There are various reasons why someone might want to write about their own life, including wanting to leave memoirs for their children and future generations, making notes for themselves as memories of youth adventures when they grow old and forgetful, and offering something of value to the world. Even though it's very personal, if you want to share your life story with others, writing a memoir can be something to be proud of.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Before Writing
Step 1. Understand the genre of memoir
In memoirs, you are the main character of your own life story. Many memoir writers list real events in their lives to create stories that engage readers. Because you rely on your own memories as a source or story material, it is possible that you describe events or things differently than what other people remember about them or things. The key is to write down the things you remember as honestly as possible. Keep in mind that a memoir is different from an autobiography in that it only covers a few important aspects of your life, not everything that happened from your birth to the present.
Most memoir writers have a hard time starting their story and don't know where to start. In fact, you can ask family members for details about your childhood memories or events (depending on your life story). However, it's important to stay focused on your personal experiences and childhood memories or events in your past, even if those memories are "bitter" or embarrassing. Often, the best memoirs written contain a process of remembering the past that was felt to be important
Step 2. Read the available memoirs
There are several examples of memoirs that have been published and some of them are quite famous in the memoir genre:
- Memoirs of Oei Tjoe Tat: Assistant to President Soekarno by Oei Tjoe Tat. Oei Tjoe Tat is a politician who was appointed Minister of State in 1963. Oei is Sukarno's confidant who was accused of being involved in the G30SPKI incident and was imprisoned for 10 years. He was later released in 1977. This book can serve as an example of a memoir on the theme of nationalism and history.
- Notes of a Demonstrator by Soe Hok Gie. Apart from telling the story of his life, this memoir contains writings by the late Gie, both published in his diary and in national newspapers. Readers can see the condition of Indonesia in the 1960s through Gie's point of view as a student in the old order era. This memoir can be a good example of a memoir if you want to show your point of view as a student and use a political or historical theme.
- Habibie & Ainun by Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. This memoir tells the life story of B. J. Habibie, the third President of the Republic of Indonesia, and his wife, Hasri Ainun Besari. In this memoir, the love story and married life of Pak Habibie and Bu Ainun are the focus of the story. This memoir was even adapted into a film with the same title, Habibie and Ainun, which was released in 2013.
- Freedom in Joking by Pandji Pragiwaksono. In his memoir, Pandji recounts his struggle with his friends in raising stand-up comedy in Indonesia. Comedy-in this case stand-up comedy-is a form of social protest that is shown explicitly, boldly, and wittily.
Step 3. Analyze existing examples of memoirs
Choose one or two sample memoirs and read them carefully. After that, ask yourself a few questions:
- Why does the author highlight certain events in his memoirs? Think about why the author chose a particular part of the past or event as the main focus or theme in the book. For example, Habibie and Ainun's memoirs focus on the married life of Pak Habibie and Bu Ainun, especially when they lived in Germany. Meanwhile, in the memoir Notes of a Demonstrator, Gie highlights events that occurred during his lectures. When the two books are compared, the first memoir focuses on married life (post-college), while the second memoir focuses on college life. However, the two memoirs still show the great struggle that the writer had to go through.
- What are the wishes of the narrator (in this case, the author) reflected in the memoir? What prompted the narrator to share his life story with readers? Often times, memoirs are a form of 'catharsis' or venting by the author. For example, in Habibie and Ainun, the author (Pak Habibie) wrote the memoir as a form of respect and memory for the deceased Bu Ainun. According to several sources, the memoir is a form of self-therapy that Mr. Habibie did after the departure of Mrs. Ainun because the grief he experienced had a negative impact on his health. Think about the author's motivation for writing his life story and sharing it with readers.
- What keeps the reader interested and following the story in the memoir? Good memoirs are honest and 'bold', with details of events or confessions that the author may be afraid to tell in real life. The author may tell his story honestly and completely until, perhaps, there is no impression that the author seems perfect (in this case, the shortcomings or difficulties faced by the author are reflected in his memoirs). However, often readers are attracted or moved by the 'fragility' reflected in memoirs and writers who are not afraid to tell of their failures to achieve success.
- Are you satisfied with the ending of the memoir? Give reasons, both positive and negative. Unlike an autobiography, a memoir does not require a linear beginning, middle, and end. Sometimes memoirs end with no clear conclusion or final moment. Usually, memoirs end with a thought or idea about the book's main theme, or a reflection of an important event or moment in the author's life.
