Memoir Basics 2: Using memory to tell a story

Let’s write a quick memory-based sentence, to get a feel for it.

Malala’s memory is part of a larger passage painting a picture of her life growing up. It helps to illustrate her mother’s love of nature and respect for life, which also shows Malala’s upbringing and values.

‘For as long as I can remember’ makes us feel: 

• like we’re drifting back in time (a bit like a dissolve transition in a movie)
• like this is a Universal Truth to the writer, which gives it emotional impact.

Here are some examples which follow the same pattern.

You can imagine the first example to be the memoirs of someone who became a famous cook. The second example could be a memoir that focuses on family relationships, mainly that of the writer’s bond with her father.