The 22 Rules of Storytelling, according to Pixar include the following formula for a successful story spine.
Rule #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
This rule has helped me work to make sure my memoir has a storyline, that it’s not just a list of events. I don’t want it to be a list. First, this happened, then that happened. Events may be interesting, but unless they’re linked by cause and effect, they don’t lead to a page-turner.
Two of the more challenging questions for me are first, where to begin my memoir, and second, where to end it. According to Marion Roche Smith, each of us has the potential of writing multiple memoirs, because each memoir deals with specific expertise that the writer comes to in life, a lesson or a transformation.
Of course, I have some idea of what I’m writing about, but it keeps morphing as I write. My memoir is only about half-written, and it’s already gone through several iterations. I have faith in the process, though. I trust that I will choose the right ending to show I’ve changed, and when I change some more, I can write a sequel.
That’s a helpful way to think about it. I’ve contemplated writing a memoir but still struggle with what those key events would be – thinking about it as if we each have multiple stories to tell is pretty liberating. Thanks!