Autobiography and memoir are both forms of narrative nonfiction, but there are several fundamental differences between the two.
Firstly, an autobiography is traditionally written by the author and recounts their life story, while a memoir can be written by someone else who has experienced the events or has intimate knowledge of the subject of the memoir.
Secondly, an autobiography is usually a comprehensive recounting of the author's life, often covering significant periods of time or shared family history. Memoirs typically focus on a narrower period of time or a specific event or set of events.
Thirdly, autobiographies typically focus on the author's professional accomplishments and successes, while memoirs often focus on more personal events or moments of self-reflection and inner growth.
Finally, autobiography may include dialogue, speculation, and editorializing, whereas memoirs are traditionally written as more straightforward narratives.
In a nutshell, autobiographies focus on an individual’s accomplishments and successes, tell the full story of a life, and may include speculation, dialogue, and editorializing. Memoirs are usually written by someone other than the subject and tend to focus on a narrower period of time or a specific event or set of events, often including personal reflections and inner growth.
