Writing a Memoir: How to Craft a Compelling Story

I found this article on The Urban Writers Blog quite interesting. Not only was it a good read but when printed out provided a useful template for composing an outline for a Memoir. 

Telling a story isn't like giving an interview. Family experiences, life experiences, and adventures you had require a proper, compelling story structure to set up the reader's attention for the type of emotional truth you're trying to tell, but in a way that makes them understand where your powerful story is coming from.

To do that, you need to first learn how to write a great memoir outline like a true writer who's been story-telling their whole life.

Before your story gets summed up in the outline, understand that writing a great memoir isn't the same as writing an autobiography.

How to Outline a Memoir

Every good book begins with a thorough outline. When writing a memoir, you too should have an outline that tells your story through the lens of a particular theme.

Unlike laying out stories in an autobiography, each scene, character development, and plot in your memoir focuses on sharing a particular experience that goes with your theme and sends the type of message that you want to send.

With that in mind, check out different memoir examples and pay attention to the two following essential elements:

1. How scenes, story, and character development relate to the main theme.
2. What message is being sent through those scenes, and how does it correlate with the theme?

Reblogged: Check out The Urban Writers website for the full article