Memoir #3 - Red Hot reads

Blog #2

Memoirs have been red hot reads since 1996 when Frank McCourt published Angela’s Ashes – which won a Pulitzer.

Having accepted the assignment to talk about memoir, I felt myself pulled. What I wanted to share was the idea that an author should consider whether his/her story would be better told as truth or fiction (and how much truth is in fiction?) I wasn’t prepared to say which genre was better. Only that an author ought to give it some thought.

            And the fact is, all the elements of good fiction need to be used by the writer of a memoir. There must be emotion, even passion, conflict, and resolution. There will likely be creative non-fiction dialogue to bring life to the telling.

More:

I want to give credit where due and I think the following theme list came from writer Jack Remick of Seattle. Or the list could have come from Michele Weldon. I’ll try to check before posting this.

Common themes for the memoir:

Abusive relationships

Incest

Dysfunctional families

Living in Poverty (The Glass Castle)

From Poverty to Riches

And the reverse (How Starbucks Saved my Life)

Tell Alls – juicy secrets mostly from celebs

Courage – war stories

Pets – My Life with Snooky – I made up this title but not all memoirs are high                         drama. Some are about the wonder and love of a devoted pet.

            And there are Happy Family memories – 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal