Four Steps to a Memorable Memoir
Usually, memoirs are written by two different types of people: those who know they have an incredible story to tell, and others who wonder if their lives have anything at all incredible to say. As an editor and publisher, I’ve worked with both and have learned an encouraging fact…each author has more to offer readers than they realize.
WriteWorks authors run the gamut of life stories, and each has more to offer than they could ever have believed. Some of our authors tell of defeating cancer, surviving a hostage experience, or overcoming infertility, but there are other aspects of their experience that need to be brought to life in order for the full context of their triumphs to be fully understood and appreciated. Likewise, the person whose upbringing or adult life seems positively humdrum may have a unique take on relationships or faith that is absolutely vital and must be told within the context of that supposedly mundane existence.
There are four steps to making a story memorable, and each requires willingness, authenticity, and understanding on the part of the writer.
Step #1: Dig deeper
A memoir, by definition, is a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources. While those sources can be material items such as documentation or photos whose content is readily apparent, personal knowledge requires a journey into that most ethereal of places, your memory. One of the most effective ways I work with memoir writers is to interview them so that they can tell their stories aloud first, therefore expressing their testimony in a way different from the self-editing limitations writing can bring. As I listen and hear their story, I can then use my outsider position to their advantage and ask questions that will help them remember and bring out essential details and scenes that otherwise may never have been considered, much less expressed. This allows the author to dig deeper into his or her own story.
Step #2: Be genuine
A story will only be as honest to the reader as the author is honest with herself as she writes it. This is no time to hedge your bets or hold back on the details. The memoirs that resonate most with readers are not the ones that are tell-all exposés reeking with dirty laundry; rather, they are stories that are so blatantly sincere and candid that they reach far down inside the reader’s soul and challenge their very assumptions about love, faith, and existence. This truthfulness is mined and brought to the page by the authors’ willingness to be genuine about what happened to them and how they responded—both the good and the bad.
Step #3: Be confident
Every memoir author I’ve worked with shares an unfortunate tendency: they undersell the worth of their story. Don’t misunderstand: there’s nothing wrong with being humble; in fact, humility is a vital trait to communicate in writing. But a sense that his or her story can’t hold up against “So-and-so’s” experiences in life is simply a lie that needs to be dismissed as such. Authors must strive to be poised and self-assured that their story will make a difference in the lives of others. As an editor and interviewer, I play an important role by reminding authors of this truth as often as needed.
Step #4: Know the reader
A memoir is a uniquely personal work, and while there is much internal benefit to the author in telling their story and putting it into words, they’re not writing their book for themselves. They are writing for their readers—so the delivery of the story must be penned to meet their reader’s needs and inspire their hopes. This starts with doing something a surprising number of authors don’t do: identifying their audience. Ask, “Am I writing to a male or female?” “Young adult or senior citizen?” “Married or single?” “Homemaker or corporate employee?” Beyond those demographics, “What motivates my readers to personal enlightenment or change?”
Employ these four steps as you write your memoir. It’s the story of your life, after all. Make it one to remember.
I want to hear from you!
What one thing from the story of your life do you feel can make a difference in the lives of others?
2 Comments
Rachel Lunsford
March 7, 2016at 12:08 pmGreat thoughts, Adam! Thank you for sharing.
As a writer who is keenly interested in the stories and experiences that people have to share, I appreciated hearing your take on the four fundamentals of memoir, and the process you use to fulfill these aspects of the memoirs you write and edit. By keeping these four in mind, you enliven the writing and create gripping manuscripts.
Step three was a particularly helpful reminder for me, since I have considered writing my own memoir, though I have lacked the confidence to do so. It is vital to remember that each person’s story is a human story. As such, regardless of the particulars to each individual’s account, each person’s well-written memoir has great takeaway value for its readers.
Again, thank you.
Adam Colwell
March 7, 2016at 1:29 pmExactly. Think about it. Every struggle or victory of life is unique to the individual, yes. But the reader will automatically relate their own unique experience to yours, bringing it to life for them—and they’ll do this that much more when those experiences are related with vivid characterization, scenes and dialogue in the writing. This is what makes a memoir so powerful. It’s a real-life story resonating with real-life people to create real-life change through the takeaway value you mentioned. It can achieve far more than the greatest fiction or self-help book ever can. You’re very welcome, Rachel—and I look forward to learning more about your unique story worthy of memoirization.