Writing to Record a Memory

    We can record our memories in the form of a journal or diary. A journal is written for ourselves that allows us recording in detail whatever we have in mind. In journal we can write whatever we want without worrying about grammar style or whatever. Journal can be used for other motive as well like in writing to discover or in writing to explore an idea. But in initial phase we should not think about other purposes rather we have to write just to record memories before they lost. So the purpose of keeping journals is to record memories.

Advantages of Keeping Journal or Diary

    Keeping some type of diary record of life either in form of journal or a diary offers a number of advantages. Everyday writing becomes comfortable when one is forced to write otherwise it becomes really a challengeable job so usually writing makes writing task natural or common. Another advantage of it is that we can explore experience by writing something on the page. Otherwise we happen to lose such experiences thinking them too trivial too personal or too confusing for sharing with others. A final advantage is that a written record of memory can be used when we understand other types of writing. So it saves us from the feelings like there’s nothing to write about. This way a journal or diary helps us to generate topic for further writing.

Journal as a Form of Free Writing

    Journal writing can be a form of free writing, with one sentence to another. We write in journal what we have seen, heard, read or felt without editing while writing. In journal neither we worry about making the writing well crafted nor making each of the same length. As in free writing we shouldn’t worry about repetition in keeping journal.

Journal Writing Analogous to Snapshots

    A writing record of memories can be compared to snapshots or photographs. Like photograph, a memoir makes us to remember of our past. By looking more and more the photograph we can visualize the past more clearly. Similarly the more we write the more likely we are able to produce something that will one day give us great pleasure to read.

    Summing up, journal writing can be compared with snapshots; free writing, diaries and they contain advantage like renewing the past memories and also increase writing habit.

Diary

    The different between journal and a diary is that a diary is simple a record of what happens everyday, where as journal includes reflections and observations (giving comment what is the reaction or the experience). Some diaries offer little more than whether reports, meals eaten and betimes.
    Journals on the other hand, often pass over the surface details of life and focus up on how the writing reacts to experience. A journal is less likely to note what the writer ate for breakfast than to record how the writer responded to a novel a sunset or a quarrel.
    To put it simply, journals are often more personal and more reflective than diaries. But the distinction between the two should not be overemphasized. When writing to record memories writers often move back and forth between entire that list events.

How to write a memoir?
Some essential elements for writing a memoir are:
Narration
Description
Details
Section

Narration: - Memories are written in narration form because it is a record of past experience. It also contains the events. When past events are talked about then they take the form of narration. For examples, Maya Angelou records a memory of her childhood. The specific event in her memoir is the moment when she deliberately breaks some dishes.
Description: - Almost every kind of writing includes description that is essential in working a memoir too. Description prevails in a memoir when it gets focus up on a person or place.
Details: - Details are very essential for recording memories that helps the memories come alive up on the page. The more a memoir includes details, the better it turns out to be.
Selection: - While writing a memoir, the writer must be able to choose or select the one memory from the experience. That memory should be worthy of exploring something significant. The significance of a memoir can be achieved if the event consists of:
Context
Conflict
Turning point
Conclusion

    First the writers should include background information otherwise the context of the memoir becomes unknown. If a reader does not understand the context of the event then he or she seldom understands the whole thing. In context the writer should introduce a conflict. The conflict then should lead toward the turning point. The major event happens in turning point. The major event happens in turning point and the focus of a memoir also lies in it. When there is conflict and turning point then it inevitably leads to the conclusion. Conflict not only heightens the readers sense of what is going to happen? But also shows the writer being tested. And this test is very significant in a memoir.

How to organize the memoir?

    Mostly memoirs are written chronologically that means they are presented in the order in which the events occurred in real life. This is the easiest and most common way of recording a memory of events. But it does not mean that variation is impossible.
There is no single method of organization that works all the time. But there are two principles of organization that helps memoir to be effective.

1) Whether you are writing chronologically or moving backward and forward in time for dramatic effect, try to save a strong scene for the ending.
2) Remember to give readers a clear indication of where your memories are located in time.

    Writing a memoir is different from recording memories in a journal. Because memoir is aimed at an audience beyond the writer, it must be more focused and shaped than journal writing. Although you can include anything in a journal, you need to be selective about what to include in a memoir. Whether you are emphasizing an event, a person, a place or an object form your past, you must try to convey a sense of why this memory is significant.