Saturday, January 17, 2015

Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay

Definition
In a personal narrative, you re-create an incident that happened to you over a short period of time.  This incident could be an emotional experience, a silly or serious event, or a frightening encounter.  Narrative writing requires students to think clearly about the details of an event as if it was a plot.  A narrative:
· Presents a story with a distinct plot.  The plot includes an internal or external conflict.  It has a beginning, middle, and an end.
· Has a setting of some sort
· Presented in a specific point of view, usually spoken in the voice of a narrator or character
           

Thesis Development
            As you present your narrative from a certain point of view, you must consider the significance of the event.  Was there a lesson to learn?  Did it change someone’s history?  Does it reveal something insightful about a person, place or circumstance?  These are the variables that will help you form a thesis.

Organization
            Narratives are generally told in chronological order; in other words, you explain the events considering the timeline in which they happened.  

Optional Narrative prompts:
· Write about a time when you faced a challenge and what the outcome was.  Be sure to narrate the series of events and include specific details.
· Write a story about when you taught someone something.  It can be anything that you know better than someone else.
· Think about an event in your life that taught you an important lesson. Write a narrative in which you tell what happened and how you learned a lesson.
· Write a narrative about a person or character who overcomes a difficult situation.  The character must be a person from history or from literature, movies or television.


Essay Guidelines
Due dates:  Pre-Write due January 22; Rough Draft due January 29; Final Draft due February 12
Essay length:  500 – 700 words (between 2 and 4 pages)
Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.
Final draft format:
Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know)
1 inch margins
Name and date on the upper right hand corner
Number the pages on the lower right hand corner
Title centered above the text of the essay, below your name and date


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