How to Choose Your Memoir Structure
KNOWING HOW TO CHOOSE your memoir structure is essential to your book’s success. Period. Full stop. And this is why I devote many posts here on the blog to explaining this to you. Below, see a list of other posts on book stucture. This one is brought to you by a well-published author whose work will inform you on memoir structure and the fine art of developing one. Ready? Read on.
How to Choose Your Memoir’s Structure
by Amber Lee Starfire
When you set out to write a memoir, choosing its structure may be the most important — and angst-inducing — choice you have to make. Structure is the framework around which you build your story. If the structure is weak, the story won’t hold up. If the structure is strong, you can take all kinds of experimental liberties with the narrative, and the story will still be coherent and hold together for your readers. .
It took me a long time to arrive at the structure for my first memoir, Not the Mother I Remember. My challenge was to incorporate three voices or points of view (POV) — my childish POV, my adult-reflective POV, and my mother’s as expressed in her writing. Ultimately, I decided to begin with my adult-reflective point of view and a catalyzing event (finding my mother’s journals and letters), and then go back to the beginning of the story and braid the three voices together chronologically. I’ve been happy with that structure.
In my newest memoir, Accidental Jesus Freak: One Woman’s Journey from Fundamentalism to Freedom (February, 2018), I began with a scene from the middle of the story, a major turning point. Then I went back in time to explore how I had arrived at that point in my life. But I didn’t adhere to a strict chronological structure. The purpose of my memoir was to explore and understand the needs and influences in my life that led me and thousands of other young people in the 1960s and 70s into the Jesus Movement, so I associatively dip into the backstory of my childhood from time to time and include theme-based chapters where it strengthens the premise of my story.
Below are some examples of structure you may want to consider for your memoir.
Variations of Chronological
Strict chronological. The easiest structure is beginning your story at the earliest point in time and progressing to the latest point in time. However, this structure can lack dramatic tension or, at worst, end up as a boring repetition of “this happened, then that happened.” If you want to use a strict chronological structure, take extra care that each chapter contributes to the main message of your story and contains enough tension for your readers to want to continue reading.
Open with the turning point. Open the story with a dramatic event, then drop back in time and relate the events that brought the narrator to the dramatic climax. Many novels and movies use this technique quite successfully.
Two timelines. Another variation is to carry two timelines forward simultaneously, alternating chapters, until the two timelines meet and merge in the end.
Reverse chronological. You can reverse the order of events chronologically, starting with “how things turned out,” and working your way back in time to “how it all started.” This structure can be tricky to pull off. If telling the story backwards enhances character development, dramatic tension, or gives readers important and necessary windows into the narrator’s journey, a reverse timeline may be worth exploring.
Thematic
Stringing scenes along one or more thematic threads is another way to structure a memoir. Themes may include any elements that the scenes have in common, such as relationship conflicts, illness, geography, or repetitive historical events. The scenes do not have to occur in chronological order and, in fact, can jump all over the place in time as long as the transitions between jumps are strong and do not confuse your readers.
Associative
Associative writing works a lot like memory itself; one memory leads to another (often one image leads to another), and in a not-very-straightforward manner. As with a theme-based structure, pay particular attention to transitions and
Choosing Your Memoir’s Structure
Ultimately, you need to figure out what works best for the story you are telling. And you may need to play with a few ways of arranging your story before finding the right one. Ideally, you’ll know your approach before you begin writing, but you might also need to do a lot of writing (or pre-writing) before you fully understand your underlying themes and the focus of your story.
Try This
Analyze the structure of one of your favorite memoirs:
- Draw a timeline and locate the events of each chapter on the timeline. Does the author move straight through her story chronologically? Or does the narrative move back and forth through time?
- Identify the theme or themes for each chapter. Are the themes organized in clusters or are the themes threaded throughout the story?
- If the memoir includes more than one voice, note how the author organizes the voices and the transitions between them.
- Look at transitions between chapters and between events on your timeline. What mechanisms does the author use to effectively transition from one theme or time to another?
Accidental Jesus Freak, an excerpt
Chapter One
In two days, I would pack all the belongings I could carry and return to the United States with my husband and two children. Instead of the excitement and sense of adventure we brought to Amsterdam ten months before, we were carrying back the heavy weight of failure. We had sacrificed everything in order to make the move—our house, our belongings, most of our savings—and now we had nothing left. I was no longer sure who I was or where to call home.
