Writing Memoir: Don’t Tell Stories Like Chunk from “The Goonies”

When writing memoir, it’s important to pick the stories from your life that have a through narrative with a solid theme, with tension, and with resolution.

We all love The Goonies; It’s an absolute classic, and I have to admit that the older I get, the more Chunk becomes my most-loved character.

He’s understatedly brave and kind and funny. His character also shows the most growth of all the Goonies, in my opinion, and he has a good, loving heart. I love everything about Chunk, especially the lesson he gives to memoirists in what not to do in their storytelling.

You see, as memoirists, we must pick the most telling moments of our lives and make them emblematic of our entire journey. One scene from childhood about how your father leans into the back seat and yells, “Don’t make me come back there with belt,” should illustrate your father’s disciplinary beliefs. There is no need for a five page ‘tell’ session that defines his beliefs, as one scene with tension, character building, description, and dialogue can do all the work…