Writing a nonfiction story can be tough. As the author, it is your responsibility to tell a true story and explain facts as correctly as possible, all while keeping the reader entertained.
A creative nonfiction story can be told in one of three genres: memoir, autobiography, or biography. Each has various characteristics; therefore, it’s vital to understand the differences between memoir vs biography to ensure you’re writing in the appropriate context.
What is a Biography?
A biography, sometimes known as a bio, is a nonfiction text that gives an objective account of a person’s life. The major difference between a memoir vs biography is that a biography does not include the subject as an author. A biography can be about someone alive today or someone who lived a long time ago.
A biography includes details on the subject’s birthplace, education, employment, and relationships, as well as significant events in their life. Biographers undertake research through a number of means, including interviews, letters, diaries, photographs, essays, reference books, and newspapers. A biography is usually written, but it can also be created in other media such as music composition or film.
If the biography’s subject is no longer alive, substantial research will be required to present the story. Interviews may be required to get information from historical experts, those who knew the person (for example, friends and relatives), or by reading older accounts written about the person in previous years. In biographies where the subject is still alive, the writer can conduct several interviews with them to gain insight into their lives.
A biography’s objective is to take the reader through the person’s life story, from childhood to adolescence and teenage years and then from early adulthood to the rest of their life. The biography explains how the individual learned life lessons and navigated the world. It should give the reader a clear picture of the individual’s personality, traits, and interactions in the surroundings.
Biographies can also be based on multiple people rather than just one. A biography, for example, may be the account of a group of people who lived hundreds of years ago. This group may include the main character, who was a member of the group, and the author writes about the group to convey the story of how they helped shape the world.
Fictional biographies use true historical stories and events to enrich the plot. Consider fictional biographies to be films with a disclaimer saying the story is based on real people, but some events are made up to add to the plot and entertainment value. A fictitious biography still necessitates thorough research, but the author has more leeway to create a plot rather than relying on true events.
What is a Memoir?
Memoir derives from the French word mémoire, which means remembrance or reminiscence. A memoir, like an autobiography, is a self-written account of a person’s life. These life stories are frequently based on diary entries, either from a first-person perspective or from a close family member or friend who has access to personal journals.
A memoir differs from an autobiography in that it focuses on reflection and emotional connection rather than merely reporting facts about the author’s life. The author uses personal experience to create an intimate and emotional account about private or public events in their lives.
The author may be the person in the narrative, or it could be written by a close family member or acquaintance who knew the subject very well. The theme is purposefully narrowed and does not include biographical or chronological details about the author’s life unless they are important and related to the story.
Memoirs are classified into numerous forms, and they are all written as an emotional description of the subject individual. They usually depict the narrative of someone who overcame enormous adversity or uniquely faced problems. They can also include confessionals, in which the memoir recounts the author’s narrative that contradicts another’s.
This type of writing frequently features anecdotes about famous people’s lives, such as celebrities. In many memoir projects, the celebrity or person of interest requires assistance with organization, writing the story, and developing ideas from the individual’s diaries. It may take multiple interviews to completely outline and write the story; thus, a memoir project can take several months.
Memoirs typically require less investigation than biographies and autobiographies since they include personal accounts in diary entries and documents containing the person’s ideas. However, it may take multiple interviews to order the journal entries so that they provide an accurate assessment of the person’s thoughts and emotions. Unlike an autobiography, the story does not have to be told in chronological sequence, but it may be necessary to tell a better story.
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Memoir vs Biography (An Overview)
| Biography | Memoir |
| An account of an individual | A personal account of a particular moment or experience. |
| Written in the third person. | Written in the first person |
| Objective | Subjective |
| Presents information gathered from the topic, acquaintances, or other sources. | Presents facts as perceived by the individual. |
| Written to enlighten and provide the context. | Written to examine and explore the emotions of an experience. |
| Has limited access to the subject’s thoughts and feelings. | Provides access to personal ideas, feelings, reactions, and reflections. |
| Can be written anytime | Can be written anytime |
Difference Between Biography and Autobiography and Memoir
Here’s a comparison chart that highlights the main differences between autobiography, biography, and memoir:
| Features | Autobiography | Biography | Memoir |
| Author | Subject | Other | Subject |
| Point of View | First Person | Third Person | First Person |
| Period | Entire Life | Entire Life | Specific Period or Theme |
| Focus | Entire Life | Subject’s Life | Specific Aspect of the Author’s Life |
| Purpose | Tell Life Story | Inform and Entertain | Reflect on Specific Memories or Themes |
5 Difference Between Biography and Autobiography
The following points go into detail on the differences between biography and autobiography.
- A biography is a thorough description of another person’s life, whereas an autobiography is written by the subject.
- Biographies can be written with or without the permission of the person/heirs concerned. As a result, the information may contain factual errors. Autobiographies, on the other hand, are authored by the author and hence do not require authorization.
- Biographies contain information gathered throughout time from many sources and so present a distinct perspective to the reader. Autobiographies, on the other hand, are written by the subject themselves, therefore, the writer provides the facts and his ideas in his own unique way, leaving readers with an overall narrow and biased perspective.
- In an autobiography, the author employs first-person narratives such as I, me, us, he, she, and so on. This, in turn, creates an intimate connection between the author and the reader, as the reader experiences various things as if he or she were in that historical period. In contrast, a biography is written in the third person and is much less personal.
- The objective of creating a biography is to introduce and inform readers about the person and their life, whereas an autobiography is written to express the narrator’s life experiences and achievements.
Conclusion
While both memoir vs biography aim to tell someone’s life narrative, they differ in breadth, perspective, reliability, writing style, and reader experience. Biographies provide a detailed and objective account of a subject’s life, based on significant research and analysis.
Memoirs, on the other hand, offer a subjective and intimate look into the author’s own experiences and emotions. Both genres have their advantages and appeal to diverse readers, providing unique insights into the lives of ordinary people and the human condition as a whole.
