Personal Narrative:

Writing/Drafting Packet

A memorable incident from your life

Name:______________

Packet Due Date: ______________ _______/100

Drafting (writing)

Now you have all the details to begin your rough draft. You will write a 500-700 word personal narrative essay about a major event that caused a turning point in your life, or about a particular event that taught you a lesson.

Start writing down your memory of the incident as it comes to you. Don’t worry about how it sounds or whether you’ve gotten it completely right. You can fix it later. Concentrate on getting the information from the beginning to the end, and don’t worry about the details.

As you draft, keep the following things form your prewriting packet in mind:

____ Use elements of short story writing (plot, character, and setting) See below.____ Use dialogue when you can____ Use sensory details (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures)____ Organize details in chronological order. ____ Write a conclusion that sums up your impression of the event or what you have learned from it. ____ Be sure that important and necessary details are used and that unnecessary details don’t take away from the main point

Step 1: Start by writing your beginning.

The beginning identifies the incident/problem and grabs the reader’s attention

____ Grab your reader’s attention____ Start in the middle of the action____ Introduce the main problem/incident____ You might want to Include and important background information about the experience.____ You might want to include the people involved and the setting here.

Example (see book page 150)

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Step #2: Now write the middle paragraphs

The middle part of your narrative shares the important information related to your experience. Remember that your goal is to tell a good story and to hold the reader’s interest.

Remember that your purpose is to tell about a major event that caused a turning point in your life, or about a particular event that taught you a lesson.

Write freely and let your ideas flow. Don’t worry about having everything correct in the first draft.

Add important details that occur along the way.

Use the tips below as a guide when developing your writing:

___Include key actions

___ Recreate the incident using descriptive details.

___ Add sensory details

___Work in your personal thoughts

___Maintain suspense

___ Make the significance clear.

Example (see book page 150)

MIDDLE:

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Step #3. Conclusion/Ending your personal narrative

The ending of your personal narrative shows that you overcame your problem, accomplished something, or learned something. It is your chance to reflect on the experience and tell what you learned or how your life was changed your experience.

Conclude by reflecting on the outcome and significance. Present your feelings about the experience/Sum up your impression of the event or what you have learned from it.

Ending paragraph example (see book page 150)

Tips if you having difficulty:Think in terms of before and after. What were you like before the experience, and how were you different after it?What words describe how you felt after the experience? (Proud, mature, etc)Consider the good and bad. What did you do well during this experience, and what could you have done better?

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Step 4: Share with partner.

Ask your peer reader:

Why do you think this experience was important for me?

Which part of the incident is described most vividly?

What parts are unnecessary or need more explanation?

Final Draft: How will you be graded?

Due Monday, December 10

Prewriting Packet ____________

Rough Draft, Revising and Editing ____________

Final draft 500-700 words

Ideas: Does the narrative share a memorable event? Did the writing achieve the writer’s purpose? Do details bring the essay to life? Did the writer use precise and specific details?

Organization: Does the structure of the narrative make it enjoyable to read? Does the essay focus on a well-defined incident? Does it have a clear beginning, middle and end? Does it follow a plot line?

Voice: Does the writer’s voice capture the reader? Is the narrative interesting?

Word choice: Did the writer’s word choice creative an excellent and vivid picture of the event? Did the writer use description and dialogue?

Sentence Fluency: Were the sentences written skillfully to hold the reader’s interest?

Conventions: The narrative has no errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.