How to Write a Memoir ("The Call to Write" Method)
Determine the topic for your memoir., Write down everything you know about that topic., Consider the significance of the topic to you personally., Think about a specific memory pertaining to your topic., Think about the more vague memories or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the topic for your memoir.
Determining a specific focus or topic for your memoir is the most important aspect, otherwise your memoir slowly turns into an uninteresting autobiography.
You should focus on something that is important to you and your past, that way you can reflect meaningfully on how your subject has impacted your life.
Consider what your interests/passions, memories, and concerns are, and see what subjects possibly fit in multiples of those categories, and which ones you feel like you could write extensively about. , Take a moment and just flesh out everything you know about that topic, specifically what memories you have involving it, what you know about its history, what role it has in culture, how it is portrayed, etc.
Once you write down everything you can remember, you will have an easier time organizing what exactly about your topic you would like to make a point about involving your memory. , Take a break from your writing and just think for a few minutes.
Why is this topic important to you? Why did you pick this topic? What comes to your mind when you think about all the things you exhaustively wrote? Can you come up with a cohesive or underlying theme or idea associated with this subject and, specifically, your relationship to it? , Flesh out all the details.
Now that you've pondered the significance of this topic to you personally, what big memories come to mind about this subject? Select one, or even a few that you remember very clearly, and begin to flesh out all the details.
Focus on sensory details and really capturing the moment.
For help with getting all of the details, check out the specific exercise "Starting from Solitude" in the Tips section below. , Now that you've thought about your specific memories and given all the details, begin to think about the memories that might be cloudy or imperfect, or memories of habits and repeated events in your lifetime that prove to be relevant to the subject.
These memories will be just as important in conveying to the reader what your past was like. , Now that you've exhausted all your personal memory and perspective on the subject, it's time to get it from a different perspective.
By using effective research strategies, find some credible articles and analysis of your subject or events.
This information will able to be weaved into your memoir to give a sort of historical context or outside framing, which will increase the credibility and interest of your own information. , As you find and read articles and other perspectives on the matter, consider what the general consensus is about how society views your subject as a whole.
Is it controversial, with two clear sides, or is it more of a majority-driven view? Why is this subject important in the eyes of history, society, and your reader? , Now that you have information regarding what you remember as well as information from outside viewpoints, make connections between the two.
How was how you remember an event different or the same from the outside perspective's documentation of the event? How is something that was significant to you not significant historically, and vice versa? These connections will help you form a cohesive point about the subject , What can you take away from your connections and say about your relationship with your subject? This is the important point of your piece, so it should be something that is eloquent and thought-provoking. , Your planning is done! Now you just need to write what you have brainstormed into thoughtful paragraphs and a solid cohesive point.
Make sure to revise multiple times and peer review your work to make sure it is as good as it can possibly be.
These are your ideas, reflections, and assessments.
You should give them the respect they deserve! -
Step 2: Write down everything you know about that topic.
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Step 3: Consider the significance of the topic to you personally.
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Step 4: Think about a specific memory pertaining to your topic.
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Step 5: Think about the more vague memories or repeated events in your memory that pertain to the topic.
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Step 6: Research an outside perspective on your topic.
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Step 7: Consider the historical significance of the topic from an outside perspective.
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Step 8: Make connections between researched perspectives and your own personal memory.
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Step 9: Develop a cohesive point that is supported by your memory as well as outside research.
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Step 10: Begin writing
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Step 11: revising
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Step 12: peer reviewing
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Step 13: and editing.
Detailed Guide
Determining a specific focus or topic for your memoir is the most important aspect, otherwise your memoir slowly turns into an uninteresting autobiography.
You should focus on something that is important to you and your past, that way you can reflect meaningfully on how your subject has impacted your life.
Consider what your interests/passions, memories, and concerns are, and see what subjects possibly fit in multiples of those categories, and which ones you feel like you could write extensively about. , Take a moment and just flesh out everything you know about that topic, specifically what memories you have involving it, what you know about its history, what role it has in culture, how it is portrayed, etc.
Once you write down everything you can remember, you will have an easier time organizing what exactly about your topic you would like to make a point about involving your memory. , Take a break from your writing and just think for a few minutes.
Why is this topic important to you? Why did you pick this topic? What comes to your mind when you think about all the things you exhaustively wrote? Can you come up with a cohesive or underlying theme or idea associated with this subject and, specifically, your relationship to it? , Flesh out all the details.
Now that you've pondered the significance of this topic to you personally, what big memories come to mind about this subject? Select one, or even a few that you remember very clearly, and begin to flesh out all the details.
Focus on sensory details and really capturing the moment.
For help with getting all of the details, check out the specific exercise "Starting from Solitude" in the Tips section below. , Now that you've thought about your specific memories and given all the details, begin to think about the memories that might be cloudy or imperfect, or memories of habits and repeated events in your lifetime that prove to be relevant to the subject.
These memories will be just as important in conveying to the reader what your past was like. , Now that you've exhausted all your personal memory and perspective on the subject, it's time to get it from a different perspective.
By using effective research strategies, find some credible articles and analysis of your subject or events.
This information will able to be weaved into your memoir to give a sort of historical context or outside framing, which will increase the credibility and interest of your own information. , As you find and read articles and other perspectives on the matter, consider what the general consensus is about how society views your subject as a whole.
Is it controversial, with two clear sides, or is it more of a majority-driven view? Why is this subject important in the eyes of history, society, and your reader? , Now that you have information regarding what you remember as well as information from outside viewpoints, make connections between the two.
How was how you remember an event different or the same from the outside perspective's documentation of the event? How is something that was significant to you not significant historically, and vice versa? These connections will help you form a cohesive point about the subject , What can you take away from your connections and say about your relationship with your subject? This is the important point of your piece, so it should be something that is eloquent and thought-provoking. , Your planning is done! Now you just need to write what you have brainstormed into thoughtful paragraphs and a solid cohesive point.
Make sure to revise multiple times and peer review your work to make sure it is as good as it can possibly be.
These are your ideas, reflections, and assessments.
You should give them the respect they deserve!
About the Author
Carol Turner
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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