1/17/2024 0 Comments Memoirs examples![]() ![]() You can jump around and insert flashbacks and backstory.Īlso, your memoir doesn’t have to cover an extended period of your life. Remember that your memoir doesn’t have to be told in chronological order. Most readers want to dive into the action, not wait for you to hit the major life event somewhere around page 173. ![]() So, unless you have a really good reason, don’t start your story until you’re at an age where you can actually remember events.Īnd besides, starting at birth is a slow way to go. 3: Starting at BirthĬhances are, you don’t remember when you were born- so why start your memoir at birth? You’ll have to rely on other’s perceptions (at best), and the point of your memoir is to start with your memories. Sometimes, the theme becomes obvious after the first draft is on paper. You can totally start writing your first draft without any idea of your story’s theme or life lesson. Always keep the big idea in mind.ĭon’t beat yourself up if you don’t have a big idea yet. Just like you wouldn’t tell a story to someone face to face without connecting to a point so you shouldn’t do that with your memoir, either. ![]() They should be able to come away with a satisfying truth about life- especially when reading a memoir. You see, when you tell a story, it’s not just for you and your processing, it’s for the reader, too. The answer would be the big idea of my story. If I wasn’t sure what lessons I learned, I’d ask myself, “What did losing my mother at a young age teach me about death or loss?” or “How did my mother’s death affect my transition into adulthood?” I was 13 at the time, so it was a combination of dealing with loss and coming of age. Some common memoir themes surround the following topics:ĭo one of those topics (and associated themes) apply to your memoir? What statement does your memoir make about this topic?įor example, I wrote a memoir about losing my mother to cancer. Your story’s theme can help clarify what you’ve learned. If you’re not sure what lessons you’ve learned, focus on what your story is about. Many people use memoirs as a time of self-reflection and even therapy. What will the reader learn from your story?įigure out what lessons you learned from going through the event that is documented in your memoir. A memoir gives you the opportunity to dig deep into a pivotal event or explore how you felt, why you felt it, and the lessons you learned. What event would take up at least one chapter of your autobiography? Take that chapter and expand it into an entire book. Isn’t that so liberating? Over the course of your life, you can write several memoirs about the different events that shaped who you are. Not sure how to whittle down your epic life into a measly memoir? Remember, you don’t have to write just one memoir. It’s much more impactful, even for public figures, to write about key, transformative events in their lives. Unless you’re a public figure, very few people are interested in reading about your life from cradle to almost grave. But, it would be a mistake to write about everything that you’ve experienced in your life at one time. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |