Writing memoirs

Memoirs, narratives written that are more specific than autobiographies, often focus on a particular time or place that holds meaning for the author. They can be used as snapshots into a time, often viewed with the benefit of hindsight or a rosy tint – it is the author’s emotions and perspectives that influence the text. 

The word itself comes from the French for ‘memory’ – and can be a unique way to put a personal spin on events. In this article, we’ll be exploring some famous memoirs to understand more about the writing style, which will hopefully unlock some of the key themes of memoirs.

The first memoir (allegedly)

Due to the deeply personal nature of memoirs, it is likely that many of them never see the light of day – however, an early recorded autobiography is the works of St Augustine of Hippo, who began writing The Confessions of Saint Augustine. Obviously, this article isn’t about autobiographies, but the way the text was written as a frank and intimate retelling of personal events, the memoir genre soon grew from these humble beginnings.

An oft-quoted example of a more contemporary memoir is Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert – following her real-life journey of travel and self-discovery after a divorce. The book follows a curated narrative: whilst it is based on her life and real events, some details have been changed for the purpose of storytelling.

Subcategories of memoirs

There are a lot of different reasons an author may have for writing a memoir, and even more themes that may be featured within one. However, there are some key aspects and types that may be encountered during wider reading.

Transformation memoirs – Often focus on a challenge or project which the author has overcome, whether or not it was ‘successful’ not being an important factor, as they find themselves learning life lessons along the way. Playing with Dynamite by Sharon Harrigan details her path to learning more about her father.

Confessional memoirs – Can revolve around upsetting themes as they will delve into more detail about otherwise unknown secrets or personal information. Mark Doty’s Heaven’s Coast, for example, details the loss of his partner in an emotional memoir.

Historical memoirs – Will usually feature a retelling of events with a personal spin, either from someone who was directly involved in events or otherwise associated with them. Hindsight and information that may not have been known at the time may be included. An example of a historical memoir is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Celebrity memoirs – The story of a rise to fame or the obstacles along the way, these types of memoir will cover important events or the journey that the author took to becoming an expert in their field or towards infamy. For example, I Am Mala by Malala Yousafzai.

Parts of a memoir

When writing a memoir, many authors start with the main event, place or time that they want to focus on – a pivotal life moment, a span of childhood, or even time spent at a job – it could be anything! From then, the main aspects that they want to convey are fleshed out, as well as the main focal points or lessons from this time. 

Do you remember?

That was the gist of the memoir! Used in order for writers to hark back to the good old days with the extra addition of information that would have been unknown at the time, it is a good way of including a personal reflective tone to your writing.