How to Write Creative Non-Fiction for Memoir or Common App College Essay

Sarah O’Neill Chester County Pennsylvania Supreme Editing How to Do Self-Writing Self-writing involves YOU — the human behind the writer — as the protagonist and/or narrator of the piece you will produce. Stories in this genre come from YOU, your point of view, not a fictional character you can hide behind. Write What You Know The myth of this phrase doesn’t necessarily have to be first-hand knowledge; it can be “what you know” from second or third-hand experience, sensory stimulation, subjective memory, lies, or knowledge from imagination. Can you think of any examples from your life where this would be applicable? ■Work from reminiscences ■Infusing subjective memories with elementary research in the development of a short autobiographical work ■Choose parts of your life to write about which will engage your readers and to write honestly about your experiences ■Today, we will consider techniques for using REAL LIFE as raw material for compelling work. Memoir writing? “It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” — E.L. Doctorow Sometimes memoir writing is called a slice of life because it’s exactly that. Memoir writing is a snapshot of a single event in your life. •A memoir is a nonfiction work that presents a firsthand retelling of a part of the author’s own life. It does not document the memoirist’s entire life story but rather a selected part or a specific journey. For a piece of writing to be called a memoir, it has to be: •Nonfictional •Based on the raw material of your life and your memories Written from your personal perspective Key Elements of a Memoir Theme: Memoir writing should focus on a specific theme or lesson, and every compelling story included in a good memoir should support that theme. When people read your memoir, what do you want them to take away? What’s the overarching lesson that you want to relay? An assertion or statement about a UNIVERSAL idea. Obstacles: What obstacles have you faced? Emotional Beats: The best memoirs take the reader on an emotional journey. Writing in the first-person point of view allows you to not only tell your story but to relay the emotional impact of each specific memory. What was the most emotionally devastating moment of your story? What were the important events that made you feel hopeful or joyful? When were you the most frightened? Readers want to experience your emotional arc alongside your narrative arc. Supporting Stories: When writing your memoir, supporting stories may help with honesty and transparency. Interview your friends and family members who are around you often. You may find they remember your story differently than you do or have additional viewpoints you could explore. Personal Style: Writing a memoir is an opportunity to tell your story in a way no one else can. Your writing should reflect your personal style, personality, and point of view. Honesty and Authenticity: Remember, readers pick up a memoir expecting a true story. Readers are smart. They can tell if something in your memoir feels untrue. If they suspect that the events in the memoir are false, it can permanently damage the relationship between the author and the reader. That’s why you must be willing to tell your story in an unflinching and honest way. It all begins with a memory… Memory can be about anything you find interesting. Write about… •A specific event that happened to you •A specific aspect of your life (relationships with family members, travels, struggles to overcome something. •A particular time period of your life The impact of your own life of an outside event. Knowing the Scope of Your Story Knowing the scope of your story means knowing where it starts and where it ends. You don’t have to have a perfect sense of what comes in between, as long as you know where you want to end up. Often, memoirists bite off more than they can chew for a single memoir and end up paring back and creating a tighter container around their story. This is okay, but you want to create these bookends around your writing to guide you. How to Write a Memoir Writing a memoir requires a good overarching story, and crafting a powerful opening is essential. Begin with a dramatic hook that makes your reader want to read more! Choose a dramatic moment to begin with. Liven your writing with vivid details and specifics. Share an exciting moment and a powerful opening. INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH – 5 SENTENCES — one sentence the first sentence Heighten the drama by SHOWING, not just telling. Think about your five senses when telling your story. Sample Introduction: Sentence Structure Readers need short and long sentences, sentences with and without adjectives that describe nouns, and sentences with different kinds of patterns. Dialogue Don’t be afraid to use dialogue in your memoir. Dialogue allows you to showcase your characters without having to get in their heads while you write. Transitions Did this writer write smooth transitions? When I opened the door to my bedroom, everything was in its usual cluttered arrangement. A plate of half-eaten pancakes sat on my desk, soggy with syrup from the morning. My bikini hung lifelessly from my doorknob, dripping pool water. My heavy covers lay crumpled and cold across my bed, molded by the twists and turns of the previous night. Piles of dirty clothes sat unsorted, collecting dust. I stood in the middle of the cluttered room, breathing in the filthy air that I had become so used to. In the silence of that moment, I began to hear the clock ticking. I became aware of the moldy smell. I noticed that a spider had spun a shimmering line from my lamp to the top of my mirror. I shivered in disgust. Reflections Reflections are places where you pause to ponder, connect, and consider the ways in which your story is universal, human, and relevant to your reader. Think about what you learned from your experience. Can you identify personal growth? How do you use what you learned from your experience in your life today? Without reflection, your memoir may be a great story: with it, it can become transformative. It’s a window into your soul. Example of Ending of a Memoir SAMPLE: More on Memoir Build trust with the reader. A memoir is deeply personal and non-fiction. Tell YOUR story with honesty and authenticity. A reader can tell when the details are stretched or made up. Think like a fiction writer. A memoir is a true story of your life, but it should incorporate the structural elements that make fiction compelling. Create a story structure with a strong opening, middle, and end. Keep it relevant. Memoirs have a narrower scope, centered around a time period or events in the writer’s life. Many details and life experiences might be interesting on their own, but if they do not support the story, you should exclude them. Planning Start by thinking of some important event in your life — try to think of something memorable; something you’ll never forget, something that changed you or taught you something. Reflect on your life. Brainstorm a list of 5 events that you have found particularly meaningful, powerful, or impactful. What life lesson did you glean from these events? Which lesson was the most important for you to learn? Where to Submit to Contests? Now…Get Started! ■Choose whichever topics seem most relevant to you and your life ■There’s no need to write about a topic that has little meaning to you. The list above may have just a few topics that resonate with you. That’s fine! ■Simply write a few paragraphs, or more if you wish, expanding your thoughts. Thank you for reading! Sarah O’Neill Chester County Supreme Editing