Throughout history, thousands of famous memoirs have been written in every culture on the planet, giving us valuable insight to not just what people thought but also the society in which they believed. You might have this kind of assignment for a class or perhaps you are simply interested in writing about something from your past and would like to learn more about what is a memoir as well as how to do one accurately. This article instructs you with everything you need to know.
What Is a Memoir Essay?
The definition of memoir is actually pretty straightforward: it deals particularly with a personal memory. There are virtually no limitations when it comes to this type of writing assignment. If you read through a couple of memoir essay examples, you will find that they can be about one’s childhood, a favorite food, a family vacation, etc. and any experience, whether big or small that has had some impact on you can make an excellent topic.
How to Start a Memoir Assignment
The most important thing you need to know about how to write a memoir is that you should include a lot of specific details. Be as descriptive as possible by using all of the senses. Don’t just state that your family’s pizza recipe is the best – show us the crust’s thickness and texture, let us smell the sauces and cheeses, and have us experience the warmth rising from the slice on the plate. Make your memories come alive. Here are five steps to write an excellent essay:
- Consider Different Memoir Ideas
- Create Your Memoir Essay Outline
- Write the First Memoir Essay Draft Quickly
- Rethink and Revise Your Memoir Essay
- Edit and Proofread the Memoir Essay
Make a list of personal experiences you would like to revisit. If you are given a prompt then make sure you understand that the more unique you are the higher quality writing you can achieve. Don’t forget about your achievements. Talk about your high school years and life after college. Have a look at memoir essay example to get a sense of what it is that makes it one-of-a-kind, and then come up with some ideas that can do the same.
Before you start writing a memoir you should map out your ideas in an outline. Just like architects and engineers need to develop and use blueprint when constructing something, writers should create and use an outline to logically present their content in a way that is coherent and easily understood.
Now, it’s time to start writing. In the process of writing a memoir essay, you should not worry about precision when you are doing the first draft. Just keep typing and let the words flow through you uninhibitedly. Remember, to be descriptive by varying your language and appealing to each of the body’s senses. It’s your job to paint a vivid portrait of your experiences. Write with confidence.
You’ve put a lot of hard work to this point, but there are still two important steps you must take before submitting your assignment. By asking “how to start a memoir essay” you need to consider a great hook, an introduction, body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion, each of which needs to be clear and concise and work seamlessly together. You achieve this level of writing through quality revision. Review your work and think it over from a different viewpoint – this will allow you to make improvements.
Make sure your work well-organized, well-written with strong and effective word choices that make the meaning clear. If you have a look at memoir examples, you will find that the best writers don’t use any unnecessary words or phrases to express their thoughts. Get to the point quickly and make sure every word serves a purpose. Finally, proofread the entire essay to fix all mistakes to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Ten Creative Memoir Essay Topics
The following are free memoir essay ideas you can use for any assignment high school or college-aged students. They deal with a variety of subjects, including family, places, experience, and can be revised to meet whatever requirements your assignment calls for.
- What personal decision have you made that has impacted your belief system?
- Have you ever had to move to another home resulting in the loss of friendships?
- What one teacher or mentor has left a lasting impression on your confidence?
- Have you ever lost someone you cared about tremendously and have felt depressed?
- Have you had the opportunity to travel to an exotic location you can write about?
- Do you have any unique experience that no one could possibly have knowledge about?
- Do have a memory from childhood about playing with children you no longer know?
- Can you write about a time when you attended a family gathering that led to a fight?
- Did you ever have a favorite family pet of yours die because of an unforeseen tragedy?
- Have you met someone on a vacation or trip that changed your views about a culture?
Hopefully, these memoirs essay will help jumpstart your assignment. But it may be in your best interest to spend a few minutes brainstorming some ideas of your own. This way your writing will truly be personal and become much more interesting for the reader.
Some Additional Advice
There are numerous popular memoirs you can pick up at the school library which you can use for reference. You can also pay to have a custom example of a memoir written by a professional at one of the many essay writing services on the web. The latter option is great if you need a short memoir example written in a certain style or dealing with specific requirements. You can also find a bunch of resources and tips on how to write a memoir for any educational level. If you love memoir writing, you can easily find a ghostwriting job. Thousands of people are trying to tell about their lives, and it’s a great opportunity to earn money and practivce skills. Good luck!