Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative Your life’s direction

Assignment • To write a narrative essay to develop a real experience or event using effective technique, well chosen details, and well structured event sequences. • This should cover one small event. Don’t try to write your whole life story. You want to focus on one anecdote. Think about Elie Wiesel and the small anecdotes he uses to tell give his whole story life.

Greeks • “Know thyself.” • “The life that is unexamined is not worth living.” • Plato

Getting started • This is not your typical 5 paragraph essay. Paragraphs should be divided in the following situations: • Changing speakers in dialogue • Time changes • Place changes • Major event changes • Attempting to create suspense • Important ideas • Thought change

Getting started Chronological order is not necessary. You should have at least one paragraph (if not more) per event section on your pre-write sheet. Don’t use traditional intro paragraph; go straight to the description of the event. Think of starting with a conversation (dialogue) or with details of where you are at the time. Maybe select details about places and relationships and prior events that put the incident in context.

Getting started • Example: The garden was always a place that I went for peace and quiet. Never being outgoing or sure of myself, I would sit and write in my diary among the roses and periwinkles each day with my dog, Fido, who loves me no matter what. Fido always curled at my feet without a care in the world. One day, I didn’t go to the garden, and everything changed for me and for Fido.

Show, don’t tell • Use specific names of people. • Record specific gestures or movements of people, body language. • Describe sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations. • Example: My heart pumped wildly as I ran from the front porch to the horrible scene. It smelled of burning hair. I saw Bobby crouched, holding Fido.

Dialogue • Record accurately what others said. • Dialogue can reveal character and move the events of the narrative forward. • Example: (following the previous two scenes) “I didn’t mean to,” Bobby said. “I just wanted to scare him.”

One Moment in Time You are trying to recreate this moment in time, not retell a story; therefore, you must be as detailed as possible. Pretend you are going in slow motion. Act as if you don’t know the outcome until it occurs in your essay. Incorporate those thoughts, feelings, physical details, etc.

Your thoughts Allow the reader to read your mind, so include your thoughts along the way. Ask yourself how you felt at certain times; put your thoughts in italics so that you don’t have to use the words “I thought.” Example: Bobby Braden, what did you do to Fido? I clenched my fists and tried to breathe deeply.

Don’t… Use generic emotional terms (happy, sad, mad, etc.); use words or actions to show how sad or mad you were (laughter, tears, punched a wall, etc.) Attempt to capture more than a few hours in the narrative; this will take forever! Give away what the event or outcome at the beginning; through your description, the reader should be able to guess what is happening to you.

Do Use one verb tense! Include at least one example of dialogue! Don’t forget to change paragraphs when speakers change. Double-check that someone could imagine being in that situation at that time; ask yourself about what you saw, said, felt, etc. constantly as you finish your essay.

Double check That your sentences don’t sound the same. Look at the first few words after periods; if they all look alike, add some elements or transitions. Check punctuation, spelling, grammar.

Conclusion • Reveal the final outcome. • Make clear how the incident was important to you. • Example: All through my childhood, I felt a bit uncertain of myself. Anything new, even if it was something as simple as learning a new craft at camp or going to a party where I didn’t know many people always filled me with dread. Those feelings of inadequacy were never as strong after the incident with Fido. I kept my head during a crisis and saved my dog’s life. My love for my dog made me brave, and my moment of bravery made me believe in myself to a degree I had never had before.

Prewriting Roadmap Choose the incident from your brainstormed notes. OR Draw a road map of your life beginning at birth and ending at the present. The map should turn at significant events. Saved my dog Preschool Moved Fell from swing Started high school Grade school Joined Scouts Sister born Born

Visualize • Close your eyes and see the scene in your mind. Sketch the images as you go. • Take time to do that now.

Interviewing • Talk to people who were involved – family members, friends, neighbors, teachers. Ask how they remember the incident.

Using Memory Souvenirs • Find objects or artifacts you associate with the incident. Focus on the memories they bring back.

Tone • Lighthearted • Angry • Solemn • Nostalgic

Let’s start thinking Look at your brainstorming sheets. Choose a topic you would like to write about Write a brief one paragraph summary of the event. Bracket it into parts. Fill out your personal narrative chart.

Example I had just flown to meet Daniel and his family at the beach. I was tired and worn from traveling, but Daniel’s family wanted to take a walk on the beach, so we went. Daniel wanted to keep walking after his family decided to go in. We did. During that part of the walk, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

Overall event

Personal Narrative