Narrative
short story
Directions:
Your Biggest Fear!
Due Thursday, September 23rd
Prompt: Write a personal narrative story describing an experience you have had
facing your biggest fear or phobia. Make sure you select an experience that has a strong climax
(this will make the writing process easier for you).
Writing Process Requirements
(points to be determined):
 Complete all pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing activities. Each individual activity
will be assigned points based on the task.
 Be sure to keep all drafts and other activities leading up to the final draft. These writings
will help you to complete your final draft and you will staple these to the back of your final
draft.
Final Draft Requirements
points):
(50
 Length – minimum of five paragraphs
 Address the prompt – story must be about a time you had to face your biggest fear or
phobia
 Must contain all five stages of plot organized in the correct order (exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, resolution)
 Strong sensory details (show, don’t tell!)
 An interesting or attention grabbing title
 Dialogue between characters
 Written in first person point of view
 A clear setting must be established
Format Requirements:
 Typed – Must be double-spaced, 12 inch font, 1 inch margins, and either Times New
Roman or Arial font.
 Handwritten – If you must handwrite, you must SKIP EVERY OTHER LINE and write
only on one side of each piece of paper.
Phobia Narrative
Steps to Success
Phobia Narrative - Write the Climax first!
Step 1: Pick a phobia
Step 2: Brainstorm What If? Situations. Write as
many as possible for your phobia.
(use the worksheet)
Examples: What if you were locked in a room with
clowns and you are deathly afraid of them?
What if a flight to London is required for
your dream job and your fear is flying?
What if you refuse to ride Top Thrill
Dragster, but your friend drags you on and the
ride malfunctions?
Step 3: Given your character’s phobia, what’s the
worst possible situation he/she
could be in? (Basically, you are just deciding
which what if situation you want to write about.)
Step 4: Decide where this scene would take place, put
your character there, and start writing your
story at the point where he/she faces their fear
head on. (We will go back to write the
exposition, rising action, falling action &
resolution after we write the climax. Each day
we are in the lab we will do a mini-lesson on one
of these stages.)
Questions to answer as your write the rest of your
story
Setting
 Are there certain times of the day/year when
your character’s phobia is at its worst?
 Are there any particular places that freak
him/her out? What does it look like, smell
like? What Physical responses does the
character’s body have to this place/person?
 Are there any particular places he/she goes
for comfort or security?
Plot
 Was there a traumatic experience that may have
caused your character to develop his/her
phobia?
 Does his/her phobia affect his/her everyday
life?
 Do other people tease or make fun or him/her?
 Does he/she have bad dreams/recurring
nightmares?
 What events lead him/her to his/her final
confrontation with the phobia?
 Doe he/she come out okay or not?
 What physical and mental things happen to your
character when they are afraid? What do they
look like, feel like, etc.?