Many people feel the pull to write their story, but aren’t sure where to begin. The good news is that a memoir isn’t about covering every detail of your life from cradle to present; it’s about
focus, depth, and meaning.
Memoir vs Autobiography
An autobiography is a full chronological sweep of a person’s life, usually starting with birth and proceeding to the present. A memoir, by contrast, is a slice of life. It captures a particular
thread, theme, or period and explores it in depth. The aim isn’t just to recount events but to make sense of them and connect them to a wider picture.
Choosing Your Slice
Here are some different approaches tomemoir writing:
• Career journey: e.g., Frank McCourt’s ‘Teacher Man’ zooms in on his years as a teacher; Fergus Moynihan’s ‘A Century of Ashwell Medical Practice 1900 – 2000’ focuses on his career as a doctor;
• Passion or hobby: e.g., Nigel Slater’s ‘Toast’ uses food as the lens to explore childhood and identity.
• Theme in your life: e.g., Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘In Other Words’ explores how Italian shaped her identity. In David Talks’ ‘Russian in my Life’ it is Russian.
• Particular period: e.g., Tara Westover’s ‘Educated’ focuses on her unconventional upbringing and path to learning. Karin Ashby’s ‘From East to West’ is about her childhood in East Germany and escape to the West.
• Place: e.g., James Talks’ memoir ‘The Marsh Cottage’ recounts holidays in a remote cottage in Norfolk, UK.
Bringing in Wider Context
A memoir doesn’t have to stop with you. You can set your story against the sweep of history. For example:
• Edmund de Waal’s ‘The Hare with Amber Eyes’ combines family memoir with European history.
• Barack Obama’s ‘Dreams from My Father’ blends personal reflection with the wider story of race and identity in America.
• Audrey Talks’ ‘A Tale of Two Japans’ combines her own experience, her father’s letters from Japan and the growing tension leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbour.
Getting Started: Top Tips
1. Start small: Write a scene rather than a whole chapter. Start at random. Without thinking, just pick a vivid moment and describe it with all your senses.
2. Choose your theme: Ask yourself: ‘What thread runs through my life that I want to pull on?’
3. Build a structure: Decide whether your story will be chronological, thematic, or a mix of both.
4. Why are you writing the memoir? Is it a personal story, set in the context of a historical event, or a ‘how to’, to share life lessons, to heal, to make sense of your life, to record family stories, to leave a legacy or something else?
5. Think about your reader: Who is your ideal reader? Is it for a public audience, or for a friend, loved ones, descendants or is it just for you?
6. Write your book blurb: it will help you decide and remind you of the book you would like to write.
7. Keep writing: Don’t worry about perfection. Draft, then refine.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Writing a memoir can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. At Memoir Magpie, we specialise in helping people shape their stories. Whether you’re bursting with ideas or just have the feeling
there’s a book in you somewhere, we can help you work out the best starting point. We can also help you write it or indeed write it for you based on interviews.
Book a free call at www.memoirmagpie.com, and let’s chat it through.
Martin Talks
Founder
Memoir Magpie