Name: ____________________________________________ Block: _________ Date: ____________________
Personal Narrative Reading Notes
On this handout, I want you to keep track of each piece of personal narrative you
will read over the course of next few classes. 1) Annotate first on the narrative
themselves, identifying ALL elements of good writing you can find. 2) Then, pick a
few specific instances that stood out to you and record them here.
*Also, there is a space for you to jot down thoughts/ideas that may occur as you read
these narratives. Please jot them down so you won’t forget. I will ask you to write a
journal entry on one idea that pops up in your head in the course of your readings.
Some elements of good writing/narrative:
1. Interesting beginning
2. Punch-line, a twist ending, a reflective ending etc.
3. Humor, sarcasm, irony, surprise, suspense
4. Vivid word choice and description
5. Sentence variety
6. Effective comparison and contrast
7. Relatable, personable subject matter
8. New way of looking at something familiar
9. Gripping, fresh, interesting subject matter
10. Cool point/message
MANY MORE!
Narrative 1: “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan
Summary/point of the narrative:
Elements of good writing that STOOD
OUT to you
Direct first sentence that many of us can
relate to (crush)
Use of simile that emphasizes the
difference between her and her crush.
Specific examples/quotes from the
narrative
“ I fell in love with the minister’s son the
winter I turned fourteen.”
“He was not Chinese, but as white as
Mary in the Manger.”
1
Narrative 2: “Orange Crush”
Summary/point of the narrative:
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
2
[Notes/Additions from class discussion]
Narrative 3: “Spelling Yiffniff”
Summary/point of the narrative:
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
[Notes/Additions from class discussion]
3
Narrative 4: “Ready, Willing, and Able”
Summary/point of the narrative:
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
[Notes/Additions from class discussion]
Narrative 5: “Nice Girls”
Summary/point of the narrative:
4
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
[Notes/Additions from class discussion]
Narrative 6: “A Crime of Compassion”
Summary/point of the narrative:
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
5
[Notes/Additions from class discussion]
Narrative 7: “Friend Request”
Summary/point of the narrative:
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
6
[Notes/Additions from class discussion]
Narrative 8: “What’s in a Name?”
Summary/point of the narrative:
[HW] Read/annotate the passage first. Then, fill out the chart below.
Elements of good writing that STOOD Specific examples/quotes from the
OUT to you
narrative
*Developing thoughts and ideas for MY narrative:
7