Pad Out the Details of Your Memoir

In a nutshell, your story should have a HOOK or a captivating start to draw the reader in. The topic or theme of your memoir or life story introduces CONFLICT or rising action. This leads to the crisis or the CLIMAX of the story where everything comes to a head.

It’s the pinnacle of the story. After the climax, there is a resolution, DENOUEMENT or reflection on the climax and story as a whole. Some memoirs may not have a physical or tangible resolution but the story may highlight growth, transformation, or a better understanding of the topic or theme of the story.

THE SHORT STORY ARC: In short stories, the conflict and the climax may be presented at the beginning and the resolution is the remainder of the story. Regardless of what story arc you use, it’s all about engaging the reader.

The conflict is the main issue or topic you want to focus on in memoir (or many topics in a life story/autobiography). It is the problem the character faces built up over a series of events that leads to a climax – the pinnacle of the story or the highest point of the story. This is where the most dramatic action occurs which creates a change in the story.

When you are thinking about your story or planning it – consider what is the climax. What was the event or discussion or realisation you had which transformed you or your life?

The conflict could be how you deal with an external event that has happened, or an internal challenge, for example, how you overcame a belief that has limited you. It is what drives the story. Without conflict, there is no story and conflict doesn’t have to be a negative. It could be a positive situation, but it’s what moves the story.

A good story often has the character growing or transforming in some way. It’s more interesting to read about a person or character who is real, has flaws and isn’t one dimensional. We all have good and bad in us and the ability to write about our humanness is what makes a good story.

Sure, our stories might have people who have behaved badly or treated us badly and we can write about these facts if they are part of the story.

However, the power of writing our memoir is that it offers us the opportunity to reflect, to consider our actions or reactions through hindsight which adds depth to our story.

Using dialogue in your story is a great way to pad out the details and break up the story. When you write descriptive scenes, it slows the story down a little, but when you add dialogue it speeds the story up and quickens the pace. It’s good to have a mix of both.

There is an art to writing dialogue in a story. You don’t write a conversation word for word. You must stylise it and condense it so that it doesn’t become boring.

HOW NOT TO WRITE DIALOGUE:

“Hi, Leeza, how are you today?” Mandy asked.
“Yeh, good thanks,” Leeza replied. “How are you?”
“OK, what do you want to do today?” Mandy questioned.
“I don’t know, what do you want to do?” said Leeza.
“I’m happy to do what you want to,” Mandy said.
“OK, let’s go to the beach,” decided Leeza.

HOW TO WRITE DIALOGUE:

“Hi Leeza, how are you today?” Mandy asked.
“OK, and you?”
“Did you want to go to the beach?”
“I’d love to,” Leeza grabbed her beach bag.

Can you see how we have only picked out the important bits to keep the story moving quickly? Also, note that we don’t have to say, “she said” after each line.

You always start the dialogue with a new line, so the reader knows when someone else is talking. Also, note that action was used in “grabbed the beach bag” to break it up a bit and SHOW NOT TELL.

Some helpful questions to help you describe your setting in detail: