Hello, Mickey, I'll answer some of your questions as the opinion of another "memoir" writer. First, I think the number of words per chapter is irrelevant. It takes the number to tell that part of the story, period; mine went/goes from maybe a couple thousand to the 5-6 thousand range (guestimates, didn't go back to check exactly). If there is a problem with length, a future agent/editor/publisher will let you know it needs adjustment for their purposes. On this site some reviewers prefer shorter works, but that is just personal preference, nothing to do with any rules or standards.

Yes, memoirs can be written as fiction, mine is. It didn't stop me from winning the 2010 strongest start competition on this site in the "Memoir" category. Nothing dishonest about it. Me, I stated it up front and used all fictional names, etc. There are many stories which state, "based upon a true story" - those would be considered fictionalized memoir in my opinion. It is the story which matters and it is only the author's recollection which isn't and can't always be entirely accurate. Someone else might remember the same events differently just as ten people will give ten different accounts of the same accident.

Hope that helps. Good luck. Take care. Vern

PS: Oops, forgot about the order. That doesn't matter as long as the reader isn't confused. I have several flashbacks and actually had reviewers read the chapters out of order and tell me it didn't interfere with following the events or their enjoyment of the story. Each chapter is a story in itself but a continueing thread runs through them, kind of a story within stories concept which used to be quite favorable in works such as the Canterbury Tales and The Arabian Nights.

Last edited by vern (07-16-2012 06:00:25)