A book-length memoir isn’t just a chronological retelling of events — it’s about crafting a story with meaning. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer
Recently I worked with a first-time memoirist writing about her distinguished military career. Her draft manuscript had sharp prose, good stories and insightful reflections. But as we worked on shaping it into a polished book-length memoir, one thing became clear – she needed to be more selective about the stories she was telling.
In a 70,000 or 100,000-word memoir, it’s not just about what happened. It’s about the meaning behind what happened.
You have to go deep, not wide.
Fewer scenes, explored more richly.
As a writer, you need to turn the lens on yourself and allow each scene, each anecdote and each character to carry the emotional heft and thematic force of the story.
What is this memoir really about?
What is this memoir really about? That’s the question I asked my client. Not “what happened”. But “what does all that mean?” What do you want to say, in a nutshell?
Once you name your central theme, then every scene, every conflict, every character must reinforce those few key themes and ideas. That’s the difference between a series of chronological anecdotes, and a true memoir.
A case study in meaning: Captain Sandrine Shaw
As part of her creative homework, I suggested my client watch Collateral, the four-part Netflix series written by playwright David Hare and starring actress Carey Mulligan.
Not for the police procedural, which was ordinary at best. But for the subplot – Captain Sandrine Shaw, played with icy precision by Jeany Spark.
Shaw is a British army officer, traumatised by a covert mission, betrayed by the institution she served, and unravelling from guilt. Her screen time is minimal, but her impact is powerful – every scene counts. The subplot isn’t filler – it’s the emotional guts of the series. Shaw drives home the entire story.
Memoirists can learn from the Shaw character. Her story is a simple but effective retelling of the same issues all memoirists deal with – trauma, self-reliance, hope, resilience. Memoirists can observe how ‘tight’ the themes are, and how focused the storytelling is – despite the fact that we are only told a bare skeleton of Shaw’s story.
Questions for storytellers
If you’re working on a memoir (or any longform story), ask yourself:
- What is my story really about?
- What am I trying to say?
- Does each scene and character reinforce the central idea?
- Am I moving from complication to resolution – or just doing a chronological retelling?
- If I removed this anecdote, subplot or character – would it weaken the meaning?
I can’t remember much about that Netflix series, but the story of Captain Sandrine Shaw stays with me.
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