Memoir Process Steps

Pre-Writing

(Sheet of looseleaf, folded in ½ top to bottom)

  List  3  places  that  are  personally  significant.  

  List  5  important  moments  that  occurred  in  each  of  these  places

STEP 1

(Writer’s notebook) Create a “ranking” list for the 15 memories you generated

at step 1.

  15  is  the  memory  that  has  the  smallest  amount  of  “this  moment  impacted  who  I  am  and  what  I  am  like  today”  in  it.  

  #1  is  the  moment  that  is  loaded  and  overflowing  with  “this  moment  impacted  who  I  am  and  what  I  am  like  today”

STEP 2

Look at your top 3 moments in terms of personal significance.

  Choose  one  of  them  to  start  wriCng  about.  

  If  you  get  a  couple  steps  down  the  road  and  decide  that  one  of  your  other  top  3  moments  is  a  beEer  fit  for  this  acCvity,  it’s  OK  to  abandon  ship  and  start  fresh.  J

STEP 3

Create a bank of raw ideas to help you draft a memoir.

  Make  a  list  OR  create  a  thought  web/brainstorm  OR  write  in  jot  notes/point  form  OR  free  write  in  paragraphs  

  Whatever  method  you  choose,  make  sure  you  include:    Dominant  imagery-­‐  what  are  the  notable  sensory  details  of  this  experience?  Come  up  with  a  

strong,  lengthy  list.  More  is  beEer  than  less-­‐  you  can  focus  on  the  truly  important  ones  later  and  leave  the  nicky-­‐nack  ones  out  

  Important  emo/ons-­‐  what  are  the  range  of  emoCons  you  felt  during  this  experience?  There  should  be  a  process,  a  series  of  feelings,  rather  than  a  simplisCc  “bad”  or  “good.”  Use  a  thesaurus  if  need  be  

  SO  WHAT?  In  six  words,  sum  up  the  lesson  learned  through  this  moment.  This  is  the  whole  point  of  why  you’re  wriCng.  If  you  can’t  say  it  in  a  few  words,  you  haven’t  figured  it  out,  and  will  struggle  to  convey  this  to  your  reader  

  People?  Who  did  you  share  this  moment  with?  Who  contributed?  Dialogue  and  conversaCon  can  be  important  pieces  of  memoir.  

  Power:  what  did  you  lose  or  gain?  Who  had  control?  Did  you  start  helpless  and  end  strong?  Vice  versa?  Think  about  how  you  grew  up  through  this…

STEP 4

DRAFT.

Take your list from step 4, and write two pages single spaced.

  TURN  OFF  YOUR  INNER  EDITOR.  Your  spelling  doesn’t  need  to  be  perfect.  Neither  does  your  grammar.  The  goal  here  is  to  try  and  capture  the  experience  on  paper  as  a  FIRST  STEP  towards  building  and  improving  your  wriCng.  JUST  WRITE.  

  Remember,  it’s  OK  to  write  more  than  2  pages,  but  if  you’re  ge_ng  to  6  and  7?  You’re  likely  wriCng  about  too  large  an  experience  OR  you’re  chasing  things.  Use  2-­‐3  pages  as  a  focused  goal

STEP 5

REVISE/CONFERENCE.

TAG your memoir   Share  your  drab  with  someone  else  with  a  drab  who  needs  some  feedback.  

Remember  that  your  goal  here  is  STRICTLY  to  look  at  their  SO  WHAT?  and  the  notable  emoCons  of  their  experience.  Don’t  say  anything  about  anything  else  yet!  

  Do  this  with  TWO  partners.  MulCple  sets  of  eyes  means  a  range  of  perspecCves  and  good  feedback.  

  IMPORTANT:  If  your  partners’  feedback  tell  you  your  SO  WHAT  isn’t  coming  through  clearly,  then  do  some  rewriCng.  Make  changes  to  help  this  come  through  clearly!  

