Why write a Memoir: Speaking up in Memoir by Susan Smith
A friend told me that all memoirs are self-indulgent and self-centered. He grew tired of hearing someone write a story about their life. If anyone has a fascinating life filled with experiences to share, it’s him. The thought of persuading this friend to write a memoir made me ponder: Why should anyone write a memoir?
Yes, memoirs do focus on the self. For example, the term ‘memoir’ derives from the French mèmoire, meaning memory. However, memoirs embrace more than a take on one’s memories, extending beyond traditional autobiographies.
If one wants to write a memoir, where should an author begin? Often, choosing the subgenre you wish to explore is a good start. The variety of memoirs has substantially expanded in recent years. These include transformative nonfiction that shares personal stories of challenges faced and overcome. Prescriptive memoirs often give readers advice on how to tackle their challenges. Some conversational memoirs incorporate AI-generated interviews that are formatted into books.
Another type of memoir, often overlooked, focuses on autoethnography. An autoethnography involves a researcher’s personal experiences and also acts as a condensed autobiography, where the author recounts and reflects on their life. Ethnography is a qualitative research method that entails observing and describing a culture. Thus, an autoethnography merges both concepts, enabling the researcher to delve into their own experiences while addressing a subject of interest. Given this, autoethnography is undoubtedly a genre that a researcher or an academic might pursue. Collecting one’s work, reviewing one’s research, and finding a way to present the big picture or background can be personally transformative.
There is no limit to the type of genre an author might choose. One significant aspect of writing a memoir, often downplayed, is the rewards it offers the author, especially its transformative effect. Most of us are familiar with the benefits of journal or diary writing: self-reflection, mental health, and personal growth. Memoirs provide similar advantages by fostering a sense of well-being, alleviating stress by writing, serving as a vessel for our thoughts, enhancing self-awareness, and promoting self-discovery.
Writing a memoir can also provide a sense of continuity and order in your life. The author can more easily observe or notice behavior and thought patterns when words are written on the pages before them. By recalling life’s challenges, we can perceive choices made and discern trends. These observed patterns help us understand our vulnerability in certain moments and increase our self-awareness, much like journaling provides.
Another benefit of writing a memoir is the opportunity to be heard, speak up, and express yourself. Memoirs provide agency; even if your book doesn’t become a best seller, you still have an opportunity to be heard. There is something satisfying about writing your memoir that reaffirms your experiences, no matter which genre one decides to adopt.
It’s your truth; no one can dispute it. Speak up! Embrace self-discovery and write a memoir.
Life is best understood by looking backward, but it must be lived forward
Soren Kierkegaard
