Useful Information On How To Write A Memoir

By Lana Bray


A memoir is a narrative about the personal experience of an individual. One can write about a specific event or aspect of life, a particular period of life or the impact of an external event. Most people who offer advice on how to write a memoir emphasize on dividing it into smaller manageable steps and tackling each step at a time. The entire process is very demanding and requires a lot of time. It provides the writer with a therapeutic way of dealing with his or her unpleasant memories.

There is a very big difference between a memoir and an autobiography. An autobiography covers the entire life span of the writer and focuses mainly on the development of personality. They are based on history and require research to establish correct facts and dates. Memoirs contain an account of a certain period in the life of a writer.

Traditionally, memoirs were mainly written by the prominent members of a given society. These include court people, military leaders, politicians and businessmen. The main objective was to show their successful careers instead of their personal lives. Modern forms of memoirs are usually presented from the perspective of the first person. Anyone can write narrative detailing selected events in their lives.

A publishable memoir includes selected events that are crafted together to form a compelling story of personal recollections. These events must be presented in a certain order and must follow a structural pose. To ensure a story stands out from the numerous available today it is important to use a high level of creativity. Although they are written on real life situations, fiction makes them more interesting..

There are many challenges presented by the process of writing memoirs. With careful planning this process is made much easier and greater motivation is achieved to fulfill the set goals. Having a clear picture in the mind regarding the desired outcome prepares you on what to expect. Different people write memoirs for different reasons. This may be for the purposes of sharing wisdom, therapeutic reasons or inspiring future generations.

Before writing begins, defining the period to write about is very crucial. Most writers use timelines to bookend their story. Timelines may cover childhood years, spiritual journey, a life with special people in ones life or the time spent working towards a given goal as well as the achievement. The time period is determined and the a timeline of all the major events created.

In most cases the events considered to have significance in the life of an individual are turning points. A theme for any story is derived from the impact of these events. A theme is essential in the transformation of the different events into a compelling structured prose.

There are numerous people who are unable to bring this task to completion. The numerous challenges experienced cause most of them to give up. These challenges can be minimized by getting the services of a writing coach. These experts offer assistance on how to write a memoir. These coaches can be found as writing consultants, ghost writers or one can enroll for classes to learn about the writing process. These experts provide solutions to problems encourage and motivate writers who are stuck.




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