Describing a turning point . . .
From Reading to Writing In “A White Heron,”
Sylvia is unable to betray the location of the
heron to a hunter: “She cannot tell the heron’s
secret and give its life away.”
Describing a turning point . . .
Just as such a turning point can reveal character
in a story, similar incidents can reveal some
aspect of your own attitude or personality.
Writers include such autobiographical
incidents in their memoirs and essays.
Basics in a Box
Autobiographical
Incident at a Glance
• Recreates the incident
using descriptive details
Beginning
• Makes the significance
clear
Introducing the
incident including the
people involved and
the setting
RUBRIC
Middle
End
• Concludes by reflecting
on the outcome and
significance
• Presents the writer’s
feelings about the
experience
Standards for Writing
A successful autobiographical incident should
• focus on a well-defined incident or a
series of related incidents
• use description or dialogue as
appropriate
• provide background information for the
incident
• include precise language and specific
details
• use elements such as plot, character,
and setting as appropriate
• show why the experience was significant
• make the order of events clear
• maintain a consistent tone and point of
view
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
1 Prewriting

Begin by choosing the incident you will
write about. You may choose to focus on
something that happened to you, or you
may decide to write about an event you
witnessed but did not participate in.

Make a list with three columns: People,
Places, Things.

List all the things that come to mind in each
category that represent something
important to you.
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
1 Prewriting

You might also remember meaningful
events in your past by using the phrase,
“I remember when. . . ,” then jotting down
the thoughts that come to mind.

When you have chosen the event you
want to write about, follow these steps:
Planning Your Autobiographical Incident
1. Test your topic. Do you remember the incident well
enough to write about it? Why is this memory
important? Will you be comfortable sharing the
memory? Will writing about it show what you learned
from the event or what impact it had on you?
2. Think about your purpose and audience. How can
you show readers how and why the incident affected
you?
3. Choose some of your building blocks. What
other people took part in the incident? Is the time or
place important? What are some of the key events?
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
2 Drafting
Get your memory down on paper. Don’t worry
about how it sounds. You can make
improvements later. If you find yourself losing
interest in the incident or have trouble telling it,
choose another memory. As you draft, consider
the following hints:

Use some or all of the story elements—
plot, character, and setting. Include any
background information that the reader
needs to know.
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
2 Drafting

Use dialogue when you can.

Use language that appeals to the
senses.

Organize your incident. Usually
chronological order is the clearest method
of organization, but you might decide you
can make a greater impact by starting in the
middle of the incident. In that case, you can
use a flashback to fill in all the missing
parts.
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
2 Drafting
After you finish your first draft, let it sit for a
while. Then reread it. Ask your peer readers for
reactions, too.
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
3 Revising
I can’t write five words but that I change
seven.
Dorothy Parker,
American writer and humorist
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
3 Revising
TARGET SKILL
MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY OF TONE
Your autobiographical incident will have more
impact if the tone is the same throughout. A
humorous piece that unintentionally turns
serious or a serious piece that suddenly
becomes sarcastic will likely confuse the
reader.
Writing Your Autobiographical Incident
4 Editing and Proofreading
3
TARGET SKILL
PUNCTUATING CLAUSES
Your incident will have more impact if you
vary the sentences you use to tell about it.
To avoid too many short, choppy sentences,
writers combine ideas into one sentence
with two or more clauses.