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Memoirs: Not All About You

By Jennifer Carsen

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Published: 12Dec2009
Word count: 412
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Memoirs are appealing for writers because we all like to tell stories, and we especially like to talk about ourselves (and anyone who says they don't is either painfully introverted or, more likely, a big liar).

A memoir is generally a book-length first-person account of a specific period in a person's life (autobiographies tend to be more expansive, covering all or most of the author's life in chronological fashion, from "I was born on a Christmas tree farm in 1942" to "And thus, in the twilight of my days...").

Memoirs have become hot commodities lately and are particularly popular among women (both as readers and writers). Julie & Julia, one woman's hilarious recounting of her year spent cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, recently came out as a big-budget movie. And Eat, Pray, Love, another woman's tale of divorce, self-exploration, and world travel, has topped the bestseller lists since its release and will also soon be coming to a theater near you (with Julia Roberts, reportedly, in the lead role).

The tricky thing about memoirs is that what people want to write about isn't always what people want to read. If you think you have a memoir in you, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Be sure you have something to say. You probably do, even if your life hasn't been particularly tragic, unusual, or inspirational. But here's the catch: The less inherently compelling your story is, the more important the writing becomes. Even a relatively mundane life can make a great memoir, but you'll have to be particularly funny or poetic to get a publisher interested.

2. Enlist a strong supporting cast. Even though the star of the show is you, the author, your supporting characters also need to be strong and interesting and involved. The book can't be all about you, or you will most likely start to grate on your readers. And once you've lost them, it's very difficult to get them back in your corner.

3. Be honest. It's your story, and of course you want to come across in a good light. But if you paint yourself as perfect, your readers a) won't trust you and b) won't like you. Let your whole delightfully flawed self, warts and all, come across on the page, and your readers will follow you anywhere. If you're not the sort of person who's comfortable exposing your foibles, then the memoir genre is probably not for you.

Jennifer Carsen, J.D. is a "recovering lawyer" and the founder of Big Juicy Life. Her specialty is turning lawyers into writers. Visit http://www.bigjuicylifecoaching.com for a free copy of "6 Myths About Leaving the Law for Writing."

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