How to Write a Memoir

The basics of memoir writing became more confusing for many after last year's James Frey debacle. In my work as an editor and teacher, I've had a number of people ask: "How do we approach memoir writing? Where do we draw the line between memoir and fiction?" This can be a tricky question. Journalism, history, biography and other nonfiction forms aren't allowed the license given to memoir. In memoir writing, you're allowed some latitude; still, it's wise to ask, "Just how far can I go?"

It's obvious that Frey went way, way over the line which separates memoir writing from fiction. He turned a relatively minor traffic incident into an all-out brawl with police. He claimed that he had root canal surgery without painkillers of any kind, supposedly because as a recovering addict, he couldn't be given narcotics. He even made up major characters. All of this served to transform what was probably a typical rehab experience into a highly dramatic story. It's not a matter of the license granted to memoir writing-it's a matter of outright lying. There's no other term for it.

However, there are some generally accepted practices in memoir writing which would never fly in other nonfiction forms. Memoir writing is understood as a recreation of events in the author's life. Some of these events can only be accessed through the author's memories; some can be researched through the same methods a biographer or historian might use. The idea is simple, though hardly easy: in memoir writing, the author weaves verifiable facts with subjective impressions, to create a story that's both as compelling and as truthful as she can possibly make it.

But how do you go about memoir writing? What are the nuts and bolts of crafting your life story? Here are some of the narrative elements used to make memoir writing compelling while preserving the story's essential truth:

Dialogue.