Writing Memoirs

• Get to know the narrator. The audience must connect with the narrator. Share information about yourself or things you might have in common with the audience.
• Use description that brings the story to life. Use descriptive words and phrases, making the reader feel like they were present when the action took place.
• Include dialogue that shows feeling. In this case, less often means more. Include only the most important dialogue that has the most impact.
• Feature a beginning that catches the reader’s attention. Hook your readers immediately. A few ideas include starting in the middle of the action, having the characters talk, beginning with a surprising statement or fact, or giving some important background information.
• Add sensory details. These are words or descriptions that appeal to one of your senses. Sensory details provide a complete look at the story, and make your memoir more interesting.
• Share thoughts and feelings. This allows readers to understand how the experience affected you, and what you were going through. Thoughts and feelings help build a connection to the narrator.
• Reveal why the event was important. Writers share what they learned from this experience, building a connection with the audience. Writers want to evoke an emotional response from the reader.

It is important to put some thoughts down before you start writing. Download this planning template to help you remember the key details, emotions, and dialogue of the event.

Introduce the reader to the Who, Where, and When of the story. You want to reader to connect with you from the start and make them intrigued by what happened to you.

When you write a scene, it is easy to become so caught up in the dialogue that you fail to remember all the other components included in a scene—the things that keep the readers grounded and clear about what’s happening.

Below are examples of a student’s first attempt at writing a scene then making revisions:

EXAMPLE 1:

I was so embarrassed. I didn’t know what to say. “Um…”

“Just apologize,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“You’re forgiven. Let’s go get a slice,” she said.

We can agree that we can see some of the characters’ thoughts and feelings, but we can revise this scene by adding more thoughts and feelings, as well as by adding action, setting, and more specific dialogue tags.

Here is how this student author revised the initial draft from above.

I was so embarrassed. I didn’t know what to say. “Um…” I kicked a pile of leaves that had gathered at the base of one of the trees on Bergen Street. My face felt like it was so hot it would melt.

A breeze whooshed and leaves danced on the sidewalk. “Just apologize,” she hissed. She pulled her collar tighter and buttoned the top button. I snuck a glance at her face. She was biting her bottom lip. I knew it was hard for her to ask for an apology.

An acorn fell off a tree and ricocheted off a car parked on the corner. The smell of tomato sauce and garlic wafted in the cool, late October air. My stomach growled. I snuck another peek at her and now she was stomping every leaf on the sidewalk, moving intentionally to them and then crushing them under her boots as she walked.

My heart pounded. What if I apologized and she didn’t forgive me? What if I didn’t and she never spoke to me again. “I’m sorry,” I breathed.

She turned her head and smiled. “You’re forgiven. Let’s go get a slice,” she said. She pointed to the pizza shop, two doors down. I raced ahead, stomach still growling, so I could hold the door.

When the student author added setting and actions to revise, he discovered important new interactions and meanings in his story, adding interest to the scene and allowing the readers to be in the moment with the characters.

EXAMPLE 2:

“I mean, she never looks good,” Kayla said.

“Worse than that,” Liz jumped in. “She looks like she doesn’t even care.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh…well…”

“I mean, look at you—look at us. We clearly care. We look good,” Liz continued.

“I know. You completely look like you should be hanging out with us, not with Tilly.”

Revision:

“I mean, she never looks good,” Kayla said. She tucked her hair behind her ear, a diamond earring peeking out. It was the largest diamond earring I had ever seen on a kid, and I could tell from the sparkle that it was real.

“Worse than that,” Liz jumped in. “She looks like she doesn’t even care.” Liz sat up straight on the bed, her own painted fingernails flashing.

I wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh…well,” I stammered. I felt like anything I said would be the wrong thing, not to mention a betrayal of Tilly. I suddenly felt as if someone had turned up the heat. I was sweating.

“I mean, look at you—look at us. We clearly care. We look good,” Liz continued. She hopped off the bed and signaled Kayla to stand beside her. They each hit a model pose, showing off their perfect looks. I don’t think I ever before realized just how obsessed they were with looks—their own and other people’s.

The conclusion must wrap up the story and include what you learned or realized from this experience. It should be the logical ending to the story and be about three sentences long. Never end a paper by saying “The End!” If the reader can not tell that the story is at an end, you need to rewrite the conclusion.

Example of introduction and conclusion:

Introduction:

My family was on our way home from Connecticut, and we were just at the point of the trip where our legs were getting cramps and we were about to kill each other from irritation. Mom and Dad decided it was a good time to take a detour to Philadelphia. I was at the point of the trip where I just wanted to get home, and almost grudgingly got out of the car. Now, however, I am sure glad I did.

Conclusion:

I realized that the world is not just different countries; the world is a family. As a famous man once said, “There are no strangers in the world: only friends we haven’t met.” What does this have to do with the Liberty Bell? Well, there we were with people from across the nation and across the world, celebrating something together—just like a family.

As I walked out the door of the building, I changed my view of people from “strangers” to people who are waiting for a first chance.