Part 2 of 3: Crafting a Story
Step 1. Identify the wishes of the narrator in your memoir
In memoirs, you are the narrator of the story. You will use the first person pronoun “I” to carry the reader along the story. However, it's important to keep your memoir focused on a specific goal or desire. You need to direct the story and make it worth reading. Think about your desire for the memoir, or what prompted the narrator to tell the story. The narrator of the memoir will try to achieve his desires through the story and achieve the realization of important moments in the story.
- Try to sum up the narrator's wishes in one sentence. For example: I want to understand my mother's decision to move with her family to America. Or, I want to be healthier after almost losing my life. Or, I want to experience the experience of being an air force pilot in World War II.
- Make sure you set a specific desire or goal and avoid ambiguous statements. There may be changes to the goals or desires that are reflected in the memoir in the process of writing. However, it's a good idea to have determined your main goal or desire before you start writing.
Step 2. Determine the main steps or actions and challenges faced by the characters in your story
Once you know the goal or desire you want to explore in the memoir, you can determine the actions or challenges the narrator must undergo or go through in order for him to achieve his desire or goal. The challenges and obstacles at hand make your story interesting so readers will keep reading and turning to the pages of the memoir. You are the one directing the action in the story, but the story won't be interesting if there isn't a main action driving the storyline.
- Try to write down the action or challenge in short sentences: In order to achieve my desire/goal, I have to go through/do something. However, there is an obstacle that I face that I must do something about it.
- For example: To understand why my mother moved with her family to the United States, I tried to trace my mother's family in Poland. However, I couldn't find them due to a lack of family records and the disappearance of several relatives. Therefore, I went to Poland to better understand my mother and her family.
Step 3. Mark the highlight and ending events in the memoir
Often writers have difficulty in determining the beginning of the story. Memoir writing also becomes even more challenging when you feel that there are a lot of details or moments that can be used as a starting point (or at least considered important). One way to start is to determine the peak moment or event and the closing moment. You need to dramatize both moments in a written memoir.
- The climax is an important moment in the story. At this moment, you realize your desire. Even though the incident may seem trivial, like a small fight with your mother, it can be a big moment or a highlight in your story. For example, the little fight could be the last time you talk to your mother before she dies and leave you some letters about her life in Poland. Think about the 'enlightenment' moments in stories when you realized what you wanted in life, or when you realized that you were wrong in viewing certain events or moments in life.
- The closing event is the moment of achieving your desire or goal. This incident also helps you develop the ending of your written memoir. For example, the closing event for a memoir could be the moment you find out why your mother left her homeland.
Step 4. Outline the storyline
You do write memoirs, but by following the rules of fiction writing (eg outlining a story line) you can shape or structure a written book. Storyline refers to what happens in the story and the sequence of events. In order to be a story, something has to move or change. Something or someone has to move from point A to point B because of an event, choice, change in relationship, or even a change in character. The outline of the storyline that is created should include:
- Purpose of the story: The plot of the story is the sequence of events that accompanies the attempt to solve a problem or achieve a goal. The purpose of the story is what the narrator wants to achieve or the problem he wants to solve, or what he wants.
- Consequences: Ask yourself what misfortune or misfortune will happen if the narrator's goals are not achieved. What event is the main character afraid of if he can't reach his goal or solve his problem? Consequences are negative situations or events that occur when goals cannot be achieved. The combination of purpose and consequence creates dramatic tension in your storyline, and this is what makes the storyline even more meaningful.
- Demands: Demands are things that must be met in order for the main goal to be achieved. Think of demands like a list that includes one or more events. In the progress of the story, as the demands one by one begin to be fulfilled, the reader will feel that the narrator is getting closer to the goal he wants to achieve. Demands also create a kind of anticipation in the reader's mind because he expects the narrator's success.
Step 5. Do some basic research
You may need to do in-depth research on a specific topic, such as student life in the Old Order era or the struggle to become a stand-up comedian, depending on the story you want to write. However, refrain from doing too much research before you start writing your first draft. You will be overwhelmed by the amount of information obtained in the research and will forget your personal experiences or views regarding the information. Remember that a memoir should focus on your memories of an event or moment, rather than on factual or accurate information about the event.
- You can do research on the internet or use library collections, office files and records, newspapers, and microfilm.
