Is a memoir the same as an autobiography?

No. An autobiography covers a whole life in chronological order and aims at completeness; a memoir takes one theme or period and explores it in depth. Memoir selects, autobiography covers.

Do I need to write in chronological order?

Only for an autobiography, and even then the drafting need not follow the final order. Most people write easier memories first and arrange chapters at the editing stage.

Which is best for a family record?

A life story book. It is built from questions rather than continuous prose, it welcomes small domestic detail that other forms cut, and it is written for readers who already know the subject.

Getting started

Memoir, autobiography or life story: what is the difference?

September 2, 2026 · 5 min read

Three hardback books stacked on a desk beside reading glasses and a mug

An autobiography tells a whole life in order, from birth onward, and aims at completeness. A memoir takes one theme, relationship or period and explores it in depth, and aims at meaning rather than coverage. A life story book is a family record rather than a literary form: it is written for the people who know you, usually built from questions, and its success is measured by whether your family reads it, not by whether a publisher takes it.

Autobiography: the whole life, in order

An autobiography runs chronologically and tries to be complete. It answers the question "what happened, and in what order?" That completeness is its strength as a record and its weakness as a read: the years in which nothing much happened still have to be accounted for.

It suits people with an unusual public life, a long career worth documenting, or a strong desire to leave a full account. It is the most demanding of the three, because every gap is visible.

Memoir: one thread, followed properly

A memoir selects. It might cover a marriage, an illness, ten years in one town, or a relationship with a parent, and it leaves out everything that does not serve that thread. It answers "what did this mean?" rather than "what happened?"

Memoir is the form most published life writing takes, because selection makes for better reading. It is harder to start, though, because you must decide what the book is about before you begin.

Life story book: written for your family

A life story book is not competing with either. It is a record made for the people who already know and love the subject, which changes what counts as good. Detail that would be cut from a published memoir as too small is exactly what a granddaughter wants: the name of the dog, the smell of the kitchen, what your mother said when she was angry.

It is usually assembled from answers to questions rather than written as continuous prose, which is why people who could never write a memoir routinely finish one.

How to choose

The practical test is who you are writing for and what you can sustain.

Writing for your family and unsure where to start: a life story book, built from questions.
One period or relationship dominates what you want to say: a memoir.
You want a complete record for its own sake, and you have the stamina: an autobiography.
You do not know yet: start answering questions. The shape usually reveals itself after ten or fifteen answers.

Common questions

Is a memoir the same as an autobiography?: No. An autobiography covers a whole life in chronological order and aims at completeness; a memoir takes one theme or period and explores it in depth. Memoir selects, autobiography covers.
Do I need to write in chronological order?: Only for an autobiography, and even then the drafting need not follow the final order. Most people write easier memories first and arrange chapters at the editing stage.
Which is best for a family record?: A life story book. It is built from questions rather than continuous prose, it welcomes small domestic detail that other forms cut, and it is written for readers who already know the subject.