Writing a Memoir Essay
This play lends itself to writing what is called a memoir essay. A memoir essay takes an event from memory and shows its significance.
Begin by making a list of at least five significant memories. Usually, this assignment works best when you avoid “bad” memories and instead stick to good ones. One of my earliest childhood memories centers around sitting in the backseat of my father's car and listening to the radio whenever we went anywhere. I remember how much music shaped my childhood. I remember asking my father to buy me my first guitar because I wanted to learn how to play the songs I loved.
Think of your own memories.
Once you have a list, choose one of these to be the subject of their paper. Your essay should run one to two pages in length.
What the paper must have:
You need to use details (sight, sound, scent, touch) in order to create the scene so that a reader can visualize the setting of the memory.
You must choose whether to tell the memory in chronological order or tell it as a flashback (looking back on the memory from the present time).
You must describe the characters’ personalities and characteristics. You need to make them come alive. You should include detail, description and dialogue.
The essay should have a balance between thought and action. Things should happen in the paper, but you also need to explain the meaning behind the action.
By the end of the paper, you need to show the reader why the memory is important. For instance, using my memory of my listening to music as a child, I can give the reader some idea of the events that shaped my life. In fact, they springboard into more adult memories. I can't help but think about how music has given me everything I have in this life. I don't know where I would be without music. I really don't.