- You can also interview witnesses to the incident. Event witnesses are people who can tell their experiences or memories about an event from the point of view of the first person who experienced it. You will need to review the instructions, interview the people concerned, copy the results of the interviews, and read a lot of pertinent material.
Part 3 of 3: Writing Stories
Step 1. Create a writing schedule
This schedule helps you determine how long it will take to write a draft memoir. If you have a deadline, you may need to stick to a tighter schedule than when you have more free time to write.
- Try organizing your schedule by word or page count. If you usually write as many as 750 words per hour, make that number a rule or consideration in making a schedule. Or, if you think you can write two pages in an hour, use the number of pages as an estimate for creating a writing schedule.
- Determine the average time it takes to produce a certain number of words or pages in one day. If your end goal is word count, such as 50,000 words, or page count (eg 200 pages), focus on how many hours you need to spend each week in order to reach that goal.
Step 2. Write your first rough draft
You may be compelled to write and rewrite every sentence, but one of the steps or parts of writing a memoir is to write down an important event or moment honestly, in your own words and writing style. Avoid using the 'writer's voice' as much as possible (e.g. your writing style or language seems stilted or seems like telling someone else's life story). Instead, feel free to write as you speak. Include non-standard languages and regional dialects if you wish. Make the story you write look as if you were telling it in person.
Use flow outlines to get an idea of where your writing is headed, but make sure you can still explore any events or moments listed in the rough draft. Don't worry if your writing isn't perfect. Use your memory to write down moments that felt real to you
Step 3. Avoid using the passive voice
When you use the passive voice, your writing will feel long and boring. Watch for signs of passive voice in your manuscript by marking verbs that begin with the suffix "di-".
Use the grammar checker (or an app that can check grammar like Hemingway) to count the number of passive sentences in the manuscript. Try to have only 2-4% of your passive sentences written
Step 4. Stick to informal language, unless you absolutely have to use formal language or terms
For example, instead of using the word “implementation”, you can use the word “implementation”. Focus on using simple and short vocabulary. You can only use high-level or complex language when you mention scientific terms or explain technical processes. However, keep in mind that you are writing for a general audience so you should pay attention to your use of language.
It's a good idea to identify the reading level of the ideal reader for a written memoir. You can determine the reading level based on the ideal level of education of the reader. If you want children to be able to read your memoirs, use language that is appropriate for elementary school children to read. If you are targeting readers with a higher level of education, use language appropriate for high school students to read. Use a specialized app or other reading-level tool (many are available online) to determine the reading level of your draft memoir
Step 5. Show the information you have, not just tell him
Keep the reader interested by pointing out a specific process or event, rather than simply narrating it directly. For example, write a moment that shows the reader how you managed to find the letters your mother sent her family in Poland after her death. This way, readers get key information that helps direct the story, without having to read through long, tedious paragraphs.
Step 6. Read your manuscript aloud
Ask those closest to you (eg friends, schoolmates, or writing group mates) to come together and read parts of the manuscript aloud. Good writing can attract the attention of readers as listeners with details and descriptions that create deep images and strong narratives.
Don't try to impress listeners by using a 'dramatic' voice when reading a manuscript. Read slowly and in a natural reading style. Ask for reactions from listeners after you finish reading. Take note of the parts that the listener finds confusing or unclear
Step 7. Revise the manuscript that has been made
If you plan to send your memoir to a publisher, you will need to edit the manuscript first. You can hire a professional proofreader to examine your manuscript and look for common mistakes.
- Feel free to omit or delete (at least) 20% of the material that has been written. It is possible that you may need to delete some sections that you feel are too long and risk confusing the reader. Therefore, don't be afraid to trim or reduce sections of chapters or pages that you feel are too heavy or long.
- Notice whether each incident in your book uses the power of the senses. Do you try to encourage at least one use of the reader's senses at every turn? Enrichment through the use of the senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing) is a trick used by writers (both fiction and non-fiction) to keep readers interested in reading their writings.
- Review the timelines that make up your memoirs. Do you stick to your ultimate goal or desire to the end? Does the ending of your book indicate an achievement or a fitting ending for the reader?
- Also check the written sentences. Find out if the transition from one paragraph to another is neat, or seems to jump around. Also pay attention to adverbs or terms that are used excessively and replace those adverbs or terms so that the sentence you write doesn't seem redundant.
