Personal Narrative
Your first assignment of the year, as we begin every year, is to write a personal
essay. We’ve discussed a few examples to get your mind going; however, as is
always the challenge with this assignment, the options for where to begin, what
story to tell, what aspects of your self to express are all left up to you.
Remember that what I’m NOT asking for is a list of things that have happened to
you, or a simple recounting of the events in your life. Instead, I’m asking you to
reflect more deeply on an instance, truth, pattern, relationship(s) in your life and
then tell me a story, which ultimately reveals who you are and how you are. Your
essay can include notions of family, friends, choices, recurring themes that you see
in your own life thus far, etc.
Your essay should be 5 pages and be written in two drafts (both of which I will
collect; we will peer-edit the rough)…should demonstrate honest thought and
reflection about who you are and why you are that way….should engage the reader
and have him or her feel as if they have learned something about your life. It can be
funny or serious (or both), can center on one major experience or weave together
several smaller ones that connect thematically.
Perhaps it might help you to start with a goal: I want to express BLANK about my
life and myself…or I believe in BLANK. Maybe it’s best to just begin writing and then
shape the essay on second draft. How you approach this task will be up to you.
SHOW me the truth rather than just telling me about it. As Steinbeck said (and I’m
paraphrasing), “as writers me must open the door and let the stories crawl in.”
Some notes below:
Choosing to write about the death or illness of a relative or pet, a close call in an
automobile, or an account of the big game may make it easier for you to conjure up
and identify the emotions you want to express, but be careful. Writers who get too
caught up with expressing their own emotions can sometimes forget the needs of
the reader. Watch out for lists of emotions: “I’ll never forget how scared and worried
I was.” (If you’re aiming for an emotional effect, your job as a writer is to make your
reader feel those emotions, not simply to communicate the fact that you felt
them.)
Maybe your topic is important to you not because it was a single, huge, momentous
event, but rather because it’s part of your everyday life. Perhaps it’s something that
you’ve never really examined in detail before. Some example titles below:
- “Sure, Fishing is Boring-But That’s the Point!”
- “How I Learned Not To Stick Things Into Power Outlets”
- “How Many Times Do I Have to Say ‘How Are You’?”
- “Five Sure-Fire Ways to Ruin a First Date”
- “My Love Affair with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches” (A long list of ways you use
this food will be less interesting than a well-presented story of one particular story
that stands out in your memory)
Rough Draft is Due __________________________________
Final Draft is Due ____________________________________