  Your  partner  should  write  down  their  feedback  for  you.  DO  NOT  leave  a  conference  without  wriEen  feedback,  and  don’t  let  your  partner  off  the  hook  with  non-­‐specific  “I  really  like  it.  It’s  great!”  feedback.  It’s  your  job  to  collect  meaningful  feedback  that  gives  you  direct,  clear  acCon  steps  that  will  lead  to  improved  wriCng!

STEP 6

TAG TALK ABOUT… ASK QUESTIONS… GIVE ADVICE…

STEP 6

STAR your memoir   Share  your  drab  with  someone  else  with  a  drab  who  needs  

further  feedback.  Remember  that  your  goal  here  is  about  the  nuts  and  bolts  of  wriCng  that  contribute  to  style  and  voice-­‐  the  personality  and  impact  of  the  wriCng.  Don’t  say  anything  about  punctuaCon,  spelling,  grammar  because  it’s  quick  and  easy.  We  will  self-­‐check  for  these  things  later!  

  Do  this  with  TWO  partners.  

  IMPORTANT:  Your  partner  should  write  down  their  feedback  for  you.  DO  NOT  leave  a  conference  without  wriEen  feedback,  and  don’t  let  your  partner  off  the  hook  with  non-­‐specific  “I  really  like  it.  It’s  great!”  feedback.  It’s  your  job  to  collect  meaningful  feedback  that  gives  you  direct,  clear  acCon  steps  that  will  lead  to  improved  wriCng!

STEP 7

STAR SUBSTITUTE, TAKE OUT, ADD MORE, REARRANGE/REORDER

STEP 7

Check yourself for: Effective Paragraphs

See  your  lesson  notes  for  ideas  about:  

  monitoring  whether  your  paragraphs  are  well  composed  (one  well  developed  idea  per  paragraph)  

  THERE  SHOULD  BE  MARKS  ON  YOUR  DRAFT  TO  SHOW  THAT  YOU  LOCATED  ISSUES  AND  DETERMINED  HOW  TO  RESOLVE  THEM!

STEP 8

Check yourself for: Sentence fluency

See  your  lesson  notes  for  ideas  about:  

  how  you’re  doing  with  sentence  fluency    smooth  reading    variety  of  length    simple/complex    variety  of  beginnings    variety  of  punctuaCon  at  the  end/middle  of  sentences).  

  THERE  SHOULD  BE  MARKS  ON  YOUR  DRAFT  TO  SHOW  THAT  YOU  LOCATED  ISSUES  AND  DETERMINED  HOW  TO  RESOLVE  THEM!

STEP 9

PROOFREAD.

PROOFREAD

  Print  the  copy  where  all  the  improvements  suggested/idenCfied  in  steps  6-­‐9  

  Using  the  proofreading  checklist  posted  in  moodle,  follow  the  series  of  steps  listed  (READ  THE  INSTRUCTIONS  CAREFULLY!).  This  means  MARKING  THIS  COPY  UP.  

  Make  any  correcCons  this  final  step  idenCfies.

STEP 10

PUBLISH.

PUBLISH

  Create  a  6  Word  Memoir  (an  image  with  the  six  word  version  of  the  memoir  you’re  passing  in).  This  will  be  the  cover  of  your  memoir.  That  means  you  need  to  print  it.  J  In  full  colour,  preferably.  

  Take  the  drab  you  did  in  step  10,  make  any  nicky  nack  error  correcCons  and  print  your  SUPERSPIFFY  final  drab.  Make  sure  your  name  is  on  it.  

  Staple  these  together  

  Put  all  of  the  rough  work  from  steps  1-­‐10  in  your  pocket  folder,  along  with  the  process  checklist/memoir  rubric.  Missing  items=missing  points.

STEP 11

SUBMIT.

PASS IT IN.

  Then  we  will  celebrate!  (AND  start  a  new  unit.)  

 THIS  IS  DUE  FRIDAY,  NOVEMBER  14,  IN  CLASS.

STEP 12