In this category on the use of details in a memoir, you have access to a number of insightful posts that will bring meaning to the quotes that follow—especially as they apply to writing memoir.

“No ideas but in things.”

— William Carlos Williams

“The devil is in the details.”

— a common saying

Without details in a memoir, your story is vague, and the reader can hardly follow your train of thought. With details, your reader is right on top of the story and understands where you are both coming from and going to.

Details are a cornerstone of another maxim of writing: show and don’t tell. They help to establish the credibility of the text.

“Hey, don’t take my word for it. Go look at the details!”

The lack of details in a memoir leads to confusion.

A common difficulty writers encounter is to confuse what they mean to convey—imply—with what the reader infers from the narrative. This often stems from the lack of use of detail. When you write “We were poor,” you are using a value word that has clear meaning for you but not for the reader who brings his/her own definition of this vague word. Does “poor” imply that you had inadequate food or that you had to have a job after high-school classes were ended for the day or do you mean to tell the reader that your family did not have a live-in maid (as on friend of mine was told—seriously!)

Had the writer used details rather than a vague word like “poor,” there would have been a correspondence between what the writer meant and what the reader understood.

In conclusion

Below are insightful posts that will bring understanding of how details enhance your writing.