Assignment
How to Write a Memoir
• Brainstorm on paper all the events you can remember from your life that were very important to you in a positive way or in a negative way.
• Talk to members of your family to get ideas, help you remember events from when you were small, and to help fill in the details that might have been forgotten.
• Select the event, or series of related events, that seem most interesting to you right now.
• Brainstorm again, but in more detail, trying to recall names, places, descriptions, voices, conversations, scenes things, and all the other details that will make this turn into an interesting memoir. Recall when you did something, fun, scary, or challenging.
• Work on this notetaking stage for a few days, or for as much time as you have allotted, until you feel you have got it all down on paper.
• Do some research to find out more about the time, the place, or a person in your memoir to find out what things were really like.
• Begin to write.
• You will be surprised to see that even more details begin to appear once you start to write.
• For your first draft, write quickly to get all your ideas down from beginning to end.
• Use dialogue to bring your memoir to life.
• Don't worry about editing.
• Before you revise, share your first draft with someone in the family. Consider their response, but go with what feels right.
• Decide on a theme.
• Rewrite, and then start editing as needed.
Your conclusion directly or indirectly describes what you learned and what your readers should have learned from your experiences. You are going to make a point in your conclusion. But, if you think your point is obvious, then leave it unstated. The conclusion may provide a hint or thought into the future.
You might use an audio file of you reading and enacting your memoir rather than writing a written document, if you have a choice. Adding visuals, especially photos, can greatly enhance your memoir by emphasizing a key point, setting a tone, or adding a new dimension.
Memoir Format
Introduction (that captures the reader's attention)
Description of the complication
Evaluation of the complication
Resolution of the complication
Conclusion (A new revelation, insight, or question to ponder)
Instructions
MLA Format
Two-page paper
Give your paper a title
This paper is not to be read by other class members. I will be the only one to read your papers. I do not share your papers with other instructors.