Plotting a memoir is not begging the question, because although life memories are narratives, those need structures for stories to emerge. When we’re writing a memoir, we are balancing two narratives: the events themselves and the emotional journey that brings meaning to them. Unlike fiction, where we have the liberty to invent characters, settings, and events, our memoir is rooted in our experiences. Yet, we are not merely recounting facts.
Like a fast-paced novel, our memoir needs a plot structure with all the suspense, emotional intensity, and satisfying climax that comes with it. We can use the narrative devices from fiction, to shape a story that we hope will also feel entertaining for readers.
Plot Structure in Memoir
In plotting the memoir we can use some of our favorite novels as models. We can attempt to build our story around key scenes that propel the narrative forward. Each chapter or segment of our memoir should ideally contribute to a broader theme. We can try to mirror the three-act format used in fiction:
- Setup – a sort of introduction, this will lay the foundation of our world. We can also present the initial conflict or problem that will shape this journey.
- Rising Action – Tension builds up from a series of challenges, conflicts, and key experiences. Choosing these details can deepen our emotional journey, enabling our memoir to push toward a transformation.
- Climax and Resolution – When a protagonist confronts her most profound challenge—this is the page climax, a turning point scene, where the emotional stakes are highest and the core themes are most vividly expressed.
Novels draw their readers into a journey that builds tension, mystery and ultimately, a revelation. Perhaps, our memoir can emulate some aspects of this structure.
The Page Climax in Memoir
The page climax, the pinnacle moment in memoir is a scene or event that resonates with intense emotional and narrative significance. This moment is the culmination of the memoir’s underlying conflict. Readers who are invested in the journey are carried along by this emotion.
The techniques from fiction, such as pacing, suspense, and vivid imagery are useful devices here. Readers need to fully absorb the gravity of each moment so even dialogue, and internal monologue should make the stakes feel immediate and palpable. The narrative build up to a transformation or revelation should give readers a catharsis or emotional release.
Page Peek – In Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild, the page climax is when she confronts herself in the wilderness, grappling with grief, loss, and a desire for self-acceptance. This scene is intense with the load of her journey, and captures the depth of her emotional battles. Strayed achieves the turning point of her narrative arc here. This is where she is most vulnerable, the emotional zenith of her story
Plotting the Heart of the Memoir
The heart of a memoir is the driving force that compels us to share our story in the first place. This truth or insight that is the main weave of the narrative will linger in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished reading.
As we mine our memories, we gradually reveal the motives and the lessons of our experiences through reflection and introspection. Readers come to understand the underlying connections between events through symbolism, foreshadowing, and the use of motif in the memoir. Motifs such as isolation, discovery, or healing can underscore a memoir’s themes without needing commentary. Symbolism and careful word choice can speak to the reader’s subconscious, inviting them to explore the underlying questions that shape human experience.
Plotting Suspense and Pacing in the Narrative
From novels, the list below are techniques of building suspense:
- Cliffhangers – endings of parts, chapters or key scenes leave unanswered questions or hint at future challenges.
- The reveal – certain insights are built, developed and revealed only when they’re most impactful.
- Pacing – speeding up moments of action and slowing down scenes of emotional importance.
Thrillers or mystery novels engage readers’ curiosity using the above devices, keeping them invested. In our memoir, we can try withholding certain details, foreshadowing events, or alternating between past and present to write a narrative that unfolds with tension and immediacy.
Page Peek – In The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the author slowly reveals aspects of her family’s dysfunction, keeping readers on edge about her family’s future. Each chapter peels back another layer of her childhood experiences, while also building suspense about whether she will break free of her past.
Plotting a Memoir onto its Resolution
Winding up into a satisfying resolution needs a deep dive into what our journey has been. We are inviting the readers to sit with us, and explore the broader significance of our journey. We are asking them to move back, and examine together with us the growth, regrets, or remaining questions in the story. This moment of introspection is the memoir’s chance to offer a timeless resonance, ensuring that readers are not only entertained but are also moved.