As a teen, I loved reading biographies. It was a brief spell, but I made the most of it with soaking up stories about historical figures or celebrities. As an adolescent, my curiosity for real life drama was fueled by household subscriptions to Photoplay magazine and the National Enquirer that reported the dirt on Hollywood luminaries—when star status had meaning! Although, in recent years, my interest has waned, I will pick up an autobiography hoping for glimmers of truth and insight into the life of the author. And I usually have a pile of books on my “to read” list peppered with a few nonfiction tomes, including biographies.
Recently, I watched a webinar explaining the difference between a memoir and an autobiography. It’s considered a simple distinction with an autobiography as a chronological account of someone’s life, similar to the Oliver Stone book I read last year entitled “Chasing the Light.” Yet, according to Amazon the book is classified as a memoir, not an autobiography, even though it’s chronological by nature. For me, it still reads like an autobiography. I get that it’s about the movie business specifically with the subtitle, “Writing, Directing, and Surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador, and the Movie Game” which makes it more explicit in theme and content. But, it’s a chronology of his personal life blended with Stone’s obvious involvement in the movie business. So, in my view, the books remains autobiographical, and I’m sure there are many book critics ready to correct me on that one.
Another book I read recently was true to the concept of a memoir. The storyline dealt with one aspect of someone’s life—the pursuit of the true identity of a family friend. The focus was narrow in scope which is akin to the memoir formula. Although I found the story not very compelling, the book was worth a read since I learned what not to do in writing a memoir. The author took readers on a journey that seemed pointless and could’ve been cleared up in the first chapter. Yes, I know that’s a harsh criticism, but that’s what I was left believing by the final page. The whole book stretched out to reveal a truth that was apparent all along and the path to a real discovery was diminished.
So, in essence, the line between memoir and autobiography can be a bit indistinguishable, especially with an autobiography. If the timeline is the crucial distinction, then a memoir should always focus on one short period of time. Right? Not necessarily. I believe a memoir can travel through a person’s life from childhood to adult years and swing back and forth between these years without being autobiographical. It’s all about why the author is writing the story. If it’s based on a recent discovery that somehow impacts the author in the present day, the story can reach back to years before the discovery to deepen the impact. If there’s a strong theme, whether survival, forgiveness, awareness, loyalty, trust, you name it, I’m reading a memoir. One of my favorite quotes about memoir writing comes from Tara Westover, author of “Educated,” a riveting memoir (or autobiography, maybe?) of her life with a family hell-bent on staying off society’s grid. Tara says, “I think that when memoir goes wrong, it goes wrong from too much memory, too much detail. It’s about clearing all that away and just getting to the story.” There are many quotes from Tara about her life in an abusive family that are as riveting as the book itself. Here’s another that offers great insight into what she experienced. “I was 17 the first time I set foot in a classroom, but 10 years later, I would graduate from Cambridge with a Ph.D. ‘Educated’ is the story of how I came by my education. It is also the story of how I lost my family.”
I’ve met many writers that have based a book or script on their lives. I’ve stood in lines with these creative types at pitch fests while to meet producers and agents. I would say between 30 and 40 percent of the writers I’ve met are pitching their own stories. I’ve been to book signings with authors that have had their amazing life trajectories published. Everyone has a story, but I think it’s a hard sell. Since the pandemic, I’ve noticed more and more celebrity books, and I’m sure many employ contributing writers or ghost writers even if they don’t claim to have done so. My appetite for celebrity gossip and insight has diminished considerably since my childhood days, mainly because stars are less elusive and anyone and everyone gets their 15 minutes or less of fame via YouTube, TikTok, and multiple social media platforms. Going viral is like hitting the brass ring on the merry-go-round of media attention, and you don’t need to be a celebrity to reach for it!
If you’re inclined to tell your story, I encourage you to consider a memoir with a strong theme. Readers will learn about you and how your life experience or a particular event brought you to the page and your passion to share it. On the flip side, I’ve always cherished autobiographies, but there aren’t as many on my “to read” list these days. Here’s another quote about the distinction between a memoir and an autobiographical story from Pulitzer prize-winning writer/teacher Frank McCourt famous for “Angela’s Ashes,” a haunting recount of an Irish-American’s life of abject poverty. He said, “Autobiography should be more stringent. It should adhere more to the standards of journalism – assuming that journalism has the truth. The memoir gives you more scope, is more poetic, and allows you to play around with your own life.”
The recent webinar I attended stressed that a memoir is not about the writer. A memoir is about the reader and how the writer can inspire the reader by some revealed truth or lesson learned. This year I learned something about my life that has altered my family history and my identity. But, I’m not ready to write about it now and, most likely, not at all. I’m still in the discovery and processing mode. There are too many puzzle pieces missing, and I’m unsure if the full picture will ever materialize. Some of the facts are there, but the reasons behind them elude me.
I’ve never considered writing an autobiography. I’ll leave that to inventors and people that have had an incredible journey in life. But I do believe that most of us, if not all, have a memoir awaiting discovery if told creatively with the reader in mind. Within the ordinary life you will find the extraordinary. Here’s one final quote from the eminently quotable French philosopher Michel de Motaigne. “It is not my deeds that I write down, it is myself, my essence.” Happy writing!