2. Types of Memoirs
Personal memoir
● It is based on a particular experience
or event. This is the most popular
type of memoir.
3. The Survivor Memoir
● The survivor memoir is one in which the author has
performed heroic feats of endurance, sacrifice,
intelligence, strength or a combination of these
qualities in order to survive. If you have battled a life-
threatening illness, survived actual trauma, lived
through war or anything along those lines, you may
wish to write a survivor memoir. Sometimes people
write survivor memoirs in order to assist in their own
healing process, and other times they write them to
share the lessons they have learned. Either way, many
readers find survivor memoirs to be inspirational and
helpful in their own lives, particularly when they are
going through similarly challenging times.
4. Confession Memoir
● In this type of memoir, writers reveal life
events that have previously been kept secret.
It can be a personal, family, or even a
community secret. The secret must,
however, have impacted the author’s life.
These kinds of memoirs can be fascinating to
read, especially if they explore the reasons
why individuals act the way they do.
5. Coming of Age Memoir
● These are the stories of the transition between childhood and
adulthood. It is a universal theme that everyone can relate to and
understand. The coming of age type of memoir offers the writer an
opportunity to examine life events in the context of childhood’s
end. Family traditions, the neighborhood and community, family
relationships and social elements can become central parts of the
story. There should be, in this type of memoir (as in all of them), a
pivotal event, awakening or lesson to tie the memoir together.
Second Coming of Age Memoir
Many people experience a second coming of
age. This can happen when new learning,
insights, or events in a person’s life causes
them to transition from one way of thinking to
another.
6. ● The travel memoir gives the writer a chance to
create a first person account of unique
experiences in unfamiliar surroundings. Many
travel memoirs are not only about the writer’s
travels, however; they are concerned with how
the adventure changed the writer’s life. The
setting and the events experienced by the author
during his trip lead to a fuller understanding of
one’s self. They also combine factual information
about specific places with personal insight.
Travel Memoir
7. The Insider Memoir
● Perhaps you have a unique job or you
witnessed something of major
significance. If you have a story to tell
that can only be told by someone who
was there, you should write an insider
memoir. If you frequently get asked a
lot of questions about your unique
perspective at school, it's time to write a
memoir.
8. Celebrity & Political Memoirs
● People want to know what it is like to
be famous. In this type of memoir, the
writer shares his/her experiences,
feelings, thoughts, opinions, point of
view about life in the public eye
● A political memoir is written by a
person who holds public office. Almost
all Presidents write memoirs as a form
of historical record and to share their
experiences.
9. Portrait memoir
● It is based on an event
or experience of a person
who is not the author.
These stories recount the
lessons learned from the
relationship.
● Tuesday’s with Morrie
is a portrait memoir.
