Writing Your Personal Narrative

Writing a personal narrative is a chance to tell a story that is important and memorable to you. You may not know why it matters, but for some reason the story stays with you, and you want to tell it. You will write it engagingly as if you were telling a friend a story, but the language will be more formal. Remember that every story, fiction or nonfiction, must have some sort of conflict, whether it be internal or external, life and death or light-hearted.

For this assignment, you will go back to your illustrated timelines, letter (Response Paper #1) and Do Nows 1-4 for inspiration. You may take an idea, image or a whole story from one of your do nows or letter and shape it into a story. Think about the pieces we have read in class and the memoir you are reading on your own as examples of how writers tell true stories from their own lives in ways that could be touching or funny, but are definitely vivid and memorable.

Requirements, Draft 1:

· The narrative must be a true story

· It needs to have the elements of a story (rather than a description or scene or series of disconnected events or ideas)

· The piece should be meaningful to the writer

· The writing is descriptive and specific

· The piece is broken into paragraphs effectively

· The language is appropriate

· Spell checked

· The piece meets the minimum of one and a half pages typed, double spaced standard typing format

· Proper heading including name, class block and date, and labeled as Piece 1, Personal Narrative Draft 1

· The piece includes a title (make one up!)


 

After Draft 1

Revision:

After conferencing with me, you must mark your changes on draft 1 and make significant changes to draft 1.

Draft 2:

Minimum of 2 pages typed, double spaced (standard typing format & labeled as draft 2)