Many writers, when asked how they intend to structure a memoir they are about to write, react as if they have just been asked how they will create a structure to a skyscraper. To structure a memoir is an important undertaking, but it is not as complicated as creating structure that will support a tall building.

Unlike a building or a bridge, a memoir is not solid and subject to physical imperatives like gravity. While memoir must take many rules into account – respect verisimilitude, enact plotting, round out characterization, tell the truth – these are often manipulable in the way that gravity just simply is not.

To say “structure a memoir” is perhaps a misnomer.

In a way, the phrase “structure a memoir” is a misnomer, but we do need words to describe what we do. Literature is notoriously plagiaristic when it comes to finding words to describing itself. For instance,

• We take from music the word voice and tone. We rightly say a memoir has a voice and a tone.
• We take from dance the word pace and movement. Again, our memoirs need both pacing and movement and a good memoir exhibits both.

After these borrowings, why not take the word structure from engineering?

Let’s look at different “structural” components of a memoir. These components are essentially elements that will make your memoir both more interesting and meaningful.

• Where does your story begin? Think of the beginning, the entry into your story, as a necessary first element. You need to begin your story at the point where the action begins to unfold. A story about a divorce and the reconstruction of a life does not begin with the first date in high school. It might begin with the first time you realized that this marriage could not continue.
• How do you include backstory? It will probably be necessary at some point to mention something about your first date, but when should you do it? This backstory will be a flashback. Ought it to go early in your story or ought it to wait? This, too, will contribute to how to structure your memoir.
• How do you pace your story? Certainly don’t want to give the ending away, but you have to let the reader experience that your story is moving along—but not too fast nor too slow. This is what we call pacing, and it can—and frequently should—include such fictional elements as foreshadowing and suspense.
• Have you been complete and concise? This is important in what we call structuring a memoir. You must include all the information that needs to be included to understand what is going on, but you must take out everything that is superfluous. In this sense, we say that your structure is lean.

An outline is not necessary to structure a memoir well.

Some writers feel they have to outline a story and consider the outline to be a structure. While we are not against outlines absolutely, we do recognize them as being inhibiting of the free flow of a story that best accesses some of the deeper layers of storytelling. See our videos on MemoryLists. We consider a Memory List to be a more powerful inspiration than an outline and the Memory List will end up with its own logic for structuring your memoir.

In conclusion

The posts below will help you understand this concept better.