Blog #7: Six-Word Memoirs

A memoir is an account of one’s life and experiences.  Rather than presenting an overview of one’s whole life, the memoir focuses on one slim section of one’s life and experiences.  The story can be told chronologically, but events do not need to be recounted in the order in which they have occurred.

An autobiography, unlike a memoir, is defined as a written work about someone’s own life, which gives an overview of the author’s entire life.  Therefore, autobiographies are meant to cover all aspects of someone’s life.

William Zinsser says this about the memoir genre, “The writer of a memoir takes us back to a corner of his or her life that was unusually vivid or intense … By narrowing the lens, the writer achieves a focus that isn’t possible in autobiography; memoir is a window into a life.”

Lisa Dale Norton feels, “Memoir involves the whittling away of a whole lot of stuff that you have lived and a focusing on one slim section, full of power, that demands to be told.”

A memoir can be any length.  It should be honest and reflect your individual voice.

In 2008, a book entitled Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure (edited by Smith magazine) was published.  The book is a compilation of hundreds of six-word memoirs that were submitted to the book’s publisher.  Not Quite What I Was Planning remained on The New York Times best seller list for six weeks. 

This book demonstrates that:

Ø  Everyone has a story to tell!

Ø  It doesn’t take a lot of words to communicate emotion and ideas.

Here are some examples of six-word memoirs:

Awkward girl takes chances.  Fun ensues. – Charlotte Riley

I auditioned.  I got the part.  –Faith Hoffman

Never lived up to my potential. –Leslie Sterling

Carbohydrates call my name every day. –Mary Petersdorf

Anything possible—but I was tired. –Cheryl Family

Learned reading, writing, forgot arithmetic. –Elizabeth Rose Gruner

Time heals all wounds?  Not quite.  –Jonathan Miles

Bad brakes discovered at high speed. –Paul Schultz

Your job is to write three six-word memoirs that represent you:  one for your past, one for your present, one for your future.  Be sure to label each.  This blog is due Wednesday, December 6th.