Characteristics of a Memoir

• Is a true past event

• Is written in the first person

• Reveals the feelings of the writer

• Shows what the author learned from this experience.

• Is about the author's experience more than the event itself.

• It focuses on one event.

Literary Nonfiction

• Written like a story, instead of presented like a research project or factual news report.

• Uses creative writing techniques like figurative language, dialogue, flashbacks, etc.

• Still factual - but written in a way that it reads like fiction. (Metaphorical language)

​Example of Memoirs

​They Called Us Enemy - George Takei

​ - Illustrated by: Eisenger, Scott and Becker

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​Persepolis The Story of a Childhood

​- Mariane Satrapi

​- Story of a girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

​Next week...

• Memoir - with a TWIST! You only get to use 6 words!

• Imitation writing - learning about author's STYLE

• MAYBE sharing our spoken word pieces?