Memoir Editing: Exploring Your Theme

You’ve just finished the first draft of your memoir. That’s a great accomplishment in itself. Here comes the more difficult step. Have you managed to turn a key part of your life into something that will move your audience? How will readers approach your book? That’s difficult to know, even if you step away from your project and re-read it later.

Your memoir is a part of your personal story. It’s also about deep, resonant, and highly vulnerable truths. While your reflection on your experiences and your path in life is unique to you, the themes you explore have the power to deeply impact those outside of yourself. 

Consider Jennette McCurdy’s 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, which details the life of the young child star before and after her mother’s death. This work largely explores the themes of child stardom and being raised by a narcissistic family member. 

McCurdy’s memoir sold out within 24 hours of going on sale through large retailers and won the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards. Did people buy her book just because they wanted to learn more about Nickelodeon? Were her buyers mostly the avid watchers of iCarly? Who loved this book?

Jennette McCurdy had this to say to Vogue, on being recognized for what she wanted to do all along (writing): “The people that approach me now, they’ll more than likely share something that they connect with in the book, whether it’s their own history with eating disorders or a narcissistic parent or family dysfunction. To have that level of humanity, it feels really validating for me, and I hope it’s validating for them.”

Readers recognize and value the courage it takes to be vulnerable, and it does take an immense amount of courage. Your memoir will not be this memoir, but because you’ve chosen to write, you’ve chosen to connect. When it comes time to revise, revisit your theme. 

Memoir Themes: The Basics

Purposeful Prose has covered finding your theme in-depth. We established three guidelines for an effective theme. It should be more than one word, it should show your story’s tension, and it should feel familiar. 

Your central theme is your big “why”. You probably began your memoir with a clear theme in mind. As you’ve continued to write, and upon completion of your first draft, your theme has evolved with you. 

Maybe your initial theme was, “how I learned to love myself.” Then, it became, “how learning self-love has led to more fulfilling relationships.” Finally, “Self-love was a cornerstone, but not the only factor, in learning how to develop a more meaningful relationship between myself and the world around me. Other people have influenced my perspective on self-love today, and it’s something I will continue exploring.” 

While your theme doesn’t necessarily have to get longer over time, it should steadily become more focused. The importance of your story lies in the meaning it conveys, and this is something memoirists often struggle with. 

Your Themes Aren’t as Obvious as You Think

The importance of your story lies in the meaning it conveys, and this is something memoirists often struggle with. You’ll have a goal in mind when you’re writing, you’ll acknowledge the evolution of your theme over time. However, what you’re reading will be different from what someone else will read. Editors with a great deal of experience in memoirs will be your advocate and the readers’ advocate. 

Here are some steps your editor might take in exploring your theme:

• Patterns: Your editor will notice patterns within your text. These might be repeating ideas, references, or stylistic patterns. They’ll recognize and aim to center the hallmarks of your voice as a writer. The key question when exploring those patterns is whether they serve your story and highlight your theme.

• Event and Impact: Your experiences and the impact of those experiences are personal to you and incredibly difficult to put into words. You won’t be able to put your shoes on another person, but you can do your best to show people what those shoes look like on you and talk about the experience of wearing them. An editor can collaborate with you on this process, particularly at points where the details of the event or impact feel unclear.

• Hard Truths and Contradictions: Memoirs often challenge what we know about the human experience. They acknowledge multiple truths in a world where preconceived notions might only point a person to one. An editor will understand and honor this, helping you communicate your truth.

• Putting the Irrelevant Details on the Cutting Room Floor: Your life is important and the way you tell it is important, but sometimes, there are pieces that don’t effectively contribute to your theme. They might be best served in another book. It’s also possible that an aspect of your story feels disconnected from your theme because more substance is needed. Your editor can explore this with you. 

Memoir Editing and Big Ideas

Memoirs are usually as much about the lives of readers as they are about the lives of authors. They can help us to better understand ourselves, our loved ones, and the larger world around us. To that end, your memoir needs a solid “why.” 

Don’t leave your first draft in the drawer. Contact us, and let’s talk about the next step in your writing or revision process. Our specialized editing services can highlight your voice, helping you to resonate with your readers.