelines:
 * Background** Recently personal writing, especially the memoir, has become extremely popular, both to write and to read. You might associate memoirs with famous people, but ordinary folks too are picking up their pens and trying to recreate their memories on paper. Whether they're scribbling their life stories on random sheets of looseleaf or typing their impressions into the latest laptop, people everywhere are trying to capture their past through memoir writing. Memoirs differ from autobiography in that autobiography seeks to present a complete picture of an individual's life, from the time that they are born to the time that they sit down to write the autobiography itself.. In a memoir the voice is the distinguishing characteristic. It's not a random collection of events or a birth to death story.
 * Voice and Storytelling** If you're interested in writing a memoir/essay, first work on your voice. A voice is memorable, lingers in the reader's mind, is distinguishable. Memoir writers also have to be adept storytellers. Tobias Wolff--This Boys' Life is credited with popularizing the literary memoir. Again, it explores a theme, or aspect of the person's life in depth. This is what distinguishes it from an autobiography which is more of a collection of facts.
 * Where to Start** Everyone's life is somehow unique, even extraordinary. So we can all mine our memories for stories from our past or describe issues in our present life. The key of course (this is the hard part) is to find the remarkable memories or experiences that exist among our ordinary details and memories. Strive for a balance of emotions, the witty with the gritty, the pain and the forgiveness. You have to keep asking yourself what does my memory mean? Why is the memory important?
 * Write about family life, relationships, your accomplishments, and other interesting or unique experiences. School, work and travel can be good sources for stories.
 * Use the five senses in your descriptions, so the reader can see, hear, smell, taste and touch the scene. You remember what it was like; your challenge is to recreate that scene in your reader's mind.
 * Use dialogue and describe your characters' personalities, appearance and actions. Remember that you, too, are a character so be sure to give a sense of your own physical presence.
 * Imagine a reader who knows nothing about you, your family, or your geographic area. Pretend that you are explaining your story to that person so that you add essential background.
 * Choose a variety of situations so that you reveal your life in a rounded way. We're not always crying or laughing. Sometimes the most poignant memoirs are about the less dramatic events in our lives.


 * The Assignment:**

Prompt: Select a moment from memory, an experience that has stayed with you. In a well-written essay, recreate that experience, and then analyze it, figuring out what it means to you.
 * Composition: Memoir** **[C2]**

Prompt: Create a 5” object, sculpture, or painting that reflects the central idea of your memoir. These will be displayed in the class.
 * Original Visual:**


 * The Steps to Writing Your Memoir:**
 * Finding a Topic
 * Organization and Details
 * The Hook