Grade 8
Anecdotal Short Stories Unit
How to Write an Anecdotal Story
Anecdote - A short account (or narrative) of an interesting or
amusing incident, often intended to illustrate or support some point.
Adjective: anecdotal.
Anecdote
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons,
whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place. However, over time, modification
in reuse may convert a particular anecdote to a fictional piece, one that is retold but is
"too good to be true". Sometimes humorous, anecdotes are not jokes, because their
primary purpose is not simply to evoke laughter, but to reveal a truth more general than
the brief tale itself, or to delineate a character trait in such a light that it strikes in a flash
of insight to its very essence.
The word 'anecdote' (in Greek: "unpublished", literally "not given out") comes from
Procopius of Caesarea, the biographer of Justinian I, who produced a work entitled
Ἀνέκδοτα (Anekdota, variously translated as Unpublished Memoirs or Secret History),
which is primarily a collection of short incidents from the private life of the Byzantine
court. Gradually, the term anecdote came to be applied to any short tale utilized to
emphasize or illustrate whatever point the author wished to make.
An Example of Anecdotal Writing
One example of writing an anecdotal essay is the ‘college essay’ or university entrance
essay. This is an essay that accompanies an application to get into a school, college or
university. The purpose of the essay is to give the prospective student a chance to stand
out by saying something significant, creative and memorable about them self.
Presumably, being a Grade 8 student at BIS, you are not about to apply for another
educational institution. However, because you’re a bright, creative thinker you can write
an anecdotal essay that says something significant and interesting about you.
An applicant to an educational institution may be required to choose one of the topics
below for their essay. You must choose one of these questions too!
Common Application Questions
1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or
ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and
its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe
that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in
art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that
influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences
adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe
an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in an
educational community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of
diversity to you.
Topic of your choice.
First of all, notice that you have a great deal of freedom in terms of topics – you can write
about anything so long, that is, as it’s about you. Whatever topic you choose, then, you
must make this essay about you. A good essay tells engaging, specific stories. Other
essays that you might have written for English start with a formal introduction. However,
an anecdotal essay asks you to tell stories that begin with a “hook,” that engage your
reader in a specific narrative, and that conclude with the “point” of your story.
Effective Anecdotal Storytelling Techniques

Write from a first - person (“I”) point of view rather than the standard story telling
third – person retelling.

Open your essay with a “hook.” It can be an arresting, provocative first sentence,
or it can be a line of dialogue – whatever, so long as it makes your reader want to
read on.

Use clear, lively language and sentences with active precise verbs.

Make sure you are answering the question but really importantly make sure the
story is based on you: your thoughts, your actions etc.

Who is your audience? Consider who will be reading your essay. Is the subject
matter of your story appropriate?

Keep the essay simple and focused. Don’t try to do too much; find a compelling
story from your life, and focus closely on that. By telling one story, you tell the
whole story of who you are and what you believe.
What to avoid!

Dull, clumsy, and wordy writing that only makes generalizations.

Essays that are only about the book, person, event, but aren’t about their relation
to you. If you write about your grandfather, for example, as someone who is
important in your life, do not simply write a biography of him; the essay has to be
about his influence on you – it must always be about you.

