I distinctly remember...

This snippet also quickly recalls a vivid memory, but adds to it. Passerlay adds a reaction and a significant event to explain why the memory is so vivid.

We walked to all the famous sites and I distinctly remember going to Chinatown. I had never seen anything like it. For the first time in my life I tried Chinese food.

The Lightless Sky: My Journey to Safety as a Child Refugee(2015)

Did you notice how the snippet starts large and drills down to smaller and more vivid detail? ‘I distinctly remember’ cuts through the general memory and gives everything focus. The big question an audience will ask if you write that, though, is “Why?”. So, as a writer, you need to quickly explain why that memory is so vivid.

Here are some examples.

We walked through the entire exhibition and I distinctly remember going to the cake baking contest. I gasped, staring at the wild decorations and artistic sculpting. It was the first time I’d seen cakes that had a purpose beyond eating.

Dad drove me into the city in his rig and I distinctly remember looking at the hundreds of small cars zipping around. I was amazed people drove in things so tiny. I’d never seen cars smaller than a Landcruiser. Well, never this many, anyway.

Write a passage that includes the phrase ‘I distinctly remember’ following the same pattern as the snippet. Don’t forget to add a reaction and explain why the memory is so vivid.

Memoir Basics 2: Using memory to tell a story

I distinctly remember...