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MEMOIRS. WHAT IS A MEMOIR?. “A memoir is not what happens, but the person to whom things happen.” -Virginia Woolf. “Memoir is a window into a life.”.
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WHAT IS A MEMOIR? • “A memoir is not what happens, but the person to whom things happen.” -Virginia Woolf
“Memoir is a window into a life.” “The memoir writer takes us back to some corner of his or her past that was unusually intense-childhood, for instance.” ~ William Zinsser
“Memoir is not the whole head of hair but one or two strands of hair.” -Jean Little
“Our memoir will come not only from our memories but also from our imaginations.” Lucy Calkins
Gage Canadian Dictionary: “Memoir: n. a record of a person’s own experiences”
Characteristics of a Memoir • A memoir is a story about something that happened to the writer. • Memoirs often make the reader feel an emotion that the writer is recalling (fear, anger, happiness, sadness, etc.} • Memoirs are often stories about events that are important to the writer. • The author doesn’t tell how he or she felt about the event, but shows you through the actions and conversations of the characters in the memoir and through sensory details.
A memoir is a kind of personal experience narrative • It is a way of making sense of the past. • It allows us to explore moments in our lives and make them meaningful. • It encourages us to discover truths in our lives and share them. • It is written in the first person point of view (I, me).
Memoir Focus A memoir is more detailed than a narrative because it focuses on one thing only. A memoir is a snapshot; a glimpse into your life. Before writing a memoir ask yourself: • What experiences have I had that are worth capturing on paper? • Which memories stick with me?
Discover Meaning in Memories • A memoir has more of a narrative feel to it than a personal essay. It is written like a story, but it’s not fiction. • It is about discovering meaning in your memories rather than recording the facts. • It is about using your senses to describe the event (show don’t tell; taste, touch, hearing, sight, smell). • Narrow your topic.