Story Structures for Memoir
American films tend to follow a three-act story structure with a key turning point at the end of the first and second acts. Memoir has no single formula like that for its structure, though it’s not a free-for-all. There are options to choose from.
When I started writing a memoir a few years ago, for the first draft I used a standard narrative structure, telling the story chronologically from the start and end points I chose. That format fit well for me in what I call the discovery draft. I needed clean lines in the structure.
After the first draft was done I was ready to try something new. I wanted to give more attention to a significant event in the story, the place the story begins and ends. I wanted to use present tense and keep the language lyrical. Braided structure—weaving two narratives in different time periods—was the ideal solution. The primary narrative spans eighteen years. The secondary narrative covers the two weeks following the inciting incident. Together, the two narratives tell a unified story they each support. I had to pay close attention to the tenses since there were two, past and present. Continuity in both narratives was essential too.
Here are four popular narrative structures used in memoir.
- Narrative: The story unfolds chronologically, from beginning to end. An inciting incident may start the book with a track-back in time that picks up later in the chapter or book.
- Braided: The story is told by weaving or combining two or three narratives. These narratives can appear in alternating chapters and can be in different time periods if that suits the story.
- Framed: The narrative is structured around a significant event or experience that acts as a frame through which a reader can view a larger story. The initial event, or inciting incident, provides context and focus to the narrative.
- Collage: With a collaged structure, narrative, scenes, quotations, poems, vignette, and anecdotes are used to tell a cohesive story. A vignette captures a single moment in time; an anecdote tells a brief story with a distinct beginning, middle, and end.
Whatever story structure you use, stay with that structure for the entire book. Find the structure that best suits your story and your voice. Experiment!
About Suzanne
I’m dedicated to helping writers put their good words into the world.
– Suzanne Sherman
Writing Consultant & Coach
Memoir Workshops