I would like to write a story about my life. Should I write an autobiography or a memoir? What’s the difference?

Many people are inspired to write a book about one or more events in their lifetime but are unsure whether their story would fit better into the autobiography or memoir genre. In this post, we will explore the similarities and differences between the two.

It can be easy to confuse an autobiography with a memoir because they have some key elements in common:

Written by the subject individual
Written in first person (although some autobiographies are written in third person)
Non-fictional

However, there are some distinct features separating the two. Autobiographies recount an individual’s entire life in chronological order whereas a memoir focuses on one or more specific time periods or themes. Memoirs are not bound by a time-order sequence, so it is not uncommon for the author to fast-forward or rewind to pivotal events shaping their life.

Keeping the similarities and differences in mind, following are two key questions to consider when deciding whether an autobiography or memoir is best for your story:

1. Do you want to write about your entire life or just about a certain time period or experience?

If your objective is to chronicle your whole life’s journey to date, an autobiography would probably be best suited to your story. Many people desire to memorialize their lives so that future generations will have the opportunity to know them and their contribution to the world.

If you are interested in telling the story of how you triumphed over adversity, achieved great success in a specific field or survived a life-threatening event, a memoir encompassing your experience and reflections would likely be the right fit.

2. Are the facts and events the most important elements of your story or your personal reflections and insights on them?

While autobiographies certainly include the author’s thoughts and feelings about their life experiences, since they are covering the span of the subject’s lifetime, they usually do not delve into the author’s feelings about every experience. Can you imagine how lengthy that would make the book? Memoirs often go into deeper exploration of the author’s thoughts and feelings, which is feasible when the subject is limited to specific aspects of the subject’s life.

Hopefully, this information will help you decide which literary genre best fits your life’s story.

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Autobiography Versus Memoir. What's right for your life's story?