I exited the doors of Youth With a Mission’s city headquarters for the last time and crossed the street to wait for the tram that would take me to Amsterdam’s Central Station. From there, I would catch the ferry to return to our apartment in North Amsterdam. As I waited, I gazed across the street at the mission and the row of tall brick buildings it sat next to. Cars and trucks and bicyclists jockeyed for space in a chaotic rush-hour dance accompanied by the beeping of horns, the dinging of bicycle bells, and friendly people shouting to one another. Women carried home bags stuffed with bread and bright bouquets of flowers for their dinner tables. I inhaled the smells of steel and diesel, familiar and comforting after nearly a year of living and working in the city. Whiffs of cigarette smoke from passersby mixed with the moist, slightly salty air of the nearby canal. I never thought I could love a city this much.
It was the last time I would hear the chaotic city sounds, the bicycle bells, the clanging of the trams. It was the last time I would see these people in this place on earth. The thought made my head swim.
I looked again at the buildings across the street. It was hard for me to comprehend how Youth With a Mission had been the center of my hopes and dreams less than a year ago. We had come in answer to an internal call to serve God with our music, but everything had fallen apart. Mixed emotions—anger, fear, confusion, and disappointment—roiled inside me like crabs thrown into boiling water. What had I done wrong that I should be punished like this? Why had God abandoned me?
That’s when I saw Floyd McClung, the charismatic leader of Amsterdam’s mission, on the opposite corner. When the light changed, he stepped confidently off the sidewalk and strode across the street. Tall and blond and well built, handsome in his suit and white shirt, he would have looked at home in any boardroom.
With a sick, empty longing, I watched him come toward me. For four of those ten months I had worked for this man in the name of God. I had answered phones and typed letters, organized transportation and hotel rooms for foreign religious dignitaries. I had learned to use the telex machine and communicated with mission offices all over the world. I had worked as one of his secretaries in a small, wood-paneled office, where he had walked past me and into his office each day as though I were invisible.
I watched as the man who had held complete power over my life and that of my husband and children for the last 312 days, who had barely spoken directly to me, advance. I expected him to pass by me, where I would remain unseen and invisible as I had always been. Instead, he stopped in front of me, a sympathetic smile plastered on his face.
“We will miss you,” he said, his voice warm and smooth. His expression had changed to one of concern and compassion, but his cool eyes looked past me, as if I were already gone and he was seeing my future. I looked up at him, willing his eyes to meet mine, willing him to see my brokenness, but his eyes remained distant. I wondered what was going through his mind. Did he feel ashamed or conflicted? Was that why he would not meet my eyes? Or was I simply not important enough to look at? Did he care at all about me or my family?
Without warning, he stooped and kissed me lightly, briefly brushing my cheek with his lips. Then he straightened and resumed walking like a man who knows his place in the world.
Stunned, I raised my hand to my cheek. His kiss burned as though he had placed a hot ember against my skin instead of his lips. It was, I thought, eerily like the kiss of Judas, a kiss from the man who had taken away my dreams and delivered me into the hands of pain and loss.
The ghost of his lips on my cheek opened a sudden abyss of grief, and I felt my knees give. The world swayed and dropped away, everything around me going soft and gray. The traffic noise receded into a fog as my vision telescoped into grainy static. I managed to remain standing by steadying myself against the pole of a street lamp and was surprised to realize, when I moved my hand away from my face, that it was wet with tears.
If you enjoyed this post, please also see these:
How to structure a memoir that works
After reading those, consider joining me in a live, online class on how to structure a book. It’s called Memoirama 2, and we offer it monthly
Thanks, Amber and Marion, for all the ways you’ve mentored me in writing memoir. This is an excellent post, packed with good advice. I think you might have addressed a potential problem in my (chronological) memoir. One of my beta readers said the second half of the memoir is more exciting than the first half, hinting that I should consider spiffing up the first half. I’ve been puzzling over how to do that but when I read your post, a light came on. You said we need to include enough tension to keep readers reading. Tension. That’s it! The beginning and the second half of the book include plenty of tension, but I need to include more in that awkward gap between them. Thank you!
Linda, I’m so glad the article sparked some insight into how to improve your memoir. Can’t wait to hear more about it as you progress!
Love the excerpt! This memoir is now on my wish list! I have been working on structuring my memoir, and her explanations helped me figure out what I’ve been trying to do. I am starting with the turning point, but I still need to make sure that my themes are coherent. Thank you for this lesson! I’ll be reading over it multiple times!
You’re welcome, Becky. Identifying your themes and threading them together in a way that supports your story is a great step forward. Congratulations.
Good luck Becky. I’m right there with ya.
I never considered the two timeline structure. I think I’ll play with it because it seems to make sense with my memoir.
Crater, you’ve probably read some novels that use the two-timeline structure. It can help to review how other authors have done it — what worked and what didn’t — as you experiment.
I learned that memoir writing involves a lot of choices. It seems like it should be easy writing about our lives or a life experience, and it is. What’s difficult about it is making it interesting and enjoyable for the reader. I’m going to try analyzing some of the memoirs I’ve been reading and even my own writing to think more deeply about structure. Thanks for the tips.
Nancy, you’ve hit upon a key aspect of memoir writing. Of course, all writing involves making choices, but choosing which events and themes in our lives to include in THIS memoir — sorting out those that add value and those that don’t — can be challenging at times. I’ve found that analyzing others’ memoirs is an excellent way to gain clarity for my own writing. Let me know how it goes.
I’m exactly at that point with mine–the sifting stage! OY VEY! I’m believing that it will all reveal itself, which is why I’m just contuining to write. Is it inevitable that scenes and chapters will be moved around often when structuring your memoir??
Great information! I struggle with structure…wow…lots to think about. Thank you!
Glad to provide food for thought, Sara. I’ve found it helps to take a playful attitude toward it. Sometimes, I print out index cards for each event in my outline with the theme(s) for that event on it, then play with arranging and rearranging them on a table. It’s a great way to gain a new perspective.
Thanks Marion and Amber for this mini lesson in memoir. Finding an appropriate structure has kept me from writing the story I have in my heart. I always envisioned it as an old fashioned clothes line with each story or memory pinned in a straight line, but now I understand how two (or three) lines can work together. I’m excited to read this book, of course, but I’ll try to get her first memoir from the library. I have boxes of my own journals, and I’ve often wondered if my kids will have an interest in reading them later. Thanks for all you do! Happy New Year!
Thanks for your comment, Stacy. I love the visual of a memoir as stories pinned to a laundry line — or parallel lines. Remember the old carousel laundry lines? The ones with a center pole and 4 or 5 sides with multiple lines on each side? Think of the possibilities!
And please do save those journals. They’re a gift!
Wow… this is so helpful! The first thing I’m going to do is take a couple of my favorite memoirs and map out the structure the authors used. The reminder that tension is what keeps a reader hooked was important for me. I also loved the visual of taking three voices and “braiding them together.” Fabulous piece! Thanks for sharing. I’ll be adding both memoirs to my list of books to read.
Thank you, Kelly. I hope you enjoy both memoirs. Mapping out the structure of others’ memoirs is the best way to learn how to do it yourself. Observing and mimicking others is really the way we learn how to do everything, isn’t it?
Love the excerpt! I was left hanging, wanting to know more.
My memoir, as it is, is written chronologically as it happened. I am wondering if looking back from today’s perspective would make the story more compelling.
Tammy, good memoirs include reflection on what happened. There are several ways to approach this reflection. The first and most common is to look back from today’s perspective (or at least the perspective of time). Another way is to use internal thoughts and/or external dialogue of your narrative self along the story — this second is more difficult to accomplish, but can work to show how your character grew and changed during the life journey as portrayed in your memoir. You might want to play around with both and see which best fits your narrative voice.
Wow! An exciting way to get my day started! Many things to consider in structuring my memoir piece. I like the idea of “opening with a turning point”. That speaks to me more clearly with my first piece of memoir. Looking forward to reading more of this author’s work!
Thank you Marion and Amber! Happy New Year to you both!
Thank you, Donna, and Happy New Year to you, too! I’m interesting in hearing how opening with your turning point works for you.
My MS starts with a turning point. Like the excerpt you share, a crisis propels the story forward. Thank you for the great helps and insights you share.
You’re welcome, Carol. The opening crisis often makes your readers want to turn the page to find out what happened.
Excellent advice but it leaves me with the challenge of figuring out the main message of my story, the theme, and thus what the structure should be. Each person’s story is different and thus only that person can figure out the answers to the challenges.
The opening chapter of Amber’s memoir made me want to keep reading to find out why she spent that year in Amsterdam and then what happened after she got home. Definitely pulled me in.
Jan, you are absolutely right — each person’s story is different and has its own challenges. I suggest writing a brief one-sentence (no more!) summary of each chapter or vignette you’ve written, along with one word that characterizes the main theme of that vignette. If you find that you are unable to summarize the point of a vignette, then you may be trying to do too much with it. Ask yourself why you want to write about that particular event. Your answer to that question will help guide you as to whether to include it in your memoir or not. I cut a lot of scenes from mine (to save for later) when I realized they even though they were good stories, they didn’t contribute to the purpose of my memoir.
Amber, thanks for those suggestions. I will try them! It’s a great idea to try to summarize sub-themes of sections.
