CWC Sacramento 2019 Memoir Contest
Memoir Pointers
Narrative
- Journey and story arc are apparent – things must happen
- Momentum – scenes related, movement brisk
- “Shows” attitudes and feelings through thoughts, action and dialogue
- Shows how the learning changed the author’s life
- Perspective of the older, more mature narrator reflects back with compassion and forgiveness.
People involved
- Developed via action and dialogue
- Thoroughly depicted and interesting
- Distinctive and colorful
Dialogue
- Yes – may be and should be used
- Characterizes or is consistent with speaker
- Appropriate dialog tags
- Advances the story
- Shows character and reveals subtext.
Scene and setting
- Establishes mood/consistent with action
- Appropriately robust and colorful
- Consistent POV
Style
- Clean, trim depiction; precise/strong word choice, especially verbs and nouns
- No fat – diversions and distractions, irrelevant details
- Minimal use of modifiers/ intensifiers
- “Shows” significance of events through details and language
- Avoid too many negatives
Mechanics
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Free of clichés
Significance and Resonance
- Significance of story to narrator
- Universality