Creative Nonfiction: Memoir Reading and Writing Advanced English 9 Ms. McGlynn

What is a memoir? A memoir is a “snapshot” of a single event experienced by a single person. A memoir helps frame a moment of understanding that left a lasting impression on the writer. The framed experience may be positive or negative. A memoir is hard to define. It is personal yet selfish in purpose. It focuses on the self but explores all human relations.

What is the purpose of a memoir? to share an intense, vivid life experience in a way that will resonate with other readers to communicate the affects of the experience on the writer

What is the Contemporary Memoir? Contemporary Memoirs (CM) differ from traditional autobiographies in two ways: CMs DO NOT encompass the complete life of the writer. Cms DO focus on remembering, reflecting, and making sense of a single experience.

Characteristics of Memoir explores and preserves the past may be confessional in nature recounts personal struggles and triumphs and explains the significance of the event may be fictionalized for clarity, economy, or interest uses a 1st person perspective (I, me, my, we)

Reading and Writing Personal Memoirs When reading or writing a personal memoir consider how the text addresses the following questions: Why was this event of particular significance? What did it mean? Why is it important?

How to find ideas for writing your memoir Brainstorm: Determine your writing territories On what subjects are you an expert? Choosing to write about things that have impacted you as an individual and that you know very well will help your writing to be clear, compelling, and convincing to your audience.