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Writing-a-Memoir-Ultimate-Ways-to-Tell-a-Powerful-Story

Writing a Memoir: Ultimate Ways to Tell a Powerful Story

By | Guest Blog

Writing a Memoir: Ultimate Ways to Tell a Powerful Story 

Writing a memoir can do many things to you. It means that you are going to be a published author at the same time it can also serve as something that you do to release stress. This is because writing down your experiences and feeling in life can really make you feel relaxed and have reduced anxiety. Writing helps you feel like you have shared your feelings with someone. When you read it, you can reflect on it and everything will feel new and fresh again. Writing memoirs will make you feel this way but at the same time will give you a chance to inspire others through your experiences. If you are deciding to write a book and have not decided which genre to write for, a memoir should be a great idea for you. This blog will help you as you journey your way to your writing process. 

Starting your journey in writing a memoir by learning from others is also a great idea. You should check out this powerful memoir by RC Le Beau called Donut Hole. This will not only help you give you writing techniques but will also inspire you in so many ways. 

Writing a memoir can be a tough challenge. You may think it is not because everything will be based on your life or others. However, you cannot simply write it directly. You need to know a couple of points for it to be effective and successful. Telling a compelling story will require you to also know and master a couple of elements. At first, you may think that it feels like the process is too much. But let this be your inspiration to continue, the feeling of seeing your name on a book cover is the most rewarding feeling you could ever get. If you want to know how you can do it, please see the following points below:

Draw on personal experiences but include not just your story.

As mentioned, your memoir will serve as a personal diary but written in a compelling way for other people to read. That is why you are allowed to draw on some of your inspiring personal experiences that you feel will help your readers in a way or two. You also have to remember that you also have to consider your readers. You may think that your story is inspiring enough, but it is not guaranteed that readers will be entertained and engaged while reading it, which serves as one of the readers’ major goals. This aspect should also become your goal. One way to make this possible is to include other people’s narratives. It can be loved ones or even those people you have come across. Just make sure that it will add more significance to your story. 

Emphasize your message throughout the book.

If you already have an idea of what your book is about, you should also have come up with a theme. Your theme or message should be evident throughout the book. Think of your message as an opportunity for you to share something that you feel so strongly about. Thus, you want to maximize the chance to share it with your readers. You will never know whose life you are going to change because of your book. Thus, it is a great idea if you incorporate some essential life lessons that may allow your readers to reflect on. 

Make sure to put valid and truthful information.

First, you want your readers to also get wisdom and knowledge that are based on real happenings. You do not want you, readers, to expect too much. You want to give them the right amount of it. Thus, making sure that you are putting the truthful context will be necessary. You also want to research some technical information and make sure that it is valid. Even though you’ll say that it is your story, you still don’t want your readers to assume faulty information. After all, your memoir is not your autobiography. An autobiography tells your whole life. A memoir should only focus on a certain moment or an era of your life.

Overall, the writing process of a memoir is much different than regular fiction writing. With this type, you will be using your emotions and feeling more. It will require you to let out everything that you are holding in that may be helpful to support your context. Hopefully, these points will help you as you go through the journey of writing. 

Tips in writing a captivating Authobiography

Tips in Writing a Captivating Autobiography

By | Guest Blog

Tips in Writing a Captivating Autobiography

An autobiography is a subgenre of nonfiction. However, it can also become fiction when mixed with a dash of imagination. What makes this type of book famous is its ability to tell a person’s raw life story. Some of the best autobiographies are I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Donut Hole by Robert LeBeau, and Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama.

There are just so many genuine emotions in autobiographies that leave readers in awe. Apart from that, this genre’s stories also teach valuable lessons that can be applied in real situations. Hence, they are like teachers but in the form of words.

Suppose you are planning to write an autobiography about your own or another individual’s life; you must make it captivating to create a mark on your readers’ lives. That said, listed below are the best tips in writing an impactful autobiography that you should know.

Create a timeline of the person’s life

Begin the autobiography by conducting a study on the life of the person that you want to feature. This particular individual could be a famous figure, or it could be you. Moreover, make sure that you have built a strong framework before you embark on the actual writing process. So, start creating a timeline. It is the best method to ensure that you successfully included the significant people, dates, and happenings instead of writing about the unnecessary details. Don’t hold back on writing the memories that come to your mind, even if they don’t manage to be on the actual book. Consider this stage as the brainstorming and outlining process. It would be best if you weren’t so particular about the memories; what’s more important is you can recall them.

Extract the best moments

Your life story might become lengthy. Hence, you will be required to create decisions about what part to include and what not. Start creating a draft of your manuscript by extracting the best moments on the timeline you created earlier. These extracted tales will be put together to build the best image of your life. There are a handful of key subjects covered by most autobiographies because their patrons find them interesting. Some of the best parts are childhood, teenage years, love story, facing struggles, overcoming challenges, attaining success, etc. It all depends on you on what moments to include, but make sure to fit them together seamlessly for the readers’ sake.

Determine whether to mix it with fiction elements or not

It is common knowledge that life stories are automatically categorized as nonfiction. It is because they happened in real life. However, there are instances that they become fiction because of how the author mixed an ounce of imagination in it. For example, the author tries to fictionalize the setting, add another character, and more. Works of this sort are known as autobiographical novels, known to make use of autofiction techniques. Hence, it made the authentic story to be part fiction. You have the option to add some fictive elements to your novel. Think it through, and consider what could be the best choice that will surely hit the spot of your target readers.

Begin the writing process

Jump-start the writing when you already have created the framework, identified the best moments, and determined to mix fictive elements. This is the lengthiest process. It may take you months or years. The key to finish your manuscript is never to take breaks whenever you feel the need to get some. In this stage, you must be more creative in writing — because every reader has different preferences. You should know the perfect point of view to use that will increase the engagement of the readers. There are also other elements that you can utilize to enhance the beauty of your tale, such as literary devices. Also, your autobiography doesn’t necessarily have to start during your birth. You can modify the plot by starting in the middle or present—all you have to make sure that the plot is complete and gapless.