How to make sex memoirs transcend the genre

starrykitten

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So I've started writing some pieces that I could put together to make a sex memoir of sorts. I'm experimenting with the form and with some other elements, but I wonder what else I could do without it just seeming like a series of "so then I did it with this guy and then I did it with this guy." Thanks!
 

lastlittlebird

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I'm not an expert at memoirs, but a creative writing teacher once told me that the important thing when writing one is to think of yourself as a character, rather than a narrator and the events as a story, with an arc or arcs, character growth, and... uh, a natural build to a satisfying climax.
Ahem.

The teacher suggested most successful memoirs explore the relationship between the main character and something specific, either external (say, a particular person) or internal (like a person's attempt to overcome...procrastination. Or probably something more interesting).
Hope this helps!
 

veinglory

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To even really join the genre there would need to be a 'point' or 'theme' or 'message' to the entire lifelong sexual experience you were recounting.
 

IceCreamEmpress

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Why not read some of the recent bestsellers in the genre? The Sexual Life of Catherine M. and My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler are two fairly recent sexual memoirs that did extremely well.
 

starrykitten

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Thanks for the advice and for the book suggestions! I'll definitely check out those as I work through ideas for my own.
 

Birdy22

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You didn't give a lot of information, but like others have said you have to have some sort of point. Is this supposed to be like a romance novel only a true story, or is there some sort of plot, like the reason you are writing this is to talk about some sort of growth you experienced?

Honestly from what you wrote about it it doesn't sound that interesting, but don't let that discourage you because you didn't give that much information.
 
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Rhonda2

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I guess you are going to have to do a lot of research. Let us know how this goes- very interesting idea.