Memoir VS Autobiography: How to Get it Right

Are you trying to write a memoir or an autobiography? Unsure of the difference between them? Do you want to learn some tips about how to write them? Continue reading if you want to find out more about both subgenres!  

Memoirs: Is there a distinct moment you have lived that needs to be described to the world? A special experience that feels like a story? Maybe it’s time for you to start writing your very own memoir. Memoirs are a non-fictional, first-person compilation of events and memories extracted from an author’s real life. Here are our top tips on how to write a great memoir: 

• Don’t write your entire life: when writing a memoir, focus on the specific moment you want to tell. Think about the people that were there, how that moment felt and what happened. Try to remember as many details as possible. Pick an important moment and flesh it out. 
  
  
• Engage readers using senses: this way the reader will feel the story on a personal level and travel to that specific experience they are reading. Focus on feelings and emotions when writing. 
  
  
• Play with chronology: Try to catch your reader’s attention from the very first line and open your book with an immersive experience. Use the opening to build interest and curiosity inside the reader’s mind, and then fill in the blanks later. 
  
  
• Write like it was fiction: Make it compelling, use dialogue, ‘show’ your descriptions rather than just telling them what is happening. Let the piece shine by itself.  

 

Autobiography: This subgenre allows you to explain the events of your entire life up until the moment of writing. As a writer, you must recollect all your memories from your life, follow your own point of view and be honest about the events. Here are some key elements to consider while writing your autobiography: 

• Describe your origins: explain where you come from, talk about your family, is there an ancestor you consider a key point in your life? Explain it, use facts, and write them chronologically. Unsure about how to flesh out the individuals in your writing? You might find this blog useful. 
• Epiphany: Have you had any moments of great revelation or realisation? Have you lived an experience that changed you radically? Write them out, explain how they happened and what they meant, how they shaped your worldview and your approach to life in the present day. If you want to ensure the plot of your novel grasps readers from the start, you might find this blog useful as a starting point. 
• Be detailed: Details make the difference between your book and the book standing next to it in the bookstore. Remember to put that extra care and attention into your writing. Readers will relate more to your characters and small details if you put care into them, which truly makes a big difference.  
• Use the first-person voice: Third-person can sound arrogant and pretentious in an autobiography, it will make you lose touch and sound less intimate with the reader, less relatable. Try to use a tone of voice that will bring readers into your story, and not push them out. ​

What Should I Write—Autobiography or Memoir? 

If you’re still unsure about what to write here are some quick-fire questions to help you decide: 
Which is more important to you, facts or emotions? If you answered facts, an autobiography is more suitable. If you went for emotions, try writing about them in a memoir. 
Is chronology important to you or are you more focused on a specific subject? If you want to write more freely and stick to a theme, go for a memoir; if you’d rather stick to chronological order for your story then it’s probably an autobiography you’re after. 
 
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what genre you choose as long as you enjoy it! And if you start with one, but it doesn’t feel right, you can always change to the other. If you’re struggling to find your voice, you might find our blog on finding your voice useful.

​You just have to find the genre that feels good for you! If you’d like some help deciding what genre best suits your writing style, we offer Pre-Publication Services such as our Writing Advisor Service that can help you with any aspect of book-writing, whether you’re at the very beginning stage of drafting up an idea, stuck on a plot, or starting to consider that final polish. Happy writing!