Essays that aren’t in your area of interest or experience. Only write about
something that is significant and meaningful to you.
Prepare to write!
Although the concept of an anecdotal essay sounds simple enough--you are,
after all simply telling a story--writing one can be quite challenging. As with any
other type of writing assignment, the essay should capture and hold your reader's
interest. Fortunately, if you take time to structure the paper properly, your
anecdotal essay can be fun to write and more importantly, fun to read.
Instructions to Write an Anecdotal Essay
1. Come up with a list of ideas for your anecdotal essay. Think back to an
important event in your life or other personal experiences that have
affected you.
◦
2. Pick one story to use as the basis for your anecdotal essay. Discuss your
ideas with a friend, teacher or peer and find out which story appeals to him
or her. Hearing someone else's opinion can help you select the most
interesting subject for your paper.
3. Determine the theme of your essay. Think about your reason for writing
the story---do you want to make your readers laugh or do you want your
story to offer insight about a serious issue?
◦
4. Tell your story in three to four body paragraphs. Because this is the most
important part of your story, you should spend the most time on this
section. Make sure your writing is clear, grammatically correct and
structured logically.
◦
5. Write an introduction for your essay. Because it's the beginning of your
essay, make sure your introduction uses an appropriate tone that prepares
your readers for the story you're telling. For example, if you're telling a
funny anecdote, the introduction should make your reader laugh. On the
other hand, if your story is serious, your introduction should be more
formal.
◦
6. Write your conclusion. This paragraph should sum up your reasons for
writing the essay and offer any additional thoughts on the subject.
◦
7. Proofread your essay, checking for spelling and grammatical errors as well
as structural issues. If possible, have someone else look over your paper
as well.
Some Anecdotal Stories:
An Interesting Visit
A few years ago I was living in Japan. One day my friends and I decided to take a trip to climb Mt.
Fuji. It was a considerable distance from where we lived so we had several hours on the train.
To pass the time, we visited amongst ourselves and with others in our car. There were tourists
from various parts of Japan as well as several foreign countries. At one point I witnessed a most
unusual conversation. One of my Japanese friends wanted to talk to a young man from France. My
friend only spoke Japanese, and the French tourist spoke only French. The Frenchman had a
traveling companion who knew some Spanish, and one of our group had studied Spanish in high
school.
With a little creativity, our dilemma was solved. Sitting four abreast on a train bench the
conversation went something like this:
The Japanese boy introduced himself in Japanese to my American friend. He translated in his mind
from Japanese to English and then to Spanish. He passed on the message in Spanish to one
gentleman who then conveyed the message to his friend in French. The response came back in the
opposite order from one end of the bench to the other. And so the conversation was carried on. It
was a little slow, quite laborious, and I suspect something got lost in the translation (or the
translation or maybe the other translation!) In the end, new friendships blossomed, and everyone
marveled at our ability to communicate - more or less.
With a little cooperation, some ingenuity, and perseverance, there are not many problems that we
can't solve together.
Oak
When asked what his most pressing issue was, my husband replied he
felt so responsible for so many people and so many issues.
I started using Oak on his "Bubbling Spring" acupoint on the bottoms
of his feet and he would then lie down for a while. What is great is that
when we met with one of our children the other day, and that child
began to tell us of his financial situation, my husband did not rush in
to save him, or give him a solution. He merely listened with
compassion and our 34 year old son never did ask us for an opinion, a
solution, or anything. He merely vented.
It was so great to see my husband be able to allow our son to have his
own learning challenge and his own feelings, and to detach from any
feelings of having to save him. We support him of course but until
asked, we can allow ourselves to let him figure out his own path.
It is so liberating for my dear husband who is so compassionate and
helpful and wants to save everyone. He is able now to see his
boundaries and wait to be asked for help.
Too Close to the Edge!
Last winter, I was able to get a few runs down the mountain. I live in northern Utah, and we
boast of the Greatest Snow on Earth. When my family moved here a few years ago from
western Washington, we promised each other that we would learn to ski. Of course my teen-age
children became very proficient almost immediately. It took me a little longer, but I do okay. I
guess I would be rated about an early, intermediate skier.
There are at least four ski resorts within about an hour of my house. We ski them all, but
Powder Mountain has become a favorite. While my kids and even my wife head for the black
diamonds, I'm still content to hone my skills on the green runs with an occasional blue.
On my last run of the year, I decided to get a little daring. As I was coming down an
intermediate, blue run, I headed over to the brink of the hill where a black diamond run begins.
I believe it was "Powder Keg" or "Gunshot." Of course I had no intention of actually beginning
the run. I just wanted to see how close I could get and peer over the edge. I badly misjudged
the situation. By getting close to the run, I almost lost any possibility of returning to my blue
run. I thought I could just ski back over, but it was suddenly uphill to get back where I wanted
to be. I did manage to sidestep over to safety, but not until I was reminded of an important
lesson.
Just as I tempted fate and nearly took a run I didn't want, we often get too close to the edge of
a behavior we really don't want to engage in. Many young people find themselves arrested,
addicted, or pregnant because they didn't realize how hard it would be to turn back if they got
too close to the edge.
Activities

