There used to be one type of memoir, and it was mostly—although never exclusively—reserved for the rich and famous.
Much has changed.
The one kind of memoir genre that prevailed was written by famous people about the important events in history that they had taken part in. Mostly, these accounts were about how wonderful they were and how important their roles in history had been. Often, these memoirs were about excoriating their political or business rivals and actually provided little emotional or psychological insight into the protagonist other than s/he was a “good guy.”
Today, we have more kinds of memoir types—or genres—than we could have imagined even only several generations ago. This Memoir Writer’s Blog category devoted to types of memoir is proof of that.
Today’s memoir genres—and I’m including only the subcategories in this category—include the following:
In beginning to write a memoir, you need not have a clear sense of where in the types of memoir your story is likely to fit. Some writers‚ such as Kate Christensen who began to write her Blue Plate Special with a sure sense that it would be a foodoir, know from early on what it is they are writing. Other writers, however, begin by simply writing.
When Mary Ellen Ellwell began her With No Extraordinary Power, she had no idea where the writing would bring her. Eventually she realized that, of all the types of memoir, what she most wanted to write was a professional memoir. She had been head of a National Council of Social Work Education and, in that capacity, had sponsored the adoption of the BSW which today is accepted as a gateway degree but which she had to champion over many year to get it accepted in the profession. For more on this author, click here.
Below are posts, listed chronologically, by writers who have had interesting life journeys that took them to physical and emotional arenas they had not dreamed of as young people. Links to their books are available in the articles.
If you are interested only in subcategories, click to the links in the bulleted list above.
In conclusion
If you would like to explore writing our own book, to examine and record your experience, click here.
Difficult, Painful Memories Can Make a Memoir More Psychologically Astute.
We all arrive at adulthood with some difficult painful memories. In this post, I offer you procedures for dealing with and healing those memories. First of all, writing about painful memories should not be an occasion to re-traumatize yourself. Stop for the moment if you feel overcome, but if you feel ready to write about […]
Banish Fear of Revealing Too Much: Be a Bigger Presence in Your Memoir
The fear of revealing too much of ourselves in the memoir we are writing can be paralyzing.We wonder: “What will people say? How will people react to what I am revealing?” So…We hold back in our writing. We stop ourselves from personal revelation, from sharing secrets.The fear is founded—it’s not always a friendly world out […]
Who is Your Memoir Narrator?
This may sound like a trick question, but it’s not. In fact, “who is your memoir narrator?” is a very serious question that will determine—or at least greatly influence—the tone and the theme of your narrative and how your reader views your story as being truthful.
Writing more Deeply: The pain in telling the truth
My new memoir, French Boy (due out in the summer of 2023), is about my childhood. Much about this time in my life has a context that is unique and consequently different from that of my contemporaries. This memoir has a place in the world of memoirs, and I want it to find that place, […]
Holding the Pen—Writing the Story of My Life
When writing the story of my life, I didn’t let anyone else hold the pen For the past eight months, I have been writing my lifestory. As a professional personal historian, I believe in practicing what I preach to those in my lifestory writing workshops. I have even gone as far as hiring an editor […]
Work With or Through Pain: Writing Painful Memories
In this video, Work With or Through Pain: Writing Through Painful Memories, I talk about writing through painful memories. Pain is often a barrier to memoir writing. Who wants to revisit difficult times? Although delving into the past is a generally pleasant experience and promotes healing and growth, it can also be painful.
The Theme-focused Memoir
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 […]
Surviving Childhood Abuse: A Writer’s Experience
Congratulations to Denise Brown on the publication of her book, Transcending Darkness: A Memoir of Abuse and Grace. I recently had the opportunity to interview Denise about her experience writing her book on surviving childhood abuse. I am pleased to share her experience. To read Part 2, click here. To read Part 3, click here.—DLDenis […]
“Making Nice” Will Trip You Up
You can always tell the story in the “official” version, but you will be at odds to tell the story well. When you distort your insights in order not to contradict other people’s take on your story, your readers will sense that something is wrong.