Tips On How To Write A Memoir Essay

Essays are often the most dreaded assignments for school. And it makes sense because they are different from the typical short answer and multiple-choice questions you’re used to answering. But, a well-written essay can help you earn better grades which in turn will help shape your future after going through college.

Of all the essay types, writing memoirs is one of the trickiest, especially if you do not understand how to start with a great hook. It is an introduction to your whole essay. So how do you write a perfect and engaging memoir essay? 

Here are some tips on how you do it.

What Is A Memoir Essay

A memoir is an essay that recounts a person’s life, usually in chronological order. It can be written in many styles, but it will always be told from the first-person point of view. The writer doesn’t have to be someone famous but could be high school graduates who want to share their life stories. However, a memoir usually has an interesting twist on life that makes it worth reading and often addresses the theme of identity and self-perception.

Further, these pieces can reflect on a particular period or event in the author’s life. A memoir may also be a collection of memories, thoughts and feelings about one’s life. 

There are many different types of memoirs, including;

• Travel memoirs. They are written during travel to display a traveler’s experience.
• Transformational memoirs. These types can be religious and tell of transformations one has encountered.
• Portrait memoirs. A second person writes them, unlike other memoir types.
• Public memoirs. They involve celebrities and other renowned public figures.
• Professional memoirs. They tell about your professional life
• Personal memoirs. They are the most common type and focus on a specific period in a writer’s life.
• Confessional memoirs. They reveal decisions made in the past

What Makes A Good Memoir

It is relatively easy to write a memoir. But some key features separate an average piece from a good one. The following are some of the aspects that comprise a good memoir.

A good memoir will have an exciting and unique story. You don’t want your story to be boring or overly dramatic, but you want it to be unique and different from other people’s stories. Think about what makes your piece different from other people’s, and then write about those individual elements.

Also see: Personal Essay vs. Autobiography Essay vs. Memoir Essay 

A good memoir also has an interesting narrative structure that keeps readers interested and engaged throughout. This can include using flashbacks or flash-forwards. Make sure your narrative structure flows well and doesn’t jump around too much so that readers can follow along easily with what is going on in each chapter of your book without getting confused or lost.

Additionally, the piece should allow readers to connect with you quickly. Writing about things that have happened in your life allows the reader to see inside your mind and heart, which makes them feel closer to you. This can be done through humor, sadness or even anger if necessary.

Tips On How To Write A Memoir Essay

When you write a memoir, remember that it is not fiction. This means there are no rules when it comes to telling the story. However, some guidelines can make it easier for you. 

The topic of the essay is usually personal, allowing you to share your experiences or feelings with the readers. It is important to note that a good memoir essay should have a good flow, meaning you should be able to connect the different paragraphs. In addition, a good memoir essay should be well researched, detailed, and well-thought-out.

Besides the research and good flow, these other tips will ensure you have the best output.

• Plan your thoughts

One way to be effective in writing a perfect memoir is planning. This can involve writing down your thoughts as they come to you. You can also write down key points, words, or phrases that strike you emotionally or mentally when meeting people with similar problems or situations. 

Planning helps you avoid running out of ideas when writing the final draft of your essay. In addition, planning out your thoughts will allow you to organize them into groups according to their relevance. This is important because it will make it easier for you to organize them into paragraphs later during writing time.

Further, you should note any critical events in your life, such as birthdays and graduation days, which were memorable for reasons other than mere memories of fun and laughter. 

• Choose the right topic

Topics will largely influence how your piece will be and how easy it will be to write. It is advisable to choose a topic that matters to you. However, you can write about anything close to your heart that has impacted your life but ensure it is relevant, engaging, and worth reading.

• Write from Your Heart

Writing from your heart allows your memoir to be honest and genuine so that people can connect with it easily. This means you cannot hide anything from them or make up stories to make them happy or sad. 

Instead, try focusing on what you feel and what happened throughout your life so far, and then weave these feelings into your story as naturally as possible. When you write from your heart and include everything that matters most to you, readers will be able to relate to your piece because they will be able to see themselves in it too.

5 Parts Of A Memoir Essay

The five parts of a memoir essay are;

• The theme

The theme of a memoir is the main idea that the author wants to convey and is closely related to the memoir’s purpose.

• The plot

The plot is the sequence of events that make up your story. It is everything that happens from beginning to end. It’s also known as the narrative arc because it contains all the major turning points in your story’s plot line.

• The scene

This is where it all happens. It includes the author’s birthplace, was raised and grew up. It is also the setting where the story takes place and is an integral part of any story.

• Settings

These are the places that have influenced you or made an impact on your life. The places where you grew up, work now, or anywhere else that has been significant for you.

• Emotions

These are sometimes the most important because it is what make people feel like they are reading about an experience that has happened to them. The emotions are what make the story come to life and give the reader a connection with the author.

Despite these parts, generally, the memoir will entail a beginning, middle, end, and conclusion.

Is A Memoir Written In First Person

Memoirs are mainly written from the first-person point of view. In other words, the narrator uses “I” and “me” throughout the text instead of a third-person narrative, where there are no personal pronouns, only third-person pronouns like he, she, or they.

Memoirs written in the first person are often considered more personal and intimate than those written in the third person because they allow readers to get inside an author’s head and hear their thoughts as events unfold.

However, one type of memoir uses the third-person perspective because the owner does not write the story themselves.

How Long Does It Take To Write A Memoir Essay

A memoir essay can take 12 to 24 hours to write. However, it may even take longer, with some even taking 5 days.

This is because there are so many variables that go into determining how long it takes to write a memoir essay. The kind of writer you are, your writing style, and the research needed determine these timelines.

If you write slowly, taking time to perfect each paragraph, it will take more than one who prefers to write quickly and get things down as they come to mind. Further, if the piece requires deep research, it will take more time to finish. 

Does A Memoir Have A Plot

A memoir can have a plot, but it’s not like the typical plot of a novel. It is more about your life and less about fiction. However, there are ways you can structure your story so that it has some semblance of a plot.

The primary way you can do this is to pay attention to your theme. If you’re writing about how much you love your cat, then maybe all of your memories will relate to cats somehow. Perhaps you’ll start with a memory from when you were young, or possibly there will be another theme throughout the book that ties everything together, like how much you love cats.

Another thing that can help add some semblance of structure to your memoir is using chapter titles to organize thematically connected incidents or thoughts into groups. For example: “My first cat,” “My second cat,” or “My favorite cats”.

You might also want to consider telling the reader what happened before the current chapter starts so that they know where it fits into the overall story arc.

Therefore, if you’re writing a memoir, it’s optional whether you want your story to have a plot and what kind of plot.