The document outlines a 12-step process for writing a memoir. It involves pre-writing exercises like listing important places and memories. Students then draft their memoir, revise it based on peer feedback, and proofread and publish the final version by printing it with a cover featuring a 6-word summary of the memoir. The process emphasizes turning off inner editors during early drafting and focusing revisions on clarifying key elements like impactful emotions and life lessons.

1. Memoir
Process
Steps

2. Pre-Writing

3. (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

4. (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

5. 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

6. 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

7. DRAFT.

8. 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

9. REVISE/
CONFERENCE.

10. 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

11. TAG
TALK ABOUT… ASK QUESTIONS… GIVE
ADVICE…
STEP 6

12. 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

13. STAR
SUBSTITUTE, TAKE OUT, ADD MORE,
REARRANGE/REORDER
STEP 7

14. 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

15. 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

16. PROOFREAD.

17. 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

18. PUBLISH.

19. 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

20. SUBMIT.

21. PASS IT IN.
Then
we
will
celebrate!
(AND
start
a
new
unit.)
THIS
IS
DUE
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER
14,
IN
CLASS.
STEP 12