What draws readers is the subject matter (surviving a trauma, trying to live by the tenets of self-help books, living in prison) or the theme (addiction, parent-child relationships, repeating family patterns, identity).Ī memoir that lacks an author’s effort to extract meaning from their story is usually a slow read. Memoir is not “what happened,” because unless you’re famous, what happened to you in your life is not what will draw readers to the page. Memoir is about creating understanding, making sense of your story so that others can relate. What sense am I trying to make of my story through writing this scene?.How does this scene relate to my theme?.Memoir is often reined in by the writer knowing what her themes are and writing each scene while holding two questions in mind: One way to do that is to get clear about your themes. The scope of memoir will vary depending on the subject matter, but more often than not, aspiring memoirists come to the page with too much story that needs to be pared down. Memoir is a slice of life, a story of part of your life or a story from your life. In other words, it is not the story of your whole life.
Let’s review some of those common elements, so you can weave them into your own memoir. Knowing what makes a memoir compelling and riveting is key when sitting down to craft your own.
While all memoirs are different, the best memoirs all have certain elements in common.
#IF YOU KNEW MY STORY SHIRT HOW TO#
When I teach people how to write a memoir, we talk about how to tell a compelling story. Whether you curl up with memoirs on a frequent basis or pick one up every now and again, you know powerful memoirs have the capacity to take readers for an exhilarating ride.
0 kommentar(er)
