The Shapes of Memoir

So how do you structure a memoir?  One of my students asked me this in my advanced non-fiction class last week and as usual I had to say, I don’t know. I’m pretty good on the structure of a personal essay (if you’re looking to get an essay published in a magazine or newspaper there are some definite guidelines), but for a book length memoir there are no guidelines for structure, no blueprint to follow. You can have a straight forward narrative in chapters, telling your story from beginning to end (as Monica Holloway does in Driving With Dead People), or you can start at the end and then jump back to the beginning and go from there (Jeannette Walls in The Glass Castle), or weave the story back and forth through time (Mark Dody in Heaven’s Coast), or keep circling back to the beginning (Joan Didion in The Year of Magical Thinking) or write it like snapshots (Linda St. John in Even Dogs Go Home to Die ) or in vignettes (Abigail Thomas in Safekeeping) or as a series of letters (Genevieve Jurgensen in The Disappearance) or even combine journalism with your story, (Blair Tindall in Mozart in the Jungle).

The best way I think to find the shape for your own book (this includes novels too) is to simply start writing the story.  Maybe it’ll come out like squares of a patchwork quilt in bits and pieces of memory or story, or maybe in a long continuous narrative.  For most of us, (for me anyway) one of the hardest parts in writing a book is to find the shape for it. I have talented writer friends who meticulously outline the whole book, and others who haven’t a clue where they’re going, they just know they have a story to write and will figure it all out as they go. There’s just no right way to do it.

As for the voice, meaning the tone, the character that comes through whether it’s yourself or a character you’ve made up, sometimes it’s there from the first word, and other times it takes real work to find it.  When I started Writing Out the Storm,  I couldn’t find the voice for my own story until I went back to some notes I’d written while I was going through the experience itself, and those notes - verbatim! - turned into the first chapter.

Also – reading other memoirs will inspire you, and might show you the way to write yours.  Be sure to check out some of memoirs I mentioned above, and let us know what books you’re reading and find helpful. 

And if you love dogs be sure to read Mark Doty’s beautiful new memoir, Dog Years, about his two beloved dogs who helped him through the death of his partner. 

Comments

[lorenstephens]

Thank you for sharing this. I just finished an "as told to" memoir for a Holocaust survivor. My next book is waiting for me -- 450 pages of transcripts from seven interviews (chatty "Kathy") and I have been procrastinating. I have tried to create an organizational chart of topics with page references to the transcripts because the interviews go back and forth over subject and time. It is total chaos, but I am on a deadline so this is sitting on my shoulder like an 800-lb gorilla. I am just going to start writing and see where it takes me. I think that my inner critic is in my way. Regards, Loren Stephens

[Barbara]

Loren - That's a challenge! But there's nothing like a deadline to get the chaos organized. Good luck!

[Penelope]

I know of an excellent book on writing personal history -- it is, in fact, a fantastic guide for memoirs of all lengths. It's called "Your Life as Story," by Tristine Ranier. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

[Barbara]

Penelope - Thanks for mentioning Tristine's book. It is a terrific book.(So is her one on keeping a diary/journal)

[The Bims]

I recommend "Writing Life Stories" by Bill Roorbach - it's full of great excercises to jog memories and help you unearth your voice.

As far as great memoirs, I loved "Ann Morrow Lindbergh's Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead." I'm also a huge fan of the Diaries of Anais Nin.

Good luck to all of you working in this genre!

[Barbara]

Dear Bims - Yes, Roorbach's book is good - I have it. Thanks for the reminder of Ann Morrow Lindbergh - I'm going to reread her.

[Sophia]

Barbara:

I just read this one again and was intrigued. On the one hand we all agree craft is important. On the other, it seems like you're saying to a certain extent your piece shaped itself, and you simply realized and acknowledged that it came out just right...? Please elaborate if you can.

[Sophia]

Barbara:

I just read this one again and was intrigued. On the one hand we all agree craft is important. On the other, it seems like you're saying to a certain extent your piece shaped itself, and you simply realized and acknowledged that it came out just right...? Please elaborate if you can.

[Heidi]

Brad, you're right, there is an element of doocimfsrt, but I felt more comfortable having written it It helps to keep my relationship with you wonderful folk on solid ground Karen that's such an important point about keeping an eye on the bigger picture. I read once about river people vs goals people river people being more interested in the general direction flow rather than goal specific focus and I think that captures somem of what you mean, that it's a direction and a journey, and we should celebrate what's contributing to the forward momentum rather than beating ourselves up about the specifics (as I would be liable to do!). Glad to have helped as ever your feedback helps me x Deb well, there's something in doing what works for you. Finite goals do drive some people forward, but they're not universally motivating. Or, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!Eric thank you. Well done on achieving your own goals. I'm going to include submitting some of my writing externally in my 2010 list too.