Memoir POV

[Addison]

After a title epiphany I started deliberating my POV.

My working title now is "Memoirs of a Caster: Druid's Feather". But currently my story is written in subjective third. You may see my problem. But I googled the definition of memoir and got this:

1. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation.
2. Usually, memoirs.
a. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography.
b. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
3. a biography or biographical sketch.

By most of the definitions a memoir is in first person POV. But it's the 2.b that has me thinking that maybe subjective third could work. But I don't think so. Either I need to change the POV (it won't be too hard) Or rethink the title.

Could sub 3rd work or not?

 

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm...Glen Cook's 'Black Company' series is told in journal form, which gets pretty close to what you are describing. In a few places - presumably patched together from multiple sources, they become straight third.

 

[Penpilot]

In my writing group, there's someone who was writing their memoirs, so I went to the book story and skimmed a few memoirs to see what style they used. I found a bit of mixed bag in terms of style and presentation. I don't remember seeing one in sub 3rd, but the rule of no rules applies here.

But you have to think about what the pros and cons are. When you present in subjective 3rd instead of 1st, you're going to lose a teeny bit of that "Told-by-the-person-who-lived-it" feel. IMHO there may be a way to turn that around a bit. If the main character looks at their younger self as a sort of other person, and states that clearly at the beginning, that might be a more natural way to use 3rd. Might allow you to also interject perspective and commentary as the story unfolds, like an omniscient narrator with a personality could and retain that "Told-by-the-person-who-lived-it" feel.

 

[Terry Greer]

The wikipedia definition of memoir is one which I think might be more relevant - as its what's really expected in any form calling itself a memoir.

Memoir (from French: mémoire: memoria, meaning memory or reminiscence), is a literary nonfiction genre. More specifically, it is a collection of memories that an individual writes about moments or events, both public or private that took place in the author's life. The assertions made in the work are understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of autobiography since the late 20th century, the genre is differentiated in form, presenting a narrowed focus. Like most autobiographies, memoirs are written from the first-person point of view. An autobiography tells the story of a life, while memoir tells a story from a life, such as touchstone events and turning points from the author's life. The author of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist.

A journal approach is different but equally valid - but its not a memoir.

Currently I'm also experimenting with an archive/dossier-like approach made up of a lots of different POVs in a similar mode to Dennis Wheatley's experimental crime dossier books:
Crime Dossiers of Dennis Wheatley and J G Links
These are a fascinating approach - well worth checking out.

(They also allow for a mixture of journal and memoirs and other 3rd person viewpoints to be bundled up together.)

 

[Addison]

When you present in subjective 3rd instead of 1st, you're going to lose a teeny bit of that "Told-by-the-person-who-lived-it" feel. IMHO there may be a way to turn that around a bit. If the main character looks at their younger self as a sort of other person, and states that clearly at the beginning, that might be a more natural way to use 3rd. Might allow you to also interject perspective and commentary as the story unfolds, like an omniscient narrator with a personality could and retain that "Told-by-the-person-who-lived-it" feel.

You have a good point. All last night I kept juggling the two POV's in my head, kept me up for two hours, going over the pros and cons of both. I was even going over the title. But you do have a point, especially with the character using a subjective third because his younger self was a different person.