What Does it Mean to Write a Memoir?

Defining a Memoir Isn't as Easy as You Might Think

Feb 17, 2009

You want to write about your life, but is your story a memoir or an autobiography? And does it really matter what you call it?

What do we know about the memoir as a writing style? It comes from the French: mémoire which is from the Latin memoria, meaning "memory".

1567, from Anglo-Fr. memorie “note, memorandum, something written to be kept in mind” (1427)

The memoir belongs to the autobiographical genre. Auto, bio and graph in Greek mean: self, life and writing.

The Oxford dictionary defines it as: A historical account or biography written from personal knowledge… an essay on a learned subject.

A memoir is a piece of autobiographical writing, usually shorter in nature than a comprehensive autobiography. The memoir, especially as it is being used in publishing today, often tries to capture certain highlights or meaningful moments in one's past, often including a contemplation of the meaning of that event at the time of the writing of the memoir. The memoir may be more emotional and concerned with capturing particular scenes, or a series of events, rather than documenting every fact of a person's life (Zuwiyya, N. 2000). (Definition from Inkspell)

A memoir is how one remembers one's own life, while an autobiography is history, requiring research, dates, facts double-checked. (Gore Vidal, Palimpsest)

A memoir tends to be focused on a period of time or a series of related events, rather than encompassing the story of a life from childhood to adulthood/old age. They can involve the writer reminiscing or contemplating the meaning of these events. They may focus on a particular element of a person’s life, such as their career, and other aspects, perhaps their personal life, may not be included.

Similarities to Fiction

The memoir has a narrative structure similar to a fictional story: setting, plot development and characterisation. It shares similiar writing elements such as imagery, conflict, flashback, irony and symbolism. Although memoirs are true stories there is also a fictional feel or read-ability to the story.

Memoirs are based on something than happened, a real event. They are usually a personal perspective on the event or events and their impact. However whether it is based on truth is a highly debateable subject. What may be deemed as a truthful recollection by one person may not be viewed so by another. Different people can remember the same event very differently. They may recall different things, forget some aspects and be influenced by their perspective on the situation or event. However it seems that, from the author's perspective at least, a memoir is their true recollection of the event or experience.

Types of Memoirs

There are many definitions and a variety of writing that can be called a memoir. What does seem to be consistent with the definitions is that it is focused rather than comprehensive. It highlights a meaningful event or experience in someone’s past. It often includes contemplation on the meaning and captures personal emotions and feelings. It is from the perspective of the author, and is highly focused and selective in the memories it includes. But that said, there are also plenty of memoirs that contradict all of this! Ultimately, it's up to the author, and perhaps their editor, to decide whether they think their story is best called a memoir.

The copyright of the article What Does it Mean to Write a Memoir? in Writing Memoirs is owned by Lisa Koning. Permission to republish What Does it Mean to Write a Memoir? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.