Jan
How nice to see you over here Amber! Two of my favorite memoir coaches teaming up! Love it! Not the Mother I Remember was such a meaningful read for me. I’m certain this newest one will be as well. Can’t wait!
I’m tossing around the idea of a memoir about my personal growth through past relationships with my exes so… chronological would make a lot of sense, although I’d probably open with a turning point. It’s possible something else will emerge once I finally begin putting the words down. Courage, right?! ;)
Thanks, Tori! :-). Your memoir idea sounds intriguing. Yes, ideas will emerge as you begin writing, but don’t toss out the idea of a theme-based structure. You could base it on relationship patterns, personality quirks, humorous (or strange) alliances. The possibilities are endless. But yes, first…gotta write. And I know you’ve got the courage to do it!
Great advice, thank you! Taking notes. Hmm, one theme that easily comes to mind is bad boys & good guys, dated plenty of both!
That could work, especially if you use the contrast to provide humor :-)
Good luck TOri! I’m right there with ya!
Thank you for this–perfect timing! I’m editing a client’s memoir and it is a straight chronological shot, so this really helps as we work on structure. I’m intrigued by your opening and look forward to reading your book. I love your advice to Jan as well.
Thank you, Madeleine. I appreciate the encouragement. (We all need it, right?)
I tossed writing my memoir into the fireplace. It was a frigid day. Structure was illusive. I had a great story but didn’t know how to begin. Amber’s excerpt infused me with hope and excitement. I never occurred to me that I could start with a dramatic incident – and I have a beauty – because I was wedded to chronological, linear thinking, so thank you Marion and Amber!
Carolyne, many times the middle is the best place to start, even if you ultimately end up structuring it differently. I say start at the heart of your story and let that lead you. Stay hopeful :-)
Thanks Amber. I’m doing this now and I’m liking that! “Let it lead you..’ is my new motto for how the rest of the book will take shape. How many times did your story structure morph during the writing process– or did you know from the start what it would be?
Both books’ structure morphed over the course of writing. I really struggled more with the first one because of the complexity of telling 3 stories/points of view. Accidental Jesus Freak also changed, in how and when I dipped into backstory to some of the events. So, after the dramatic event, it isn’t a fully chronological story, though it flows in that general direction.
I hope your manuscript didn’t burn in the fire!!
I learned so much from Amber. Thank you. I am knee deep in writing my memoir now and I started with chapter one being at the climax of the story. I then went back to my childhood a bit in chapter two. I then continue chronologically until the end. I THINK I like this structure , for now, but who knows what will happen as this book morphs. Thank you both.l
Thank you, Michelle. That structure works for a lot of memoirs. Do you have a critique group or trusted reader for feedback?
NO I don’t Amber. I’m open to it but my budget is super tight. Do you have a suggestion?
Local critique groups are free, but if you don’t have a writing community near you, that might not work. Do you belong to any online FB groups or have other writer friends? You might consider starting a critique exchange with one of them. It’s helpful if they write in the same genre and are able to give honest and constructive feedback.
Thanks for writing Amber. I do belong to a few FaceBook groups but I’m not sure they do critiques. I’d be interested in starting one too.
I’m writing my first memoir right now, and this article hit upon things I’ve found myself debating about internally- like what structure to use and how to lay out the story. I started pre-writing various memories to see what themes and significant events would emerge, and I am still writing. One thing written down inspires another! I have given up trying to piece it all together for now. That being said, your memoir sounds interesting, great opening scene.
Thank you, Emily. Typically, you need to do enough writing (I call it pre-writing — getting those scenes drafted on paper or file) to allow those themes and the core of your story to emerge and solidify. Structure comes later for most of us.
Reading this was the right random event to crystalize my structure: a reflective adult voice remembering the past from childhood on, Thanks, Amber.
Glad to be of assistance, Robert! :-)
Thank you for the spark Amber (and to Marion for offering the space to share it). I have been working on writing the critical moment. I never thought about beginning the memoir with the moment, but perhaps I need to consider it. I appreciate the prod today!
You’re welcome, Denise. Stay in touch and let us know how it goes.
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Wow! Well done, Amber! That writing was so “SHOW” and not tell. I felt as though I was right beside you experiencing what you were describing. Great writing. I appreciated your post and found it helpful. Will use it as I am just striking out on my own memoir quest. Thank you for being so resourceful. Cheers!
Thank you, Heidi. :-)
Thanks for insightful writing. It creates fantastic suspension and I need to know, what went wrong.
Thanks for the information on what to consider when determining how to structure my memoir. I printed this post out for future reference…I can see it’ll come in handy often!