When I was …
For this activity, you will have a set time to write about different aspects of your life:
Write about: 1) An incident where you were really scared or nervous; 2) An incident
where you were really happy; 3) Your most memorable holiday; 4) Something you feel
guilty about (or at least something you did which you know was wrong); 5) Your most
prized possession; 6) How someone else has made you change your behavior or attitude;
7) Something you got really excited about but were then disappointed.
Extension – Swap your responses with a partner. Give some written and / or verbal
instructions to your partner on how they could make their response more interesting.

The Hook
In any form of narrative ‘the hook’ is a technique whereby your account starts with
something that grabs the attention of your audience.
Decide if the following are effective hooks and predict what the rest of the narrative
might be about:
“Hey you!” Iltis’ roar was louder than a nuclear explosion and twice as scary.
“Come ‘ere you ‘orrible little toe rag!”
Personally I think that school is way under rated. But there again, I’m not like
other kids in my school.
Do you have a guilty secret that you just can’t tell anybody? Something that bad
that you feel a lump in your throat and a throbbing headache every time you think
about it? These days I have a throbbing headache all the time.
Being totally naked - except for a pair of sports sock and a cowboy hat - in Rewe
is not something that I’d recommend.

Who are you?
In pairs, find out information about your partner. You must write down your partner’s
responses so you can share them with the rest of the class.
Ask your partner the following: Something nobody in the classroom knows about that
person; what is their favorite food; something they’re proud of; something they are
passionate about; something that makes them scared; what would they do if they were
given 4 million Euros; do they like camping?

How did it make you feel?
Write not more than 70 words on each of the following:
How did you feel when you first went to BIS or some other school?
How do you feel about [pick a family member or friend]?
How did you feel when you were playing in a sporting fixture or got a good [bad] grade
at school?
How do you feel when you hear Justin Bieber [or some other band / artist]?
How do you feel about the earthquake that hit Japan or famine victims in some
developing countries or the riots in England or environmental disasters?
How do you feel when you see other people laughing or a fast animal on television
running in slow motion or a beautiful piece of architecture (building) or walking in the
countryside?
LANGUAGE A: ENGLISH – MYP LEVEL 3 (8)
Essay – Anecdotal Essay
Student: _______________________
Summative Task Details
Write an anecdotal essay (focus on one event / incident in your life). Your story
should have a title from the list provided or a title agreed to by your teacher.
Area of Interaction: Human Ingenuity – why do people tell personal stories?
CRITERION A: Content (10)
•
•
•
•
•
relevant / interesting / engaging content.
story focuses on a particular event / incident
your feelings are evident
story told in ‘first person’
understanding of the different elements of anecdotal writing and ability to
use these elements to engage your audience
CRITERION B: Organisation (10)
2. organisation, clarity and coherence of paragraphs
3. set out / structured in accordance with formal essay writing conventions
4. logical development of ideas
CRITERION C: Style and Language (10)
• editing of spelling, punctuation, sentence structure
• appropriate and varied vocabulary
• ability to use language to continue the established tone and mood
Anecdotal Short Stories - Essay Titles:
•
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical
dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
•
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its
importance to you.
•
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that
influence.
•
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art,
music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that
influence.
•
A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds
much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an
experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in an
educational community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of
diversity to you.
•
Any other essay title of your choice. However, you must have the teacher’s
agreement.