Non-fiction Narrative Writing: Biographies, Memoirs , and Autobiographies

1. Non-fiction Narrative Writing: Biographies, Memoirs, and Autobiographies

2. Important Concepts Non- fiction can come in many forms: personal narrative, memoir, autobiography, and biography. Everyone has a story to tell. Personal experiences help our foundations for thought and make us unique. There are different points-of-view

3. Non- Fiction • Writing that tells us about real people, places, and events. • Written to convey factual information • Non-fiction is real and can be verified by other sources • Examples of Non-fiction writing: • Newspaper articles • Letters • Essays • Biographies • Movie reviews • Speeches • advertising

4. Review: What is Point of View? Definition: The point from which a story is told. First- Person • The narrator: • Is a main or minor character in the story • Uses the pronouns “I” and “me” • Shares his/her personal view of other characters and events. • Doesn’t know the thoughts/ feelings of other characters

5. Point of View continued Third- Person Omniscient Third-Person Limited • The narrator: • Is not a character in the story, but an outside observer, whose observations can be objective, or unbiased. • Is “all knowing”- he or she has access to all thoughts/ feelings and opinions to ALL other characters. The narrator: * Is not a characters in the story, but an outside observer * Zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of one character

6. Autobiography • Writer is the subject and it’s an account of his/her own life • Written from 1st person point of view and uses pronouns “I” and “me” • Describes the subjects thoughts, feelings, & opinions about his/her life • Based mostly on details from the subject’s own memories • Diary/Journal: Popular form of autobiography

7. Biography • History of a lifetime – Must cover entire life • Most important facts and events of someone’s life • Contains anecdotes, memories, trips and cherished moments3rd person point of view • Written from • Information from many sources, but sometimes includes details provided by the subject.

8. Personal Narrative • Focus is on a particular event in a person/writer’s life • Written from 1st person point of view • Tells a story about real people & events • Short, non-fiction work usually dealing with a single subject

9. Memoir • Written in 1st person point of view • Captures certain highlights or meaningful moments in one’s past • Contemplation of the meaning of that event at the time of the writing of the memoir • Much more emotional and connects the writer to someone or something that had an impact on their life • Often gives historical information about the society & culture of the time

10. Characteristics of a MemoirContinued… • Narrative structure (contains storytelling elements like setting, plot, imagery, characterization, foreshadowing/flashback, and symbolism) • Fictional quality

11. Literary Language and Devices found in Non-fiction Narratives • Imagery- Language that uses the five senses to paint a picture in the readers mind. “The afternoon sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch and fell on my upturned face.” - from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller • Simile- Comparing two things using “like” or “as” • Metaphor- Comparing two things directly without a comparison word. “Like a jewel under a bright light, Houdini responded to attention by revealing brilliant new facets.” - from Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini by Tom Lalicki

12. Now it’s your turn… • Read the following excerpts and decide whether they are from a biography, autobiography or a memoir.

13. Biography How do you know? Look for clues in the writing, such as point of view

14. Memoir How do you know? How can you tell if it’s a memoir or an autobiography? Look at the point of view Look at the title

15. Autobiography How do you know? Look at the point of view. How can you tell if its an autobiography or a memoir? Look at the title. Based on the title we can infer that this story will focus on his whole life and career, not just his childhood or one specific part of his life.