Plot Devices for Memoir

Memoirs are not plot driven, but that doesn’t mean that memoirists shouldn’t work hard to enhance their storytelling with the use of plot devices. Memoirs are made up of a series of events, but the memoir isn’t strictly about those events. The events or plot supports the character’s development and journey. Memoirs are primarily about a character’s experience, both the interior and outer experience. The relationship between the inner world and outer world make up the basic structure of memoir.
 
Memoirs need to be mapped out and shaped much like fiction. Unlike fiction though, memoir is constrained by the facts and the memoirist has to shape the story within in the boundaries of what happened and how it happened. But the need for plot devices is no less important. A plot device is a technique used to move the plot forward. Be careful with the use of devices. They should be used as subtle tools that allow the writer to more effectively tell their story. The use of certain plot devices can be seen as creative license. Creative license is a necessary tool for making memoir read like fiction, but its uses are limited, and it must be exercised with restraint and careful consideration. There are many ways to use plot devices in memoir without resorting to making stuff up. Here are a few to consider if you find your own memoir is lagging. 

1. The Flashback

This is a useful device for showing an event that happened before the main story to provide context. The information revealed moves the plot forward. The flashback is not to be overused as it can feel particularly clunky and confusing for readers. Careful use of tenses and language that orients the reader is necessary when using the flashback.

1. Dialogue

Another great tool for creating momentum is dialogue. The purpose of dialogue is to reveal something to the reader that action alone cannot reveal. Dialogue can be very effective and pushing the plot forward but be careful with the use of dialogue, every word is important, and readers expect the dialogue to do more than show a character’s personality. It must move the internal or external action forward.

1. The Quest

This device is basic to memoirs and novels alike. Will the character succeed or fail on their quest? The quest requires a specific goal and then the story is propelled by ups and downs on that journey and whether or not the character will succeed. Will the recently divorced father of three teenagers find love again? Does the woman longing for a child follow through on her desire to adopt a baby from Africa? Will the woman find spiritual fulfillment after traveling to many countries in an existential search for truth?

1. Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is similar to flashback in the way that it uses time as the tool. Foreshadowing hints at a future event that hasn’t happened yet. If skillfully used, foreshadowing can be deeply satisfying for the reader when they connect the dots on their own. Be careful with the use of this device as it can feel contrived and cheap.

1. Character Development

Developing your character is an important plot device that shows internal action. Rather than events that create movement, realizations and awareness in your character causes the external changes to be set into motion. Paying attention to cause and effect is useful for developing your character. Internal action is often the cause of external events and momentum for memoir.

1. The Unanswered Question

This device is quite effective for memoir. There is a question that is posed to the reader, or a question is implied very early on in the essay or book. This question hovers over the story throughout and the desire for understanding and coming closer to the answer propels the story forward. The answer to the question can be revealed in the final chapters of a book or ending of an essay for a big reveal. Or it can be discovered a piece at a time, like breadcrumbs left along a trail, leading up to the culmination of the truth by the end. Holding the question and using the tension it creates can push your story along.