PERSONAL NARRATIVECharacteristics of

WHAT DOES PERSONAL NARRATIVE MEAN?

Personal~having to do with oneself Narrative~telling a story

A personal narrative is a story about yourself!

POINT OF VIEW

Personal Narratives are told in FIRST PERSON point of view

Use pronouns like I, me, we… YOU are telling the story of what

happened to you.

FOCUS OF YOUR PERSONAL NARRATIVE Focus on only ONE event in your story Do not try to tell your whole life story

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Personal Narratives should be told in chronological order

Start with what happened first, second, third, etc.

Use transitions that help show the passage of time (then, later, the next day, etc.)

INTRODUCTION TECHNIQUE

Use a sophisticated introduction technique

For this assignment, you will use the technique called FLASHBACK

I will teach you how to use flashback when we start the writing process

INCLUDE REACTIONS IN YOUR STORY

Tell the reader how people reacted to the events in the story

What did you and the other people DO? What did you and the other people

SAY? What did you FEEL? Show us the story not just tell This is what makes the story interesting

and connects the reader to the events

INCLUDE REFLECTION IN YOUR STORY Reflection tells why the story is

important Reflection reveals what you and the

other people in the story learned from the experience

Reflection indicates why the story is memorable

This is what makes your writing more mature!

Use reflection throughout your story, but especially at the end (as a conclusion)

YOUR PROMPT:

Write a Personal Narrative Essay about an important, life-changing event from your life

Include reactions and reflections in your essay

Use flashback as an introduction technique

Describe your memorable event Return to the flashback in the

conclusion Follow the steps of the Writing Process

PROMPTS FOR YOUR NARRATIVE ESSAY:

1. A childhood event. Think of an experience when you learned something for the first time, or when you realized how important someone was for you.

2. Achieving a goal. Think about a particularly meaningful achievement in your life. This could be something as seemingly minor as achieving a good grade on a difficult assignment, or this could be something with more long-lasting effects, like getting the job you desired or getting into the best school to which you applied.

PROMPTS FOR YOUR NARRATIVE ESSAY:

3. A failure. Think about a time when you did not perform as well as you had wanted. Focusing on an experience like this can result in rewarding reflections about the positive emerging from the negative.

4. A good or bad deed. Think about a time when you did or did not stand up for yourself or someone else in the face of adversity or challenge.

PROMPTS FOR YOUR NARRATIVE ESSAY: 5. A change in your life. Think about a

time when something significant changed in your life. This could be anything from a move across town to a major change in a relationship to the birth or death of a loved one.