10 Key Considerations When Writing a Memoir
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Getting Started
I've helped many authors in writing their memoirs and am currently working with a few new clients in completing their manuscripts. I've a great vantage point, as I can detach myself from these scripts and ask, what would interest a reader?
Understand Your Purpose
Before you start writing your memoir, it's important to understand why you are writing it. Are you sharing a life lesson? Documenting a personal journey? Knowing your purpose will guide your writing and keep you focused.
Perhaps the first question worth asking is, will a memoir sell? Well, experts agree that something new happened to the memoir genre in the 1990s with many observers linking a boom in this area to the publication of Limerick's own, Frank McCourt, and his bestselling, 'Angela’s Ashes' which was published towards the end of that decade in 1999.
Narrator: [First lines] When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how my brothers and I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood. The happy childhood is hardly worth telling. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood.
Of course, Angela's Ashes achieved a Pulitzer Prize. This is, of course, an exception and shouldn't be used as a standard event.
Identify Your Audience
Having stated the above, think about who might read your memoir. Are you writing for family and friends, or a much broader audience? Understanding your audience will help you decide on the tone and style of your writing. And, of course, the content.
Allison Williams makes the point that memoir readers are loyal to an author, but not necessarily to the genre, and this is a really important point. Memoirists have to pay a great deal of attention to enticing a potential reader with the story of their life itself (famous people) or the story they tell about their experience (everyone else, i.e. us!).
When I've visited bookstores in Galway, Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin, Stockholm, Montreal or New York, I've noticed over and over that 'memoir' is limited to one small section amid shelf after shelf of fiction and children's books. Memoirs put one in a smaller market and when one looks at the commercial end of things, it's obvious that deals for all types of memoir (celebrities and “normal” authors) have, depressingly, been decreasing in recent years (https://brevity.wordpress.com/2024/03/12/the-hard-sell/).
Outline Your Story
So, having stated the above, if you want your memoir to be noticed, I mean really noticed and make those all important sales, creating an outline is crucial. It will help you organise your thoughts and ensure your memoir has a clear structure. Start with major events and then fill in the details. Do up a timeline so you don't miss things. I did this exercise with one of my clients, Isabel, recently and they found it a really useful mechanism to facilitate and maintain focus.
Be Honest
Honesty is key in memoir writing. Readers will connect more with your story if you are genuine. Don't shy away from difficult truths; they add depth and authenticity to your narrative. You just have to consider how best to approach a particular event and, remember, there are always two perspectives on any incident and writing only your own with no sense of reflection does not serve you well as an author. No pain. No gain.
Show, Don’t Tell
Ooh. This is one of the 'biggies' in memoir writing. Use descriptive language to paint a picture for your readers. Instead of saying you were sad, describe how you felt and what you did. This makes your story more engaging and relatable.
Focus on Specific Themes
The first draft is just the beginning. Be prepared to revise and edit your work multiple times. And, I mean multiple times. Cut out unnecessary details and ensure your narrative flows smoothly. We have received many manuscripts that have notes with them stating they are complete and it's shocking to see how much work needs to be done by our editorial team. Authors have to be prepared for the hard graft of writing and rewriting and, of course, fact checking. The Internet makes it possible to verify or, indeed, disprove, timelines, events, character involvement etc in far, far less time than the trip to the library or resource centre in one's town or city.
Seek Feedback
Getting feedback from others always provides valuable insights and nuggets. Share your work with trusted friends, colleagues or join a writing group. Constructive criticism will help you improve your memoir. Of course, hiring an editor or ghostwriter is always an option.
Include Dialogue
Dialogue can bring your story to life. It adds a dynamic element and helps readers connect with the characters. Make sure your dialogue is realistic and serves the narrative. Again, this is interesting. I've had two manuscripts sent to our offices in the past twelve months, in different genres, where the authors have used very colloquial language that roots their manuscripts and brings up issues of commercial viability in trying to get their books to a wider, international market. Obviously, there are some famous examples of books that successfully used such language such as Finnegan's Wake by our own James Joyce, and A girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride, and then Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, The End of San Francisco by Mattilda Bernstein to name but some. Have a read of some, of all, of these!
Use a Consistent Voice
Your voice is your unique style of writing. Keep it consistent throughout your memoir. This helps maintain the reader’s interest and makes your story more compelling.
End with Reflection
Conclude your memoir with reflection. Share what you have learned and how the experiences have shaped you. This gives your memoir a meaningful ending and leaves a lasting impression on your readers.
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