[Last Name] 1

Emily Mendrick

Mr. DuFresne

10 LC

11/13/22

Self Reflection: Memoir Unit

Over the past months we have been working on writing different memoirs about

ourselves and moments in our lives. Out of the four we did the three I’ll be talking about are my

When I Was Young Poem, List Memoir, and Extended Narrative.

The first memoir we wrote was the When I Was Young Poem. This would probably have

to be my favorite memoir we wrote this unit because it was the most fun to write. I wrote about a

trip I took to the Outer Banks. The reason I liked this memoir a lot is because it was easy to

include sensory details in. They kind of brought the memoir to life.

My second favorite memoir we wrote this unit was the List Memoir. In this piece I wrote

about my soccer career. I wrote about the ups and downs from when I was just starting till now. I

liked this memoir because while I was writing I was able to reflect on myself as a player and

person. I included lots of sensory details, ever more than my first memoir which shows

improvement.

My third favorite memoir we wrote was the Extended Narrative. What I really enjoyed

about this piece is I had a much better connection to the actual moment. I wrote about my dog

getting sick and passing away, which was a huge tragedy in my life that has shaped my life ever

since. I included sensory details, similes, as well as other toolbox methods. The only thing I

would change about this piece would be writing more. I felt as though when I was reading it was

too fast paced and it was just one moment then instantly the next moment.
 [Last Name] 2

Overall, I’ve seen great improvement over the memoir unit. First, I now actually

understand what a memoir is and the different types of memoirs and how they are each similar

and different from each other. During this unit we also learned a lot of different toolbox methods,

which are different types or craft to add to your writing to make it better. The main ones I’ve

learned have been using sensory details and showing after telling. In my old work I would briefly

describe moments and never elaborate. Now I understand I must set the scene clearly so the

reader understands what it was like in the moment.