Non-fiction Narrative Writing: Biographies, Memoirs, and Autobiographies

Review: What is Point of View? First- Person Definition: The point from which a story is told. The narrator: Is a main or minor character in the story Uses the pronouns “I” and “me” Shares his/her personal view of other characters and events. Doesn’t know the thoughts/ feelings of other characters

Point of View continued Third- Person Omniscient Third-Person Limited The narrator: Is not a character in the story, but an outside observer, whose observations can be objective, or unbiased. Is “all knowing”- he or she has access to all thoughts/ feelings and opinions to ALL other characters. The narrator: * Is not a characters in the story, but an outside observer * Zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of one character

Autobiography Writer is the subject and it’s an account of his/her own life Written from 1st person point of view and uses pronouns “I” and “me” Describes the subjects thoughts, feelings, & opinions about his/her life Based mostly on details from the subject’s own memories Diary/Journal: Popular form of autobiography

Biography History of a lifetime – Must cover entire life Most important facts and events of someone’s life Contains anecdotes, memories, trips and cherished moments3rd person point of view Written from Information from many sources, but sometimes includes details provided by the subject.

Personal Narrative Focus is on a particular event in a person/writer’s life Written from 1st person point of view Tells a story about real people & events Short, non-fiction work usually dealing with a single subject

Memoir Written in 1st person point of view Captures certain highlights or meaningful moments in one’s past Contemplation of the meaning of that event at the time of the writing of the memoir (includes themes) Much more emotional and connects the writer to someone or something that had an impact on their life Often gives historical information about the society & culture of the time

Characteristics of a Memoir Continued… Narrative structure (contains storytelling elements like setting, plot, imagery, characterization, foreshadowing/flashback, and symbolism) Fictional quality

Literary Language and Devices found in Non-fiction Narratives Imagery- Language that uses the five senses to paint a picture in the readers mind. “The afternoon sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch and fell on my upturned face.” - from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller Simile- Comparing two things using “like” or “as” Metaphor- Comparing two things directly without a comparison word. “Like a jewel under a bright light, Houdini responded to attention by revealing brilliant new facets.” - from Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini by Tom Lalicki

Now it’s your turn… Read the following excerpts and decide whether they are from a biography, autobiography or a memoir.

How do you know? Look for clues in the writing, such as point of view Biography How do you know? Look for clues in the writing, such as point of view

Memoir How do you know? How can you tell if it’s a memoir or an autobiography? Look at the point of view Look at the title

Autobiography How do you know? Look at the point of view. How can you tell if its an autobiography or a memoir? Look at the title. Based on the title we can infer that this story will focus on his whole life and career, not just his childhood or one specific part of his life.