Memoirs call for explanation. They tug at the Why question, telling the reader Why something took place, as much as showing the reader what occurred. In other words, a memoir should be more than a story about an experience. It can and should be more than a reminiscence, no matter how interesting the encounter. When you look over your stories, try to see where in the telling you could have commented on your own behavior, or the behavior of others. (Characters should be instrumental to a memoir; they move the main character, and they make things happen.) Try telling the reader how you felt at key moments. Memoirs are written acts of memory, and they work best when the narrator does three things: he describes, he shows and he reacts. He describes the scene; he shows how it develops; he thinks about events and puts them into perspective. The reader really, really wants to know how the narrator felt and how he feels now as a result of his story. Tell the reader about those thoughts. In the best of all worlds, your memoirs might reveal character or unexpected insight. Remember that. The reader wants to know your feelings, your reactions; the reader wants to know whether you have been affected or changed by the events of your memoir.
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