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Published on: Sep 26, 2019
Last updated on: Feb 27, 2023
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“Each of us is a book waiting to be written, and that book, if written, results in a person explained.” ? Thomas M. Cirignano,
Memoirs and Autobiographies- a curious type of writing, which has been around for centuries?
Memoirs are first-person accounts where the author tells their life story.
Memoirs and autobiographies are first-person accounts of the writer’s life. They tell the life story of the writer.
Distinguishing between the two is quite confusing as they share several similarities. But there are some distinct differences between them.
In this blog, you’ll get to learn the similarities and differences between writing an autobiography and a memoir. Sit back and begin reading the blog.
The memoir word is extracted from the French word mémoire, which means reminiscence or memories. The memoir is a life story of the author’s life written by themselves. It is a collection of memories written by the authors themselves.
The memoir presents one specific part of the author’s life. While writing a memoir, the author chooses a particular part of his life to share with people. They present greater emphasis on emotional experience and the writer’s soul. It is a type of autobiography that gives a glimpse into a particular part of the writer’s life.
Here are the few characteristics that a memoir possess:
Here are some popular examples of a memoir:
An autobiography presents the life history or the story of the author’s life written by themselves. They focus on the chronology of the author’s entire life. They cover the whole life of the author up to the point of writing. Autobiography portrays the achievements and personal experiences of the author.
Therefore, they are written later in the author’s life. They begin during early childhood by telling where the author was born and brought up. And they chronologically present the key events that occur throughout the author’s life. Read a few autobiography examples of famous persons and historical figures known in society to understand how they are written.
Here are the characteristics of an autobiography:
Here are some famous autobiographies:
Below given comparison chart gives a complete picture of the similarities and differences between a memoir and an autobiography.
Just look at the comparison chart given below if you need to know the similarities and differences between autobiography and biography. Or you need to compare biography and memoir. The given below comparison chart covers them all.
Biography | Autobiography | Memoir |
An account of a person’s complete life | An account of the author’s own life | An account of a specific time in the author’s life |
Objective in nature | Subjective in nature | Subjective in nature |
Written in the third person | Written in the first person | Written in the first person |
Written to inform | Written to inform | Written to explore emotions |
Written at any time in life | Written near the end of life | Written at any time in life |
The difference and similarities between autobiography, memoir and personal narrative are:
Memoir | Autobiography | Personal Narrative |
An account of a person’s life | An account of one’s own life | Story of the author’s life |
Written in the first person | Written in the first person | Written in the first person |
Focused on certain incidents in a person’s life | It is told from the beginning to the present time. | Presents a few key events within the writer's life. |
It can be written at any time in life. | Written nearer the end of a person's life. | It can be written at any age. |
Subjective in nature | Subjective in nature | Subjective in nature |
Written chronologically | Move back and forth in time | Written chronologically |
It relies on scenes to communicate the plot or theme. | Presents the entire life story of the author’s life. | Narrate the author’s experience to communicate a specific theme. |
Written to explore the emotions | Written to inform | Written to share an experience or emotion |
An autobiography or memoir is a story about your life. You should follow these tips:
People usually have amazing stories to tell, but they don’t know how to communicate the actual feeling through words. Because they are not familiar with the autobiography format or memoir format.
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You might be asked to write your life story. Sometimes, you might call it an autobiography. But sometimes, you might call it a memoir.
Memoirs are about something that happened in your life and how it made you feel at the time or still makes you feel now. An autobiography is usually about what someone has done and accomplished in their lifetime.
Most nonfiction books have between 5 and 20 chapters. If your chapters are either too long or you have too many ideas, then you should add more chapters.
WRITTEN BY
Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)
Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.
Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.
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