Memoir Part 2 Chapter 4

Memoirs are true personal stories that inspire others to reflect on or understand interesting questions or social issues. They provide new perspectives and insights that are fresh and meaningful.

Explore an reflect on a central theme or question Deeper significance of the recounted events Not just a story about your past What is the significance of this particular event in your life?

Finding Your Topic Breaking my leg while… Winning the… Failing my _____ class. My trip to… Death of _________. Leaving home for the first time. Meeting ________. Not making the _______ team. Other prompts can be found on page 40.

Your Goal… Is to uncover the meaning of your past. Begin with an interesting event or series of events from your life that you may want to explore.

Brainstorm Make a map of the scene Storyboard the event Record your story as a podcast or video Do some role playing Research

Tell the story (beginning to end). Process Tell the story (beginning to end).

Process Add detail. Describe the people involved The scenes Dialogue

Process Describe the complication (problem you or someone else needed to solve). The event The complication The immediate reaction

Conclusion Shows what you learned and extends that to your reader. DO NOT WRITE “and the moral of the story is…” “they lived happily ever after.”

Overview Engaging title Introduction with a “lead” Complication Plot Intimacy between the narrator and the reader Rich and vivid details Central theme or question A new understanding or revelation

Conclusion: what the writer learned Introduction: Sets the scene Description of a complication Evaluation of the complication Resolution of the complication Conclusion: what the writer learned