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 interpretations, while your topic is not.

Development of a theme vs development of a topic

An example of a memoir topic could be one’s divorce after years of marriage. This will require dates and facts—often in chronological order. A topic is necessarily denotative. A legal divorce agreement has its topic, but it is hardly interesting.

The theme will be less precise, more connotative. An example might be “the gratuity of suffering” or “heroism rises above pettiness.” (Notice how theme can easily succumb to cliché.) While facts lead to only one storyline, when a theme is added, the story expands and, in many ways, can make a memoir multifaceted. Themes, which are personal takes or interpretations, do not belong in divorce agreements, but they are sine qua non in a memoir.

Both memoir and personal essay depend on a theme to elevate their topics. The difference between a memoir and a personal essay is generally this: a memoir is one heart speaking to another heart, while a personal essay is one mind speaking to another mind. The difference is not theme or topic and has never been.

From the first paragraphs, whether a book is a memoir or a personal essay, the theme is manifest as an interpretation of facts.

It is true that one memoir topic can be generally more interesting than another, and it is also true that a well-articulated theme can elevate any topic.

In conclusion

Too many writers search for drama in their choice of topic. I am suggesting that they look to theme to make their story more interesting.

Action Steps

1. Reread some text you wrote recently.

2. Identify its topic and its theme.

3. Is your theme clear so that the reader will understand it easily?

4. How can you develop your theme more? The development of a theme is crucial to the success of a memoir or a personal essay.

NB: Those interested in personal essays might look into Diana Athill’s Somewhere Near the End as an example of personal essays that have been marketed as memoir—so great is the pull of the label “memoir” today.