Memoir/Personal Narrative

A memoir or a personal narrative is a personal story about the author's life.  It is non-fiction, though it may use hyperbole.  It usually includes some analysis of the situation that the author was able to do with the benefit of hindsight. 

A memoir focuses on one specific event or situation.  It relies on sensory language and common themes/situations in order to connect with the reader in a meaningful way. 

When people say they are going to write their memoirs, they usually pluralize the word because they're going to write about more than a single event or situation. 

Some notes on writing a memoir/personal narrative

A checklist for writing a memoir/personal narrative

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