![]() ![]() That might be factual, but it does not engage the reader or invite them into your world. Which of the above lakes would you want to visit? Which one paints a more immersive picture, making you feel like you are there? When writing a story, our initial instinct is usually to make a list of chronological moments: first I did this, then I did this, then I did that, it was neat-o. Despite the heat, the Montana mountain air tasted crisp. Ponderosa pines lined its shores, dropping their spicy-scentedneedles into the clear water. The lake stretched before me, aquamarine, glistening in the hot August afternoon sun. My breath escaped in ragged bursts, my quadriceps burning as I crested the summit. As one of my favorite mentors, Caroline Kremers, once said about engaging readers with your writing, "go for the jugular." (Note: please do not physically assault your readers. ![]() It forces them to see the world through your narrator's eyes. A great essay makes a reader forget they are reading an essay. ![]() Whatever the moment might be, the important idea to remember is to tell a story in a way which immerses the reader: that you make the reader feel like they are there by describing the moment in great detail using your five senses that you use metaphors that you have a setting, conflict, and some kind of character growth. It could be a hilarious moment, a scary moment, an extremely embarrassing moment: essentially, it is a moment that made you see the world in a new way or transformed you from the person you were to the person you are. It could be the worst moment of a person's life, like the moment they realized their dream job was not a good fit after all, the moment they realized racism was real, the moment they lost someone they loved, or the moment they realized their lifelong hero was a fraud. It could be the happiest moment of a person's life, such as a wedding, birth of a child, or graduation from college. Similarly, a metamorphic moment is an intense moment or experience which profoundly impacts or changes a person. What does metamorphic mean? Think of the caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly while in the chrysalis. "Untitled" by morganglines, 17 June 2007, published on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Take a look at the readings in this chapter to get some ideas about scope.Īfter examining these professional examples, it's time to tell your story! So where is a good place to start? Think about a metamorphic moment in your life. For an effective example of this form of personal narrative, see "Girl" by Alexander Chee (2016). Lastly, some authors choose to organize their essays with anchoring images or subheaders. Please see the story "Bajadas" by Francisco Cantu (2015) for an effective example of the epistolary form. But if you have a story that stretches over a few days rather than a few minutes or hours, journal entries or letters ( epistolary form) can be an effective method to tell a drawn-out story through a series of vignettes, or image-centric flashes of memory. An effective example of this might be "The Fourth of July" by Audre Lorde (Date unknown) or "The Death of the Moth" by Virginia Woolf (1942). For 750-1500 words, it is best to focus on a single moment in time. Since you have limited time in your literature or writing class, you will probably not be able to write an autobiography or memoir. Scope, or how "big" of a story you choose to tell, is an important consideration for a personal narrative. The following activity will help you get started: The following readings are effective examples of personal narratives you can use to help you craft your essay: The following readings will help you with the technical aspects of the essay: Must include at least 3 literary devices in addition to conflict and descriptive imagery (metaphor, simile, dialogue, characterization)īelow are the parts to help you scaffold this assignment:.Must include descriptive imagery of the story's setting.Must include conflict or a plot of some kind. ![]() What would you like your professor and classmates to know about you? What story about yourself would you tell to counteract the "single story" described by Adichie in "The Danger of the Single Story"? Use the Creative Nonfiction readings as inspiration. Basically, tell a brief story about yourself. Write a minimum 750-word personal narrative about a moment, object, or setting that made you the person you are today. It is also an opportunity to practice MLA formatting & understand basic concepts of storytelling/literature. This first essay assignment is a chance for me, the instructor and your peers to get to know you. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |