Memoir or Autobiography?

 

 In a recent blog for Memoir Writer’s Journey, I explored the need for a memoirist to let the story “age” long enough to distinguish between “what happened” and “why it matters.”  For many of us, it takes time for the events to percolate into the kind of lesson-learned or insight that will resonate with the reader … that “shiver of recognition” that every writer yearns to achieve.  

Knowing “why it matters” can be critical for determining what needs to be told and what does not, as truth in memoir does not mean that every single detail must be documented. In my case, there were lots of thrilling nautical adventures that never made it into Sailing Down the Moonbeam because they weren’t relevant to my own insights about (1) control as an illusion and (2) the growth that comes when you step outside your comfort zone. There were other events—the to-ing and fro-ing of my husband as we tried to rescue our failing marriage—that were relevant, but would have bored my readers to tears if I had told the whole truth.

Finding the correct balance between what must be told and what isn’t necessary can be a real challenge. One way to think about this is the difference between memoir and autobiography. An autobiography is a more-or-less a chronological telling of the events and experiences of an individual’s life. Factual accuracy and comprehensive detail are inherent in the genre. Thoughtful introspection may make the tome more readable, but not necessarily more valuable from an historical point of view. 

But therein lies the rub. Unless you are a celebrity, the world probably doesn’t care how many siblings you had, where you were on 911, or how many jobs you were fired from.  Memoir readers generally want to know what you’ve learned that can make their own lives a little bit better, without having to slog through all the names and dates and places that underpin the world of a writer they never heard of before.  Memoir readers are interested in a story from your life, but not necessarily a story of your life.

Which genre do you prefer to read … memoir or autobiography?

 

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