Some people don’t seem to distinguish the difference between autobiography and memoir. However, both forms indeed tell about a person’s own life story. Memoir itself is a form of personal recollection growing extremely in popularity in recent times. A memoir is written from the first-person viewpoint and focused on portraying very memorable moments. It obviously is full of memories, feelings and emotions.
Setting, conflict, character development, plot, irony, foreshadowing, flashback, and symbolism are the techniques of storytelling which build a memoir. A memoir mostly integrates the techniques of storytelling such as. Memoirs usually focus on a brief period of time or a series of connected events. The writer is usually retrospective, and contemplating past events. And lastly, writing one’s memoir often has a therapeutic effect for the writer.
While, an autobiography works take many forms. Written by the subject—more often with the collaboration of another writer—an autobiography usually is formed from personal writings made during life that are not necessarily intended for publication to the formal autobiography. It may include letters, diaries, journals and reminiscences that cover a longer time period. What makes an autobiography more fascinating is that it does not necessarily have to be true. It may also be a literary fictional tale.
Actually, basic difference between the two is that a memoir is more emotion based while autobiography is more fact-based. Both require thoughtfulness and sometimes quite a bit of work to accomplish. Our personal life history may leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren or allow us to examine and reflect on our life up to the present day.
