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The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience...

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The Narrative Guidelines
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Page 1: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

The Narrative

Guidelines

Page 2: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Narrative Writing

A narrative essay:

--Is based on personal experience

--Tells a story

--Reveals an insight about the action or people involved

Page 3: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

The Epiphany

A narrative essay shows an insight the writer gained from his / her experience (called an “epiphany”).

• A turning point in your life--perhaps a time when you were forced suddenly to grow up, a time when you faced a difficult challenge, or a time when you reassessed your values.

Common narrative essay topics include:

• Being exposed to a culture different from your own

• Immigration / Emigration

Page 4: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

The Narrative Essay Format

The narrative essay moves the reader towards some insight into the experience.

Such essays have a basic, three-part organizational framework:

Beginning Middle Ending

Page 5: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Patterns of OrganizationOrganizational Pattern 1

Retell the first stage of the experience Beginning

Continue describingthe experience

Middle

Discuss the epiphany(the meaning of the experience)

Ending

Page 6: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Patterns of OrganizationOrganizational Pattern 2

Provide background informationand a focal point or insight / epiphany Beginning

Describe in detail the experience(s)that led to the insight / epiphany Middle

Reflect on the experience, for example, by discussing its deeper

meaning, implication, or irony.

Ending

Page 7: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Patterns of OrganizationOrganizational Pattern 3

Provide background informationand a question about your topic. Beginning

Describe in detail the experience(s)that lead to an answer to the question

you raised in the beginning.Middle

Answer the question you raised in the beginning, or explain why the

question cannot be answered.Ending

Page 8: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

How to Start: Prewriting Strategies

Free writing: To write without stopping to worry about spelling, grammar, or structure. Try to write consistently for at least five minutes.

Listing / Brainstorming: To list words / phrases quickly.

Clustering: To create a visual map of ideas (shows how ideas connect to one another)

Page 9: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Prewriting Strategies (ctd.)Listing / Brainstorming: To list words / phrases quickly.

An Unforgettable Experience:

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

7.1 on the richter scale

Violent and scary

I was twelve years old

I was in the garage

Everything crashed to the floor

My pet dog hid under the bed

Lasted 30 seconds

Sounded like a train crashing through the house

Page 10: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Prewriting Strategies (ctd.)

An Unforgettable Experience:

I rmbr the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake as an unforgettable experience.I was 12 yrs old at the time and was in my parents garage….The house, well it startedshaking violently. At first I didn’t really know what was going on….it felt like a train was running through the house at top speed. I looked outside and could see trees swaying so violently that they were hitting the ground on either side. This vase my mom owned, well, it feel on off of the top of the piano where she kept it, rolled off the keys, and fell onto the floor, perfectly upright. I was really surprised that it didn’t break because it was an antique and very breakable. I rmbr that image the most for some reason, of the vase. So anyway, afterwards (it lasted like 30 seconds), we couldn’t find my pet dog for a long time, and i was scared that she had somehowescaped and run away. We found her underneath my bed, scared and shaking. Wehad about 3 big after schocks that nite--at least 5.0 .

Free writing:To write without stopping to worry about spelling, grammar, or structure. Try to write consistently for at least five minutes.

Page 11: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Prewriting Strategies (ctd.)

An Unforgettable Experience:

Clustering: To create a visual map of ideas (shows how ideas connect to one another)

The Loma Prieta Earthquake

Violent andScary Very loud

7.1 on richter scale

Lasted 30 seconds

Visual Details

Mom’s vase

The trees outside

Aftermath

Many big aftershocks

Couldn’t find my pet dog

Main Idea (Thesis)

Point 1Point 2

Point 3

Page 12: The Narrative Guidelines. Narrative Writing A narrative essay: --Is based on personal experience --Tells a story --Reveals an insight about the action.

Writing the Essay: Tips

Use the prewriting strategies to draft your essay

Try various patterns of organization until you find one you like

Don’t worry too much about grammar or spelling in your first draft: work primarily on content and organization

Proofread and edit for grammar / spelling in your second draft

Talk to Katie when you need help!


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