How to Create a Memoir Outline

Memoirs aren’t too hard to write, but initially many people can find them rather daunting. In order to eliminate any stress involved with wring them, it is advisable to start by creating a memoir outline. An outline will help you to better organize your thoughts on the specific person you are discussing. Your outline can even be about specific thoughts or feelings related to that person as long as it makes sense with the rest of what you will be discussing.

You are not writing about everything in a person’s life in a memoir as you would be in a biography.

A memoir is more like a detailed summary about certain aspects of a person’s life. They are easy to write because they are typically focused on a certain aspect of a person and their accomplishments. This makes memoirs very specific and less of a hassle to write in comparison to other forms of documentation. There is still some research involved with memoirs however.

When doing research for a memoir and preparing your outline, gather only the information you will need. If the memoir is about yourself, then you won’t have much research to do. Nevertheless, if the memoir is about a relative or a colleague, you will have to supply more information that you may not know off the top of your head. This is true for any piece of writing you do that you do not fully understand or have general knowledge about.

The best way to organize a memoir outline when gathering information is to do it chronologically. You can for example, start by listing dates of important events. It won’t be necessary to elaborate these events any further in your outline. The best idea is to make a mental note of them and the order in which they occurred. Once you’ve obtained these facts, you can start taking notes about the theme of your memoir, which is basically like the story you wish to tell. Finding a starting point is usually the most important part of a memoir because it can help lead to a creative opening.

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to expand on certain parts of the story that are more interesting. People will be more likely to enjoy the memoir when they can relate to certain events and topics you choose to discuss. Don’t forget to let the story you are telling flow naturally. By following these simple tips, writing a memoir outline can be made simpler!