Google Docs Formatting

Use the reminders above when typing your "Narrative Essays," 

due Wednesday, October 1st, 2014. 

Don't forget:

Filename for the document is LastName Narrative Essay

Name, date, assignment goes in the top left of the paper

Double Space

Type in size 12 Times New Roman

Spellcheck!!

Write a unique/original title

Narrative checklists guide revisions

Complete this checklist for each part of your narrative essay. This will help you identify the areas in need of revision prior to submitting a final draft. 

Some common "signature moves"

Authors have lots of moves to make readers fall in love with their writing. What will your "signature moves" be?

Add some authors' craft elements to your writing!

Writing truthfully about "the good, the bad, and the embarrassing!"

Good writers strive to write honestly by searching for what makes them unique and embrace their inner "weird" lives.


Bravery in writing is what leads to literary brilliance!!

Ladies & Gentlemen.... your attention please!

How to set up an introduction for your "Narrative Essay"

Checklist

1. Hook the audience! - write lead sentence that peaks the audience's interest and convinces them to keep reading. (Hint- my story is about.... is not going to cut the mustard!)
 
2. Preview the story- briefly give the audience any background info they need to understand your story without giving anything away.

3. Hint at the lesson- give the audience a quick taste of the nature of your lesson

4.Thesis Statement-  state the valuable lesson you learned from your experience in the narrative story.

The sample above shows an introductory paragraph that  familiarizes the audience with the author's life, setting up for the narrative story to come, and also tells the audience the purpose behind the story (the "lesson"). The area identified by the green markers both hints at the lesson and states it directly at the end (items 3 & 4 on the intro checklist- above).  

Warning!!

Join us to celebrate our freedom to read by taking part in "Banned Book Week!" Stop by the library and check out their amazing display of books that have been under scrutiny over the years. Some of the titles will shock and amaze you! 

It's Banned Book Week!! How many illegal books have you read?!?

What is a "Narrative Essay?"

Okay, so this may be the first time that someone has asked you to write an "essay" that includes a personal story about yourself. Now what???

Think of this paper as a modified argument essay.

  First, you will tell your audience about an important life lesson you want them to learn. Then, you will tell them a personal story that explains about a time in your life when you learned that lesson (hint-maybe you learned it the hard way, and you are trying to prevent them from making the same mistakes that you did??) This is the proof/evidence that makes the audience listen to you and agree that- yes that is an important life lesson.

Your paper will be divided into three sections:

1. Introduction (1- paragraph)
       a) Set up the background for your story. Introduce yourself, and explain any info needed for the audience to understand the story (location/time-frame/important situations happening in your life)
       b) Hint at the lesson you are going to share. (This should be the last few sentences of the introductory paragraph)

2. Personal Story (multiple paragraphs)
       a) Write a detailed narrative (story) that explains a time in your life when you learned an important lesson that applies to everyone. This story is the proof/evidence that proves to the audience that the lesson you are sharing is valuable.

3. Conclusion (1-paragraph)
       a) Remind the audience of the lesson you are teaching them (first few sentences)
       b) Sum up the story and reflect on how the experience changed you
       c) Explain why this is an important lesson for everyone to learn (last sentence)

REMINDERS...
-Write in the first person P.O.V (I, me, my, we, our)
-The story section of the paper is kind of like a flashback
-Think of a creative title for your paper that is related to the lesson
-Type in size 12 Times New Roman font
-Spelling/grammar/punctuation rules apply 

What's the big idea?

Since the early civilizations, people have taught lessons by sharing stories. We need to dig down to the root of stories about our own lives; figure out how to take what we learned from that experience; and package it with the intent of passing on our new-found wisdom to others. 

I have what I consider to be a "healthy fear" of spiders and other insects. However, when I encounter creepy crawlies with my kids, I make sure that I put on a brave face to prevent them from inheriting my irrational feelings about bugs. I will calmly pick up a grasshopper and set it free in nearby shrubbery while my kids are watching, even though I am cringing on the inside. If I were to write a story about having to be brave in front of my kids I might focus around the theme that "sometimes being brave for others forces us to find some inner strength." I would use a detailed narrative about a specific moment in my life that demonstrates the lesson I was trying to convey. The story would be my "proof" or "evidence" that supports the validity of my claim that sometimes it is necessary to put on a brave face for others. 

Not all stories have clear lessons to teach.... Take a look at the moment you drafted for homework and decide whether or not it has a moral that is worth sharing.

Organize your thoughts before you start writing.

Punctuating Dialogue

Rules for writing dialogue:

1. Put speech marks around the words being spoken.

2. Punctuate the speech before closing speech marks.

3. Start a new line for each new speaker.

4. Capitalize the first word in spoken phrase.

“Gosh I hope that was no one I knew,” Calvin mumbled through his scarf. Mom offered Calvin some treats to warm him up.
“You looked pretty cold coming up the hill, so I fixed you some hot chocolate and crackers with peanut butter,” she explained. “Go wrap up in a blanket and take these in front of the fire. Here’s Hobbes and a comic book. Getting Toasty?” she asked.“Uh huh. Thanks,” he replied.

Break it down!

Breaking down our writable moments to dig for details... Try to think of each memory as a progression of: emotions, actions, thoughts (reflection), dialogue. Charting these details on simultaneous timelines can help turn a simple description into an opportunity for a meaningful memoir.

A student sample...

Now, use the "breakdown" to make your writing more detailed. Go back and highlight the details from your timelines to see a visual of how the different details weave together to create a rich narrative. 

Moments that Matter

Use the following techniques to make a list of moments that are worth writing about from your own lives

You are what you Read!

What we read shapes who we are as people. Some books teach us lessons about life; others help us deal with tough situations that we might be experiencing, and some books are special because they hold memories of loved ones. The books that significantly impact us become part of our identity, a literary fingerprint. 

Look closely to see the book titles in the ridge details of this "fingerprint"