Autofiction? Memoir? #OwnVoices? Three ideas explained.

When I pitched my novel, I heard from several agents, “Why didn’t you just make it a memoir?” I told them that I didn’t want to write a memoir for several reasons, none of which seemed to resonate, but c’est la vie. One agent actually said that if my book was a memoir, he could have me on Good Morning America in six months, holding my book with a smile, and talking about it. But, as the book is not a memoir, I guess GMA won’t do it. (We’ll see.)

“There are parts that are autofiction. You know, it’s sort of an #OwnVoices book,” I tried to explain to no avail. Pure memoir or nothing.

Here’s the difference between these three terms. For those of you deciding how to tell your story, here are some avenues to consider. For the readers of you, here is a way to know what you are reading, and maybe have a fancy new term to contribute to the book group! (“Did you see that the author is [enter marginazlied group]? It lends such an #OwnVoices feel to the book, and gives a really authentic view of the characters’ experiences.”)

1. Memoir. A memoir has a slight novel feel, and is written by the person who experienced the event or events. It is generally about a specific time or a specific span of time in the author’s life. The difference between memoir and autobiography is not only that memoir allows for more creative liberty, but that an autobiography generally spans the person’s entire life: childhood to now. Memoir can do that, but the style will be different. In memoir, there is usually a take-away at the end: a lesson learned and imparted to the reader, and an ending where the author is moving on to their “new” life as - if not a better - a wiser person.

2. #OwnVoices books. This is a term that has popped up recently in the literary world. It is a novel written by an author from an underrepresented/misrepresented/marginalized group where main characters are from that marginalized group. Sometimes, #OwnVoices books are inspired by the author’s experiences, but the idea is that having a person who knows the ins and outs of this group on a personal level lends more authenticity to the writing. There have been questions raised about the breadth of #OwnVoices. Does having a trans son allow me to call a novel that includes a trans teen an #OwnVoices novel? (I can see you cringing now. The answer - in my mind - is no, so just relax.) The idea of the hashtag was to give underrepresented writers space to market their books by claiming their history and giving the work an extra sense of authenticity.

3. Autofiction. Oh, autofiction. Short for autobiographical fiction, it blends reality and pure fiction. Where does one end and the other begin is a question that many autofiction readers ask. Sometimes, some of the experiences in an autofiction book may mirror the author’s. Sometimes, even names are the same. But, it is still fiction, which you will remember as you read along comfortably enjoying (or not enjoying) the protagonist’s experiences until - BAM! - that person dies. But, the author is still alive, so… fiction.

For writers, there are a million reasons to pick memoir over autofiction or vice versa, to write an #OwnVoices book or to try to write outside of your socioeconomic class, race, age, or sex, thus avoiding any possibility of #OwnVoices. That’s the beauty of writing - we get to create and recreate and recreate worlds, true to life or not.