See you next time

That’s it for the lesson.

Ejector seat

Imagine you were asked to write a memoir about the last year. How would you open your story? Could you start with the most dramatic thing that’s happened to you? Or maybe start with a summary of the big things you’ve learned? Put together an opener that would keep people reading.

The next time you open a book for the first time—it doesn’t have to be a memoir, any sort of narrative story is good—pay close attention to that opening paragraph. What do they do to give you an idea about the plot, themes and style? How do they try to make it interesting to keep you reading?

Here are the books we used in this lesson.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South Aftrican Childhood, by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah talks about his life growing up as a mixed race child in South Africa at the time when apartheid ended.

I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai, with Christina Lamb

I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai

The title says it all—it’s the story of Malala’s survival and how she became an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

When Nobody was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World by Carli Lloyd, with Wayne Coffey

When Nobody was Watching, by Carli Lloyd

The memoirs of US soccer star Clarli Lloyd, who talks about the highs and lows of her sporting career.

Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickman

Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam

Three years in the life of Homer ‘Sonny’ Hickam, from the moment he sees the Sputnik satellite overhead in West Virginia to his successful launch of a prizewinning rocket.

Teen Angst? Naaah…, by Ned Vizzini

Teen Angst? Naaah…, by Ned Vizzini

Ned Vizzini presents the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years.

See you next time!

Memoir Basics 4: Writing an eye-catching opener

See you next time