Another extreme is showing yourself as a helpless victim of circumstance unable to change your destiny. When writing a personal memoir essay, you might be tempted to paint yourself a flawless hero beating all odds and overcoming insurmountable obstacles. If nothing else, their stories might tickle your memory. They will share the perspective and details (cue tip #1) you might not remember. Talk to the people who were around you at the time you want to describe. Put on your Indiana Jones fedora and go digging into the old photo albums, diaries, letters. Every detail makes your memoir essay more real for the reader, draws them in, and compels to read on. I know it’s old and beaten, but this advice works every time! Breathe life into your essay with the smell of the freshly mowed lawn, the sound of bacon sizzling in the kitchen, the taste of your mum’s rhubarb pie. When you follow the steps above, keep these three tips in mind, and your memoir essay will gain depth and the power to captivate the readers: I’ve taken you through the paces, but now it’s time to step above the basics. Three Quick Tips For Writing Memoir Essays Fresh eyes do wonders for finding unnecessary tangents and typos. Getting a second pair of eyes on your story is always a great idea, but if you don’t have that option, leave your memoirs essay for a while and come back to it in few days. Never skip the post-writing routine of editing, proofreading, and formatting. If writing in chronological order is challenging, try starting with the most exciting part and extending the piece from there. Think of it as writing a diary or a journal, and the words will flow out of you onto the screen. With an idea and outline ready, all you need to do is flesh out your story. You can also hint at the events that followed and leave the essay open-ended. Then go through the pivotal events and round up the outline with a conclusion that completes the story.
Open the piece by introducing yourself, setting the time parameters of the story, and the thesis statement. Your story cannot simply contain the dry facts, or it will turn into an autobiography. Note all the important events you want to describe and leave enough room for reflections and analysis. Otherwise, narrow it down further or split your essay into several parts, if the assignment allows it. Make sure the time period you choose tells one story. You can narrow down your story to one month or scale it up to a decade of your life. Periods of change, struggle, conflict are usually a safe bet, though you can also describe the most uneventful year of your life and fill the story with everyday rituals. There are dozens of memoir essay ideas available to you (I’ve already mentioned a couple).
#MEMOIR ESSAY EXAMPLES HOW TO#
How to Write a Memoir Essay in 4 Easy StepsĮveryone’s writing process is different, but I find that these four stages are crucial to all assignments, memoir piece included: Narrow Down the Storyline You can also add a bit of creativity to your memoir by including vivid dreams you’ve had or your plans for the near future. However, be mindful of oversharing or divulging the facts you would rather stay unknown. The list of memoir essay ideas is endless, and you can choose the story you want to tell. It can tell about a particular period of your teenage years, your early childhood, or the gap year you took to travel abroad. These make them a more pleasurable read, especially if you have the writing talent to make your piece captivating and exciting.Ī memoir essay does not have to span your whole life, even if you are still in your twenties. Where autobiographies are usually factual and a bit dry, memoir essays are rich with analysis, reflection, and even sidenotes. They are akin to autobiography, but with an added twist.
It is easy to guess that memoirs are nothing but memories on paper. Stay with me till the end, and I’ll share a memoir essay sample to inspire your writing. I’ll explain what it is, the thought process behind this essay type, and divulge three tips to make it perfect. If you were lucky enough to get to write this piece, but have no idea where to start, let me enlighten you. A memoir essay is one of the most exciting and introspective assignments you can receive in high school or college.
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