Many people are drawn to writing memoirs because they have gone through a profound life experience and want to share it with the world.
The essence of creating a captivating and successful memoir lies in adopting authentic storytelling techniques, crafting emotional resonance, building vivid imagery, and delivering profound insights into the human experience. Your life’s experiences and emotional journey can become the basis of a compelling narrative that resonates with readers.
As Maya Angelou said: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
This article is designed to help you unlock and realise the dramatic potential of your story.
Autobiography v Memoir
There is a key distinction between autobiography and memoir. An autobiography covers your whole life, whereas a memoir is about the lesson you learned through a specific period and experience in your life.
The big challenge that most memoir writers face is having way too much material. The opposite problem for most fiction writers.
So memoir writers need a lens through which to look at their experiences to help them decide what events matter and how they impacted them. You then have a guide as to what to use and what can be left out.
The All Important Theme
Everyone’s life’s journey is usually packed with rich experiences and wisdom. A compelling memoir begins with choosing a central theme that not only resonates with your heart but also creates insights into the minds and hearts of your readers.
The shape of your memoir should be guided by the life lesson you have learned and how they take your character on a journey that reveals the theme or deeper meaning of your story.
You can start the process by identifying the moral challenge about the human condition that you want to explore and only include the events that directly impact on how you worked through that challenge.
Theme can loosely be described as how we believe people can best live in the world.
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
There is no need to nail this perfectly upfront. The writing of your memoir will most likely be an act of discovery and you will discover the theme in the act of writing. So you can start out with a loose idea of what you want to communicate and develop it further in the process of writing your memoir.
Whether your story is one of personal growth, resilience in the face of adversity, a dance of love and loss, or a unique life journey, your theme acts as the guiding light for your memoir’s narrative.
The Power of Authenticity and Self-Reflection
At the core of every captivating memoir lies authenticity. Memoirs offer a deeply personal account of your life’s story, where honesty reigns supreme. Delve deep into your emotions, embrace your vulnerabilities, and reveal your truths.
As a general rule, we recommend writing your story before worrying about what you want to reveal in the final edited copy of your book. If you reveal too much, you can always pull it back and cut when you get closer to publication.
“To write clearly and creatively we need to trust our own voice. Like any other art, creative writing is a function of the whole person. The unconscious must flow freely and richly, bringing at demand all the treasures of memory, all the emotions, incidents, scenes, intimation of character and relationships, which it has stored away in its depths.” Dorothea Brande
Crafting Compelling Characters
The characters in your memoir, including yourself, breathe life into your narrative. Their stories seamlessly intertwine with yours, forming a tapestry of emotions, actions, and experiences.
Employ vivid descriptions and captivating anecdotes to make these characters relatable. Draw readers into their lives, evoking a deep sense of connection with each one.
“Characters make your story. If the people come alive, what they do becomes the story.” Sol Stein
Donna Tartt also said, “Character, to me, is the life’s blood of fiction.”
Painting Vivid Pictures with Words
The power of a memoir lies in the ability to evoke emotions and sensations through vivid storytelling, rather than mere narration.
Infuse your scenes with rich details, sensory descriptions, and authentic dialogues. Engage your readers’ senses, immersing them in the ebb and flow of your life’s journey. Let them truly feel the joys and sorrows experienced by your characters.
Goethe said, ‘You must give birth to your images. They are the future waiting to be born. Fear not the strangeness you feel. The future must enter you long before it happens.’
God and the devil are in the details.
“We read five words on the first page of a really good novel and we begin to forget we are reading printed words on a page; we begin to see images – a dog hunting through garbage cans, a plane circling above Alaskan mountains, an old lady furtively licking her napkin at a party. We slip into a dream, forgetting the room we’re sitting in, forgetting it’s lunchtime or time to go to work.” John Gardner
Embrace a Structured Approach
While memoirs do not always adhere to a strict chronological order, a well-structured narrative acts as a clear roadmap for your readers.
We recommend you select a timeline and structure that best serves your story—whether it’s a linear journey through time, a thematic exploration, or a unique blend of both. A well-organised structure seamlessly guides readers through your memoir.
Use your character’s emotional journey to drive the structure, and structure the events so they drive that journey.
“You might have the insights of Buddha, but if you can’t tell a story, your ideas will be as dry as dust. Craft is the sum total of all means used to draw the audience into deep involvement, to hold that involvement and ultimately reward it with a moving and meaningful experience.’ Robert McKee
Meaningful drama comes from the choices characters are forced to make.
“The function of structure is to provide progressively building pressure that forces characters into more and more difficult dilemmas where they must make more and more difficult risk-taking choices and actions, gradually revealing their true natures, even down to their unconscious self.” Robert McKee
Let Your Unique Voice Shine
Your voice as a writer is your memoir’s distinctive signature. It’s what sets your narrative apart, making it deeply personal. Embrace your style, and perspective, and remember that your unique voice encapsulates your “why.” Allow it to shape your story in a manner that only you can articulate.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Refinement through Editing and Revision
The path to a polished memoir is paved with multiple rounds of editing and revision. Polish your prose, eliminate superfluous details, and refine your narrative.
Seek fresh perspectives from trusted friends or enlist the expertise of an editor to gain invaluable feedback and guidance.
Patricia Fuller wrote, “Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear.”
And as Ernest Hemingway pointed out, “The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, shit detector.”
Craft a Captivating Start and Finish
A compelling memoir commences with a hook that instantly engages readers and concludes with a sense of closure or reflection.
The opening should intrigue and beckon readers. The goal should be to invite the reader on a journey of introspection and revelation.
The conclusion should leave a lasting impression, offering readers a profound perspective of the human experience and a sense of closure. In memoir, as in life, every word carries the weight of truth and the power to inspire.
“As memoirists, we must wrestle with the truth and shape it into a narrative that resonates with others. Our stories have the potential to heal, to inspire, and to connect us all.” Sue Monk Kidd
Possible Next Step in your Writing Journey
If you’re ready for a structured 10-month process that leads you on a delightful dance between structure and imagination, check out our Novel & Script First Draft course. This course is also suitable for memoir writers.
The course is designed for people working full-time to complete the first draft of their story in 10 months.
When you book directly into that course, you will receive the prerequisite 4-week Unlocking Creativity course complimentary. This course will provide you with the essential tools and insights to unleash your creative potential and embark on your writing journey with confidence.
Unlocking Creativity is also available as a stand-alone course to kick-start your writing and give you a practical understanding of the creative process. It is a great place to start your writing journey.
