Destiny Fritz is a writer and local editor. She is a member of the Editeers editing group located in Southern Illinois. She recently posted this blog to her own site, and I found it interesting. Ror those non fiction writers, or those writing about their own life may find this interesting, and for those "Plotters" who love to create a detailed past about their characters should find this helpful.....I hope you enjoy this posting on writing a memoir. Everyone has a story. It’s true. Some people have many stories, but everybody
has at least one. That means YOU have a story, and you get to decide what to do
with that story. Are you going to tell it
to your friends? Perhaps you’ll write it
down in a diary or make a video confessional. One thing you could do… one thing
many people choose to do… is write your story as a memoir. Have you ever given it any
thought? Whether you’ve given it a
passing glance, sat down and organized an outline, or have some (or all of it)
written, if you’ve ever thought about writing down your story, I think you
should. But, where do you start? You may
think it’s as easy as sitting down and starting at the beginning. For some, it
is that easy, but, for others, the task of writing out events from their own
life can feel daunting and full of pressure. What if you don’t remember
everything and leave out important facts?
What if you hurt someone’s feelings by being honest about how you feel
towards something that happened with them?
Is what you have to say really interesting? Will anybody want to read it? Editing memoirs is a specialty of
mine. While some of memoir writing is much like that of other genres and
styles, some of it can be much different. I’m going to break down some tips and
tricks to getting started on, writing, and editing your memoir. So, if you’ve
ever thought about telling your personal story, pay attention. This one’s for
you. 1.
Figure out YOUR story. For many, this part is easy.
Everyone has gone through tribulations in their life. Times of trouble often make the best stories.
They come with twists, turns, heroes, villains, and, often times, life
lessons. The rough patches of life help
to form who we are, and, with perspective, often prove to be very
valuable. Even if your audience hasn’t
experienced a similar situation, chances are, they’ve had to learn a similar
life lesson. Whether you realize it or not, your story is relatable. If you’re having trouble figuring
out what your story might be, then you should sit back and do some
brainstorming. What are the stories you
find yourself repeating in social situations?
When you’re talking with a good friend, what do you share with them
about your life and your past? A memoir
should feel like you’re having a personal conversation with your best friend.
Open up on paper the way you do with those who are close to you. 2.
Write YOUR story. Memoirs are personal, and usually
told from the first-person point of view. This means the story should be told
how YOU experienced it. You’re using YOUR voice. Unlike other genres, where
research and accuracy are super important, memoir writing is more about the
emotional truth than the factual truth.
If you can’t remember a specific date, but you remember Christmas music being
played, then it’s perfectly fine to just say that your story took place around
the holidays. Names, dates and places aren’t as important as getting the meat
of the story out there. This is also true when it comes to
the people involved in your story.
Later, I’ll go into the intricacies of writing about other people, but,
for now, I will only make one point.
When you’re writing about others, focus on how their actions or words
made you feel. You don’t need to know why they did what they did or said what
they said, but you do need to know how those actions or words affected you and
the story you’re telling. 3.
You’re writing a memoir, not your life story. Think of a memoir as a moment in
time, not a retelling of all the life events that got you to the point you’re
at today. Your audience doesn’t need to
know how you met your spouse unless your memoir is specifically about the
courtship of you and your spouse. The same is true about your childhood,
unless, again, your memoir is specifically about an event from your childhood
(unless a particular moment from your childhood is relevant to the story). A moment in time can be defined
loosely. I can be a year, or a season,
or an hour. Don’t get too bogged down by this
concept when writing the rough draft. The rough draft of any manuscript (in any
genre) is the place for word vomit. Get it all out, and you can edit it later.
However, try and focus on one life lesson and how you learned it. 4.
Develop your characters. While the people mentioned in your
memoir are real people that exist in real life (or did at the time the memoir
takes place), when they appear in your memoir, they are characters in your
story. Your audience doesn’t know them;
therefore, you need to develop them for your readers. They need dimension and depth. You need to
view them as characters, not people. This will be hardest to do to
yourself. You are the main character, and you are not perfect. You cannot be
the hero or the victim of every situation. You have flaws, and you must not shy
away from showing them. Chances are, if you had the choice, you’d go back and
do something differently. Tell your audience that. Be real. Don’t be afraid to
be honest with yourself about yourself. It will pay off in the end, because
your audience will have more respect for you. 5.
Writing
about other people. As previously mentioned, when
you’re writing about others in your memoir, focus on your memory of them. Don’t
worry about getting all the facts straight. Worry more about how you remember
them and how they fit into the story. Another thing you shouldn’t worry
about is hurting others’ feelings. This
one is harder to do, especially if you care about the person or persons you’re
writing about. It’s up to you, but you
can let them know ahead of time, as a courtesy, that they’ll be in your
story. This way they can be prepared for
it should you ever publish. You can also change the names of people and places
to protect them, if you want to.
However, the story shouldn’t be sacrificed simply because some people
may get their feelings hurt. 6.
Use your writing skill sets. Much of memoir writing is similar
to that of writing in other genres.
Like in fiction, your characters need to be fully developed. You still
need to make sure you’re showing, not telling. You will need to have a plot
with an inciting incident. You’ll also need a climax and conclusion. It’s writing based off of real life, but
that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be well written.
Grammar, flow, and plot are still hugely important. The main difference between
memoirs and other genres is the emotion. Keep your skill sets while tapping
into how you feel and how you want your audience to feel, and you will come out
with a great memoir. 7.
Edit your memoir As with other genres, it’s a good
idea to put the rough draft away for a couple of months after you’ve completed
it. Come back to it with fresh eyes so
you can revise it honestly and fairly. After you’ve revised it yourself,
find an outside editor to help you take your rough draft to a polished finished
product. The editor you pick should be
somebody who isn’t connected to the story at all. It also helps if they aren’t
personally close to you. Their bias could interfere with a clear vision of the
memoir. Of course, you could always choose
an Editeer to help you. As I mentioned earlier, memoirs are my specialty. I
offer everything from a basic copy edit to a developmental edit to help with
rewrites. Whichever way you choose to
go, just remember that it’s YOUR story and YOUR voice should be maintained throughout
it. Listen to your editor, but don’t
lose sight of the vision you have for your manuscript. Anybody can write a memoir at any
time. You don’t have to be in your
golden years to have perspective about past life events. Keep in mind that a
memoir is simply the telling of a moment in time. It isn’t your autobiography,
so you don’t need to be at the end of your life to write one. Through dedication, hard work, and the
implementation of these tips, you can write your own memoir. So, don’t be afraid. Don’t hesitate. Don’t
procrastinate. Everyone has a story… what’s
yours? |