After you’ve selected a theme for writing your memoir, (Check the previous article here: https://sopiensofgod.blogspot.com/2021/09/be-author-challenge-part-5-writing-your.html) the next thing you want to do is how to organize your story that buttresses the theme. Your story doesn’t have to follow a particular order. But it should be organized and make sense to your reader. It should be able to communicate the message you’re trying to pass across.
When you want to write a story for your memoir, you should focus on five things, viz; the character, the setting, the plot, the conflict and the resolution.
The character involves you and any other person you are discussing in your story. The setting is the location or scene of the action. The plot is the arrangement or organization of the story – the description, the sequence of events and the interplay between the characters and the settings. The plot also describes how a character handles the conflict and resolves it. The conflict is the issue or problem that the character is trying to deal with. And the resolution is how the conflict is settled. When the conflict reached the peak before it is resolved, it is called climax. The more you can make your story reach climax before it is resolved, the more interesting it will be to your reader.
To take cognizance of these components of a story makes your story comes out organized and appealing to your reader. So, examine your story and see how each component fits into it. It’s not enough to have a good story, you should make it well thought out and planned.
Meanwhile, your memoir can be short written like an article or long written like a book. (I just finished writing a book by the way. It’s for one of our clients – it's such a powerful and interesting book). Anyway, let’s continue our discussion. So, as we’ve earlier established that when you are writing a memoir, you are focusing on the lessons that your story portrays, so that people can benefit well from your story.
While writing your story, this is how to engage your reader. First, start by introducing your character as soon as possible, and describe his/her personality or identity (in memoir, it is you). Second, plunge him/her into a problem or situation, also as soon as possible. Third, make him/her enter more problem, and as he/she tries to get out of the problem, he/she gets more plunge into more problems – till it reaches climax. Fourth, let him/her finally get his problem resolved and show how what he/she has gone through has helped him/her to get solution to the problems.
In all of these, make sure you show and don’t tell. That is the rule of the game. And write as if you are talking to someone or people. This allows your thoughts to flow easily. Create a tension in your story through the conflict that your character has and let it be prolonged (not too prolonged in order not to discourage your readers). But prolonged enough to put them on suspense and anticipation to see the end result. Then, finally bring a resolution. Let the solution be revealed by what the character has learned and gone through.
There’s no particular order that your story must follow. What is important is that it must be organized and should communicate the lessons that you want it to. And let your readers know that you have a big cheese at the end of the story to build the anticipation and desire in them to read through.
If you are thinking of writing a story, don’t be discouraged by what I’ve shared if you are not familiar with those terms or this is your first time. Writing a story can be as fun as writing a letter to your friend or even gisting with your partner. So, don’t worry about writing a perfect story. Just start. Start anyhow. Start anywhere. You get better at writing by writing. So, keep writing and you’ll find it more fun to do.
If you need help in any of these, write to us at bookminds247@gmail.com. We’ll be glad to help you.
Read the next post here: https://sopiensofgod.blogspot.com/2021/10/be-author-challenge-part-7-non_9.html
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To order for my new book on HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHOR, follow this link: https://www.amazon.com/HOW-BECOME-AUTHOR-Easiest-Write-ebook/dp/B09F3VZ242/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=how+to+become+an+author&qid=1631326002&sr=8-11
Suggested Articles:
1) 15 Reasons Why You Must Have Your Own Book: https://sopiensofgod.blogspot.com/2020/09/15-reasons-why-you-must-have-your-own.html
2) Your Life Is A Principle: https://sopiensofgod.blogspot.com/2020/09/your-life-is-principle.html
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