Memoir Theme: the soul of your story – The Memoir Network | RSS

A memoir is elevated by its theme not by its topic.

Denis Ledoux — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 20:07:58 +0000

It is the development of a theme that makes a memoir, even of ordinary topics, come through as interesting and even memorable. The topic is the bare bones of what you say in your book, and the theme is your “take” on what you say. The theme is necessarily wispy and even open to various […]

Monday Focus: Avoid this big mistake! Don’t slight the soul of your story.

Denis Ledoux — Mon, 20 May 2024 15:27:52 +0000

Your theme is the soul of your story, the element that elevates it from a recitation of facts to a statement. But don’t make this mistake! (more…)

Monday Focus: Theme is the soul of your story.

Denis Ledoux — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:00:26 +0000

Understanding “theme” and its role in your memoir is another core task that will both simplify and clarify your message—i.e., your theme. (more…)

The Theme-focused Memoir

Denis Ledoux — Tue, 03 May 2022 14:43:52 +0000

While many of the people whom I have helped to write a memoir have come ostensibly to write about their lives – to celebrate some achievement, I would say that many of these people are also writing a mission-driven memoir, a theme-focused memoir. Behind the desire to tell about their lives, there is some intent […]

Shaping Your Theme

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 17:59:00 +0000

You imbue the whole of your story with your theme and it, in turn, influences the choice of every element in your story—even when you’re not aware of it. Consciously shaping your theme can make your memoir. (more…)

Three Ways an Inauthentic Memoir Theme Will Trip You Up

Denis Ledoux — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 11:00:29 +0000

As you articulate your theme, ask yourself if this theme is really yours–does it reflect your present understanding of your story and of life itself? (more…)

Seven Reasons for Writing a More Personal Memoir

Denis Ledoux — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 10:00:55 +0000

You want to write your memoir, but you resist getting too personal, going in too deep. In short, writing a more personal memoir. Your guarded secret that you wanted to have your own business one day or your hope that your father would apologize eventually for his denigration of you—this has happened and it has […]

Is Theme in a Memoir The Driving Force?

Denis Ledoux — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 11:00:40 +0000

How important is theme in a memoir? Theme in a memoir is absolutely important! Here’s is a distinction between a family-focused autobiography and a memoir that, I hope, will help you to appreciate the value and the role of theme in a memoir. (more…)

Is theme important in memoir?

Denis Ledoux — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 10:00:29 +0000

Theme influences choices for every element in the story: plot development, characterization, and setting. Is theme important. You bet it is! (more…)

Writing About Religious Beliefs in a Memoir

Denis Ledoux — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 10:02:11 +0000

Writing about religious beliefs can be a quagmire for the memoir writer. How can you write about religious beliefs without sinking your memoir? The answer that I can offer you comes down to the same old suggestion: show and don’t tell. (more…)