Memoirs and autobiographies are usually found on the same shelves of the bookstore and so are often conflated in the minds of authors. After all, a good autobiography ought to weave a narrative, too.Ĭlick to tweet! Why is a memoir not an autobiography? Memoir’s emphasis on storytelling is sometimes said to differentiate it from autobiography, but there are much more important differences to be aware of. We like to think of memoirs as nonfiction by name and fiction by nature. You’d be forgiven for mistaking any of these popular memoirs for a novel - since, just like novels, they have a plot, characters, themes, imagery, and dialogue. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and.To give you a touchstone before we go any further, here are a couple of famous memoir examples, some of which you might recognize: In fact, the term comes from the French word “mémoire,” which means “memory,” or “reminiscence.” In his memoir, Lance Armstrong 'forgot' to mention all the bullying and doping.

For example, there’s no obligation for the author to provide an objectively balanced account of the past - a memoir is merely a version of events as the author remembers them. But if you stick around, we’ll dive a little deeper.Īs a type of nonfiction, memoirs are generally understood to be factual accounts, but there’s a significant amount of wiggle room in this regard. Nothing more complicated than that - so you can stop reading now if you like. A memoir is a narrative written from the author's perspective about a particular facet of their own life.

Personal memoir