Taking Creative License in Memoir Writing… YES, it’s ok!
As people, we are naturally drawn to stories. We love hearing about the experiences of others and the lessons they’ve learned. Memoirs are a particularly powerful way to share these stories because they offer a glimpse into someone else’s life, allowing readers to learn from their experiences and gain new insights. However, some may argue that memoirs should be strictly factual, with no embellishments or creative license allowed. I would argue that this view is too limiting and that memoir writers should be free to use creative license to make their stories more interesting.
First, let’s define what we mean by creative license. Creative license refers to the writer’s ability to deviate from strict factual accuracy in order to tell a more compelling story. This can include altering the timeline of events, combining characters or events for dramatic effect, or even creating composite characters. While some may argue that this is dishonest, I believe that it is an essential aspect of storytelling. After all, stories are not just about conveying facts; they are about capturing the essence of a particular experience, conveying the emotions and insights that come with it.
One example of a memoir writer who used creative license to great effect is Mary Karr, author of the highly acclaimed memoir “The Liars’ Club.” In her memoir, Karr tells the story of her childhood growing up in a dysfunctional family in rural Texas. While many of the events in the book are based on Karr’s own experiences, she freely admits to using creative license to make the story more interesting. For example, she combines several characters into one and changes the timeline of certain events. However, these alterations do not detract from the overall truth of the story; in fact, they help to capture the emotional truth of Karr’s experience in a way that strict factual accuracy could not.
Another argument in favor of using creative license in memoir writing is that it allows the writer to more fully engage with their own memories and experiences. Memory is a notoriously fickle thing, and it can be difficult to remember events exactly as they happened. By allowing themselves to deviate from strict factual accuracy, memoir writers can better capture the essence of their memories and convey the emotional truth of their experiences.
Of course, there are also potential pitfalls to using creative license in memoir writing. One concern is that it can be difficult to strike the right balance between truth and fiction. If a writer strays too far from the truth, they risk losing the trust of their readers and undermining the power of their story. Additionally, there is always the risk that a writer’s creative license will be used to manipulate or deceive readers for personal gain.
However, I believe that these concerns can be mitigated by a commitment to honesty and transparency. Memoir writers should be upfront about the ways in which they have deviated from strict factual accuracy, and they should strive to maintain the emotional truth of their experiences even as they use creative license to make their stories more compelling. It's not unlike photographers who will edit their photos to enhance certain colors or focal points. Or musicians who incorporate sonic effects once basic tracks are recorded. Essentially every art form allows for some kind of manipulation to help accentuate certain portions of the work.
Ultimately, the goal of memoir writing is not to provide a strict factual account of events, but to capture the essence of a particular experience and convey it in a way that resonates with readers. By using creative license to make their stories more interesting, memoir writers can better engage with their own memories and experiences, and create stories that are more powerful and emotionally resonant. As long as writers are honest and transparent about their use of creative license, there is no reason why they should not be free to use it to the fullest extent possible.
