From the other research I’ve done, it seem like the three act story structure is the most common one used for fiction and memoir writing.
I just watched an hour long webinar hosted by Dave Chesson at Kindlepreneur, which featured Marion Roach Smith. It was about writing a memoir and the Marion broke the memoir writing process down into three chunks of content to provide a formula for memoir writing.
The Three Act Memoir:
- Define what’s at Stake (medium length section of the book)
- Show what you Tried (longest section of the book)
- Show what Worked (shortest section of the book)
Marion’s memoir structure is an effective bird’s eye view framework, and provides you with the ultimate goal for each of your three acts.
If you’re writing a memoir with a character arc (not just a chronological collection of events with no internal personal growth), then the three act structure is a good decision to make. It all seems so logical and straight forward, but of course it’ll be more complex when I write my own story!
Creative vs. Technical
This whole memoir writing process is a minefield of information. But that’s why I’m writing this blog. I want to unravel the complex world of writing a (compelling) memoir.
My first memoir is a learning curve. Not only do I have to write the memoir content, I also have to figure out the best methodology and structure to use. The more memoirs I write, the easier it’ll become. For now, I’m balancing the creative with the technical, to create a perfect marriage between these two journeys.
This period of research is an investment in my future, and well worth the effort. The more time I spend trying to make sense of the confusion around structure, plot, plot points, universal themes, and the argument I’m trying to support, the more beneficial it’ll be.
If you’re on the same path, and want to write your memoir and are looking for some inspiration (or can provide some inspiration), please join in the conversation in the comments section below and lets get our memoirs written.
Currently Reading
Actually, I haven’t started reading this yet, but I did buy it after the webinar, so that I could learn more about Marion’s memoir writing approach.
| Theme | Characters | Plot |
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